Carol Service Hollins

Christmas Carol Service

Welcome

As we light the last candle before Christmas Day, we give thanks for the role Mary played in God’s unfolding story and pray for God to be in all our lives,

Lord you call each of us to play a part in your story and purposes for the world. May this flame remind us of the courage and the humility of Mary and Joseph, that we may shine your light into the lives of others, and draw them to the Christmas stable where hope is born, and all are loved. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Come mothers, fathers, and children, come motherless, fatherless, and childless, whoever you are, wherever you came from. Come as part of God’s family to hear his purposes for you, and to praise his name.

Carol 1

O little town of Bethlehem

Carol 2

This Christmas hymn was originally written to explain this part of the Apostles' Creed: “Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.” Each verse explores part of the contrast between Jesus' divinity and humanity. The first stanza contrasts the grand idea of “royal David's city” with the lowliness of a cattle-shed,

The second, compares the glory of heaven, with the poverty of earth to which He came. and The hymn ends by reminding us that Christ has ascended once again to glory, where we shall see Him, as He said: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3 NIV).

Once in Royal David’s City

Prayers

We praise you, eternal God, for the voices you give us, for the roles you entrust to us, for the company you surround us with – angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, friends, and family, our communities, and our brothers and sisters around the world. All creation has a share in your redeeming purposes and a place in your heart. Thank you, Lord Amen.

Forgive us, God, when we want to be centre stage and not in the wings, when we want the leading role and not a bit part, when your voice gets drowned out by the sound of our own, when stage fright prevents us from playing out part, Forgive us and grant us humility, grace and openness to your calling – this Advent and far beyond. Amen.

Gracious God, in you no one is insignificant, no one goes unnoticed, no one is turned away, no one is forgotten, no promise that you make is broken, no plan is unfulfilled. So, with confidence, we can lay down all that burdens us and step out boldly, confidently and forgiven, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Carol 3

See Amid the Winter Snow

Readings

ISAIAH 7:10-16

Again, the LORD spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

Carol

Silent Night

MATTHEW 1: 18-25

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Carol 4

It came upon the midnight clear

Sermon

Who is ready for Christmas next week? What have you got left to do? Is there anything that you are putting off until after Christmas – perhaps things that really need to be done now and not later?

Most of us do it, though some are worse than others. Mañana – tomorrow... Is it because we are too busy, or have other priorities, or perhaps we don’t really want to face whatever it is?

King Ahaz from our reading in Isaiah did not want to face what was looming, and when God offered him a sign, he justified his reluctance by saying that he didn’t want to put God to the test. Little did he know just how important God’s sign would become, not just for Ahaz but for the whole world.

I want you to think about what your plans for your life were when you were younger? How did they work out? Or, what about the plans that you might have discussed before any life-changing decision you’ve made such as getting married? Has there been a time when your hopes and dreams didn’t match up with what turned out to be God’s plans for you?

That’s what Matthew asks.

Joseph is told by the angel that he must stand alongside Mary and acknowledge her child as his own. This demanded courage and commitment in a tough situation over something that was not really his problem.

The fact that an angel visited him in a dream, would you trust a dream?

God’s whole strategy for redemption is bound up with Joseph’s agreement to support the family. There was always the risk that Joseph could have walked away.

This was a display of great strength and commitment on Joseph’s part. Such dependence on co-operation is seen repeatedly in God’s dealings with us – and if it happens to us, it can be scary. So how can we support and care for one another in taking risks for the kingdom of God? How does God give us strength to do this?

Names in the Bible matter. The Gospel reading gives Jesus three names: Jesus, Emmanuel, and Christ. All three have meanings bringing us back to the Old Testament. They tell us about who this child will be and the ways he will shape the lives of others for good. ‘Calling someone names’ is hurtful. There are an ever-growing number of people who believe that they are ‘not good enough’, facing challenges to their well-being and mental health as a result. How can we find ways of naming people that affirm their God-given capacity for doing, and being, good?

In our reading Joseph is described as a righteous man. Was it righteous of him not to believe Mary’s explanation of her pregnancy until it was confirmed by the angel in a dream? If she was not telling the truth, was it righteous of him not to invoke, the punishment prescribed in the Torah for someone who had sex outside of marriage?

Was he trying to protect his own reputation for righteousness by planning to hush it all up and avoid the shame of being associated with a woman about who some would have moral questions, what is the difference between real righteousness and self-righteousness? Do we always like to be right?

Think back to when you were at school to a time, we used to perform the nativity story thinking about it who are the big personalities in the Christmas story? Who has the most lines to say? Who has the most dramatic impact? What part would you see yourself playing in the nativity story?

It’s a rare boy who wants to play Joseph in the primary school nativity play. For the extroverts there are no lines and little action. For the introverts (most boys at that stage) it involves too close a proximity to the ‘girl’ playing Mary. ‘Please don’t ask me to touch her never mind hug her!’

Joseph actually doesn’t play a prominent role in the nativity story, although in the Matthew account his role is more prominent than that of Mary, who has much more to say in Luke’s account.

Did Matthew make his account more male centred because this was a feature of the community to who Matthew was addressing his Gospel, despite the fact, for obvious reasons, that it is understood that the religion of one’s mother that is seen as a guarantee of Jewishness.

According to Matthew, if nothing else, Joseph does have a good reputation and family name or pedigree, stretching back through David and beyond to Abraham. We don’t know from Scripture exactly what Mary’s family tree was. But when Joseph was told in a dream who Mary’s child would become and should be called, through his act of naming the child, Jesus, he formally adopted him into his family.

We can often see the birth of Christ in a rather sugar-coated way, Mary obedient Joseph following a dream.

Video

Carol 5

In the bleak midwinter

Prayers

O God, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate your coming to us as flesh – Emmanuel, Saviour – we ask that you would heal and guide our wounded world.

Turning our attention to our own hearts, We become aware of our fears, weaknesses, and the brokenness of our thoughts, words, and actions. Lord, we turn to You once again and we listen for Your promise:

I am making everything new

I think now of the needs in our community and our nation. Lord, we pray for those who have been profoundly affected by war: for refugees, the displaced and the traumatised. we pray for everyone who is desperately struggling financially. And we pray for our government, that they may act with great wisdom in these challenging times. But beyond all these troubles we listen for Your loud voice of hope, declaring:

I am making everything new!

Finally, Lord, we pray for the nations of the world, especially those caught up in conflict and war. In this Advent season we pray, come Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace; we listen expectantly to hear Your voice from the throne announcing:

I am making everything new! Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

Carol 6

Joy to the world

Blessing

May the God who knows where you come from and where you should be going, go with you. May the God who knows your hopes and dreams, bless you – and others through you – more than you can possibly imagine. May the God who was with Joseph and Mary in all that they faced, be known to you as Emmanuel – God with you. Amen.