December 24, 2023 5 PM
Lessons and Carols
Our traditional lessons and carols features our choir singing beautiful carols accompanied by excerpts from the story of Jesus’ birth and ending with a Christmas wish, candle lighting, and Silent Night.
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Order of Service
Prelude , John O’Neill, piano; Steve Gibb, guitar; Kory Grossman, drums
Welcome, Jamaine Cripe, Lifespan Ministry Team
Carol: 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…
Lo, humble shepherds, hasting to his cradle,
leaving their flocks in the fields, draw near.
We, too, with gladness, thither bend our footsteps;
O come let us adore him…
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
O come let us adore him…
Misa Iwama, Director of Music Ministry
Chalice Lighting and Yule Log Lighting, Rev. Dr. Robin Tanner and Dr. Tuli Patel, Lead Ministry Team
Reading Luke 1:26-38 The Angel Appears to Mary, Wim Sweldens
Reading Luke 1:56-45 Magnificat, Jamaine Cripe
Carol: In the Bleak Midwinter frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone,
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter long ago.
Christ a homeless stranger, so the gospels say,
cradled in a manger and a bed of hay;
in the bleak midwinter, stable-place sufficed
Mary and her baby, Jesus Christ.
Once more child and mother weave their magic spell,
touching hearts with wonder words can never tell;
in the bleak midwinter, in this world of pain,
where our hearts are open love is born again.
Reading Matthew 1:18-21, Joseph Has a Dream, Dr. Tuli Patel
Carol: 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, to all good will,
from heaven the news we bring.”
The world in solemn stillness
lay to hear the angels sing.
For, lo! the days are hastening on
by prophet bards foretold,
when with the ever-circling years
comes round the age of gold:
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world give back the song
which now the angels sing.
Reading: Luke 2:4-19, Wim Sweldens
Carol: The First Nowell the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds, in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
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.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the king of Israel.
And by the light of that same star,
Three magi came from country far;
To seek a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the king of Israel.
Reading: Matthew 2:7-12 The Kings Travel to See Jesus, Jamaine Cripe
Carol: We Three Kings of royalty are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.
Chorus: O Star of wonder, star of light,
star, with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us through this perfect night.
Frankincense to offer have I,
incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising, all are raising,
worship God most high.
O Star of wonder…
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
O Star of wonder…
Born a babe on Bethlehem’s plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
love forever, ceasing never, in our hearts to reign.
O Star of wonder…
Offering, Dr. Tuli Patel
Offering: There are three ways to give to Beacon’s mission of radical inclusion, feeding the human spirit and healing the world.
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Offertory, Dona Nobis Pacem* (Grant Us Peace) by Frode Fjellheim and Ding Dong Merrily on High, 16th c. melody with words by George Ratcliffe Woodward, arr. Ruth Morris Gray, Members of the Beacon Choir
Ted Brewer
Joëlle Bochner
Glory Bowen
Ron Califano
Melanie Davis
Janice Hartman
Laura Kramer
Cathy Menendez
Norm Miller
Rick Myers
Sue Walsh
Homily, Rev. Dr. Robin Tanner
Reading: Amazing Peace by Maya Angelou, Wim Sweldens, Jamaine Cripe, and Dr. Tuli Patel
Candle Lighting, Wim Sweldens & Jamaine
Carol: 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 “Alleluia!”
sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night,
child of God, love's pure light,
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Christmas Wish, Rev. Robin & Dr. Tuli
Carol: Joy to the World! The Word is come:
let earth with praises ring.
Let every heart prepare a room,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! Now gladness reigns:
let hearts their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
Benediction, Rev. Robin, Dr. Tuli, and Jamaine
Postlude
Additional Beacon Staff & Volunteers who made this service possible:
Worship Associate: Wim Sweldens
Welcome Team: Dick Muldoon and Alejandro Polo
Worship Leader: Rev. Dr. Robin Tanner
Music: Misa Iwama, John O’Neill, Steve Gibb, Kory Grossman
Liturgists: Dr. Tuli Patel and Jamaine Cripe
Live Stream Technician: Will Cisco
Audio Tech: Henry McCann
Special thanks to Dick Muldoon
Beacon Choir:
Ted Brewer
Joëlle Bochner
Glory Bowen
Ron Califano
Melanie Davis
Janice Hartman
Laura Kramer
Cathy Menendez
Norm Miller
Rick Myers
Sue Walsh