Lessons and Carols Service

Welcome/Intro to Lessons and Carols/Prayer

Good Morning Church! I want to begin by saying Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has enjoyed your Christmas with family and friends! I want to welcome everyone to our special service this morning. We are going to be participating in a service that has been a longstanding tradition within the broader church, specifically the Anglican Church for generations.

What exactly is “Lessons and Carols”

This is an anglican Worship Service that was first instituted in England in the late 1800s. The service is centered around scripture readings throughout the Biblical story traditonally begining in Genesis and Ending in the Gospels. It is a service of revelation and response where God’s word is read and the people respond in musical worship.

This morning we are going to have our own “Lessons and Carols” Service, where a member of the church family will read the scripture on the screen and then we will respond in unison by singing. Although, this may seem like a shorter service it is intentionally designed to help us reflect on how the Biblical Story points to Jesus and his presence with us. The World waited thousands of years for their King to show up and dwell among us. Let us enter into that waiting once again as we wait for the return of our King!

I hope and pray that you are blessed by this service Church. May Jesus hear our worship and smile! Love you Church! Let us worship together!

Devotional/Closing Prayer and Benediction

The last scripture we read described the process of the incarnation. How the Word became flesh, How God became man. I dont know about you but, I too frequently skip over the awesomeness of this reality. God became man. Men, (and women), bwe like to daydream about becoming like God. We have entire movies around how normal people become like God’s (actions movies, superhero movies, movies about ordinary becoming extraordinary.)

Yet, there are very few movies about the divine becoming normal, mortal, and human. The incarnation flips every possible concept about what it means to be divine on it’s head. God became like us so that He could be with us. One artist puts it like this: He slipped out of his royal garments, left eternity to enter time, divinity to wrap himself in humanity. The sea of glass, for the ocean of separation. He left peace, and for the first time felt physical pain. God became human. That Church just awesome. Pause and think about it.

God has continually put the name Emmanuel on my heart for several weeks now. God with us. I took some time to write down some reflections on God with us.

God with Us Spoken Word:

Emmanuel- God with us

God, the God.

The God of Abraham, Jacob and Issac.

God, who lead the people out of Egypt.

Yahweh, who lead the way through the sea and dessert

Yahweh who was only seen in fire and a cloud.

God with us.

God with His people again

Not in a box or a temple.

Even when we keep trying to shove Him Back in

God with us, the Rescue from sin and every mess we’re in.

God is with us, no matter where we are at.

God is with us.

With us when we are overwhelmed by the never ending to do list.

When we are weary of praying because we feel unheard he is still there.

When feel like we arent who God has called us to be: He is still there calling us deeper.

When We wonder if everytime we let sin win the day, if the Father takes a step away. He is still there with forgiveness as welcoming as a hug.

God is with us in the anxiety and the fear. When Satan whispers in our ear: “What if?” or “Maybe God’s not here”

God is with us.

Christ is with us.

Searching for the lost and carrying them home.

Inviting the rejected to become a child of God

Jesus is with us so everything’s changed.

The nameless are given a name: Loved, Accepted, Redeemed.

Jesus is with us. Never to leave us. Never to Fail us. God is with us calling us Home.

God is with us , We are not alone.

Would you pray with me?

Benediction:

Let the love that shaped earth and heaven

dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that created humanity

dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that overcomes suffering and hatred

dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that causes us to rejoice with loved ones

dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that forgives and renews

dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that brings reconciliation after separation

dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that brings the blessing of peace

dwell within us this Christmas.

And may we share that peace and love

with all people near and far. Amen.