A Festival of Lessons & Carols
Candlelight Service
December 24, 2020 - 5 PM
Christ Presbyterian Church
Virtual Worship Service
Facebook Live: @christpc
Audio Live Stream: www.largocpc.org
Call and Listen: 351-888-7756
Cell Phone Text: CALL ME
Prelude
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Welcome
Carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come Thou Dayspring come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Dispense the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Desire of nations,
bind All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and discord cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Call to Worship Psalm 96
One: Sing to the Lord a new song;
All: sing to the Lord, all the earth!
One: Sing to the Lord and bless God’s name;
All: tell the good news of salvation from day to day.
One: Declare God’s glory among the nations, God’s marvelous works
among all the peoples.
All: For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.
One: Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice.
All: Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world, and those who
live in it.
One: Let the whole creation sing for joy at the presence of God, who is
coming.
All: God is coming indeed, to judge the earth with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity and truth. Praise the Lord!
Lighting the Advent Wreath
Tonight, on this final night of Advent, we light again the candles
of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. We speak of HOPE because God
established a covenant relationship with His people and keeps
His promises to us.
We work for PEACE because Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
Through Jesus, God calls His children to work together for
PEACE in His name.
We share JOY because the Holy Spirit is ever present with us and
fills our hearts and minds enabling us to do the work each of us
have been called to do JOYfully.
We show LOVE because God sent His Son, who gave everything
for us and taught us LOVE for one another. He showed us LOVE
through His ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin;
allowing us to be reconciled unto God.
Carol O Come All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, Born the King of angels!
O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation!
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all Glory in the highest!
O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
First Lesson Genesis 3:8-15,17-19
Adam and Eve disobey God’s command and disrupt
the order and goodness of creation
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the
evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man,
and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of you in the
garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who
told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded
you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she
gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman,
“What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and
I ate.” 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed
are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall
go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and
you will strike his heel.” 17 And to the man he said, “Because you have listened to
the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of
it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you
shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust
you shall return.”
Carol Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates,
Behold, the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here!
Second Lesson Genesis 22:15-18
God promises that, through Abraham,
all the peoples of the world will be blessed
The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said,
“By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have
not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you, and I will make
your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the
seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18 and by
your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves,
because you have obeyed my voice.”
Carol Go Tell It on the Mountain
Refrain Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born!
While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light. (refrain)
The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior’s birth. (refrain)
Third Lesson Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
The people who walk in darkness receive the promise of the Messiah
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a
land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall
grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his
kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from
this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Carol It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to all,
From heaven’s all gracious King”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
Fourth Lesson Isaiah 11:1-4a, 6-9
The Messiah will come from the root of Jesse
to restore the peace of creation
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of
his roots. 2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear
of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what
his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall
judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; 6 The wolf shall
live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and
the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall
graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall
put its hand on the adder’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy
mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover
the sea.
Carol O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide in us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
Fifth Lesson Luke 1:26-38
An angel appears to Mary and announces that she will bear a holy child
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called
Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house
of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings,
favored one! The Lord is with you.”[a] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do
not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will
conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will
be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to
him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How
can this be, since I am a virgin?”[b] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore
the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your
relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth
month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with
God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me
according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Special Music Herms and Nordeman
Be Born in Me
Solo - Susan Taylor
Sixth Lesson Luke 2:1-7
Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem where Mary gives birth to her child
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should
be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was
governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also
went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called
Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He
went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting
a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And
she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him
in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Words with Young Worshippers
Special Music Marsh and Dean
Have You Any Room?
Solo – Susan Taylor
Seventh Lesson Luke 2:8-16
Angels appear to shepherds in the fields
and announce the birth of the Messiah
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their
flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the
Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the
people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,
the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of
cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”15 When the angels
had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go
now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has
made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and
the child lying in the manger.
Carol The First Nowell
The first Nowell the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay a keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Refrain Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night. (refrain)
And by the light of that same star,
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went. (refrain)
This star drew nigh to the northwest;
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay. (refrain)
Then entered in those wise men three,
Fell reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence,
Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense. (refrain)
Eighth Lesson Matthew 2:1-11
Magi from the East come seeking the Messiah
and offer gifts to the baby Jesus
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men
from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been
born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to
pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all
Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the
people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him,
“In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you,
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod
secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the
star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search
diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may
also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and
there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped
over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped,
they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with
Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their
treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Presentation of Gifts In the Bleak Midwinter
What can I give Him, Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring Him a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him: Give my heart.
Prayer of Dedication
Ninth Lesson John 1:1-14
The Word of God becomes flesh and lives among us,
full of grace and truth
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through
him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4
in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from
God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that
all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify
to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world
did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not
accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave
power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of
the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived
among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of
grace and truth.
Special Music Lowry and Green
Mary, Did You Know?
Solo - Susan Taylor
Lighting of the Christ Candle
It is Christmas Eve. Our Advent Journey of the past four weeks is at its end.
Our relationship with God has been sealed because Christ has come.
Tonight, we light the CHRIST CANDLE to remind us of the ONE the prophets
foretold, to be the Savior of the world.
As the light of this candle grows brighter, we are reminded that God’s
greatest gift for us has come into the world to be a great light. That in
believing in Him we have been redeemed from all that he would separate us
from God.
Receiving the Light
Carol Silent Night, Holy Night
Silent Night, Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon virgin mother and child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent Night, Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing: “Alelulia;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.”
Silent Night, Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Silent Night, Holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer
Closing Hymn Joy to the World!
Joy to the world! The Lord is come:
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns:
Let us our songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.
Charge and Blessing
Postlude
Thank you to everyone who helped to prepare for
and participate in this worship service.
IN MEMORY OF:
My mother Helen James who died December 25, 2009, given by Chad Bender.
My husband Willis Clark who passed on September 19, 2019 and my mother Poinsett
Crowe who loved Christmas, given by Jane Clark.
Dr. Lynn Paul Cleary, given by the Cleary Family.
Isabel H. “Sammie” Sampson, given by Margaret A. Dunn.
My husband, Willy, given by MaryAnn Metzger.
Lydia New, Linda Mapes and Dennis Skolski,
given by Margaret Goetze.
Carl Graber, Jimmie Baker and my parents, given by Judy Graber & family.
Alfred Gres and Valthea Pelaez, given by Jeanne Hardin-Gres.
All who have gone onto Glory, given by Jack Kilcoyne.
Toby Lowery and son Terry, given by Marilyn Lowery.
Our parents Jemima and James McMullen & Helen and Al MacMullen,
given by Bill and Pat McMullen.
Our loved ones who have gone home before us,
given by Kathy and Mike Norris.
Best Father ever, Wayne Wanshek and Great Father-in-law, Ron Olson,
given by Joan Olson.
Our Grandmothers, Mary Ford, Evelyn Jones, Mary Warner, and Martha Wells,
given by Rev. John and Debra Scott.
My parents John and Eleanor Scott, given by Rev. John Scott.
My daughter Wendy Layne Smith, and my parents John and June Cannon
given by Gloria Smith.
Regina E. Stella, given by Nick Stella.
Edward, Evelyn, Sonny and Skip Levick, given by Nick Stella.
Tony, Angela, Michael and Anthony Stella, given by Nick Stella.
IN MEMORY OF:
For all lost family and friends, given by John and Diane Stewart.
In memory of Lydia New and Linda Mapes, given by Sandra Kukie
In loving memory of Gretchen Goetz, given by Arthur Goetze.
George and our Daughter, Jan Sackman, with love given by Betty Wajdowicz.
Dixie and Bradley Bentley & Margaret and Harry Nadig,
given by Barbara and Henry Nadig.
My dear husband Elmer, given by Barbara Herbranson.
Dr. C. David Wingfield, brother Douglas T. Mullen, Ed and Gretchen Mullen,
Charles Arthur, and Christine Wingfield, given by Kathe Wingfield.
Betty Sarine, Gretchen Goetz, Margaret Hopstock, Joyce Misner, and Pat Jones,
given by Christ Presbyterian Church
IN HONOR OF:
All the hard workers at Christ Presbyterian Church,
given by Richard and Janet Hugel.
All the special people in our lives, given by Juan and June Sanchez.
Dana’s mom Esther Reynolds given by Dana and Lindy Reynolds.
Pastor John and Gloria Smith, given by Joy Porter and Shirley Zuzack.
Ray and Millie Norris, given by Kathy and Mike Norris.
My family, given by Thelma Payne.
Family and friends, given by Sheryn Reeves.
My Grandmother, Patricia Warner, given by Gregory Scott.
CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Phone: 727-584-8695 • Fax: 727-585-1079 • 3115 Dryer Ave, Largo FL 33770
www.LargoCPC.org • email:
[email protected] Office Hours: Due to Covid-19 restrictions office is currently only open by appointment.
Pastor & Teaching Elder Rev. John A. Scott, Jr. email: [email protected]
Director of Music Steven Radeck email: [email protected]
Custodian June Sanchez email: [email protected]
Youth Coordinator Sean Myers email: [email protected]
All songs used by permission CCLI #863215 and streaming CPSL 139714, Expiration date 7/31/2021
