Monthly Archives: December 2007

Lessons and Carols

25 Tuesday Dec 2007

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I was introduced to a Lesson and Carol Christmas Eve service several years ago while I was the pastor at Fort Miller Wesleyan. We were invited by a fellow pastor to come share Christmas Eve services with them. I was taken with the format and looked forward to trying it sometime in a church I pastored.

From Wikipedia:

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a format of Christian worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus and traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and hymns.

The format was based on an Order drawn up by E.W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for Christmas Eve (December 24) 1880 in Truro. It has since been adapted and used by other churches all over the world. In the UK, the service has become the standard format for schools’ Christmas carol services.

We have used this format for our last two Christmas eve services here at Preston. We had 25 show up tonight. Considering the first year we tried it we only had 13 and five were the pastor’s family, I thought we had a good turnout. I really like starting out the Christmas season that way. We offer an early service (5:00 PM) so that we can begin worshiping Christ and then go home and celebrate the birth with our families.

I had planned to use the projector for the service, but Powerpoint had some issues. Now I know why I like EasyWorship. So, we backed up and punted and sang out of the hymnal and I sang the couple songs that weren’t in the hymnal. We had a trio sing one of my favorite Christmas songs (In The First Light) and they did an excellent job. The service concluded with a traditional candlelight service while we sang Silent Night. A very good night indeed!

If you’re interested in the format, here’s what we used:

Welcome and Introduction
Opening Song “Once In King David’s Royal City”

Lighting of the Christ Candle: Titus 2:11-14

First Lesson Genesis 3:8-15, 17-19
Carol “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”

Second Lesson Genesis 22:15-18
Carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

Third Lesson Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
Congregational Song “His Name is Wonderful”

Fourth Lesson Isaiah 11:1-4a
Carol “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”

Fifth Lesson Luke 1:26-35, 38
Special Music “Mary’s Boy Child”

Sixth Lesson Luke 2:1-7
Carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful”

Seventh Lesson Luke 2:8-16
Carol “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night”

Eighth Lesson Matthew 2:1-11
Carol “As With Gladness Men of Old”

Ninth Lesson John 1:1-14
Carol “Joy to the World”

Special Music: “In the First Light”

Candlelighting
Carol: “Silent Night”

Benediction

Lectionary Reading

24 Monday Dec 2007

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Christmas Eve — Proper I
December 24, 2007

The prophecy of Isaiah is very clear. The people of God were walking in great darkness and a light was to come to show them the way. Think about the names that the Messiah is called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Yesterday in my pastoral prayer, I prayed that we might get to know this Prince of Peace. Our world is sure in need of it. From Isaiah we move to the singing nineties. The psalmist writes to sing to the Lord, for the King is coming and he will judge the nations with equity. I think we all long for a day when that will happen — a day when there is peace and we are not at war anymore. I long for a day when people will truly know the Prince of Peace (Jesus) and he’s coming to judge the nations some day.
Yesterday morning, Pam taught our Willing Workers class — we are the youngsters in that class — sometimes I feel inadequate to teach them. They have many more years of experience and they have seen pastors come and go and yet they love us. Pam shared most of us who grew up in church have heard the Luke passage over and over again and the saying goes that familiarity breeds contempt. It’s easy to gloss over this passage, but here is the beginnings of the gospel — that Jesus came to earth as a baby — a baby important enough that the angels sang about his birth — they were excited — these next few days should be an all out celebration — Jesus is born — God has come — God is with us. I say it’s the beginning because Paul finishes it up in Titus:
11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
Christ has been revealed to the world once, and He will be revealed to the world again. Celebrate the Christ who has come to save His people from their sins

Sunday Night Thoughts

24 Monday Dec 2007

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While my friend Mark, woke up to several inches of new fallen snow, with more on the way, we here on the Southside woke up to warm, clouds, fog, and rain. I’m sure glad Mark is getting a white Christmas.

Today we wrapped up our preparation for Christmas, as our youth presented a play called, “No Room.” They did a great job and we were out a good 15 minutes early.

One of the cool things that happened is we were able to give a couple of our families some Christmas gifts from the church.

We canceled this evening’s service, so that everyone could spend time with the family and then attend our Christmas Eve service tomorrow. We do an early (5:00 PM) service — so that we worship together first and then go to celebrate Christmas with our families. I really like the idea.

Tomorrow night we will have a Lesson and Carols service, which is a service built completely around 9 scriptures lessons each with a corresponding Christmas carol. This is one of two interactive services we have at Christmas. I enjoy having the people read the various scriptures and singing the carols.

Tomorrow is a long day — I have to work at Radioshack and then come home and lead the service and then we will have our family Christmas. I’m ready for Christmas. Are you?

Worship Boxscore

23 Sunday Dec 2007

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December 23, 2007
Fourth Sunday of Advent

Welcome
Lighting of the Advent Candle

Messiah Brings the Kingdom

The people walking in darkness ahve seen a great light.

On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born.

To us a son is given.

the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called wonderful Counselor.

Mighty God,

Everlasing Father,

Prince of Peace,

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

Establishing and uphold it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. == Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Song of Worship—O Come All Ye Faithful (Latin Hymn/Attr. to Wade)
Worship through Prayer
Worship through Giving
Youth Play–No Room For Jesus
Benediction

Coming In For a Landing

22 Saturday Dec 2007

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I’m actually writing this on Friday night, because tomorrow I will have a long day working at Radioshack, which followed a long day and night of working there. Yes, it is the Christmas season and this is my eight season working retail. I am a bit tired and worn out. But I am not discouraged — I have had a chance to prepare my heart over the past few weeks and I am ready to celebrate Christmas in all of its glory with my family (church family included.)

As I look back over the posts for the last two months, I realized I’ve been very busy writing. There has been no lack of available topics. This is an early warning that my posting will drop off dramatically following Sunday. This will be today’s only post. Sunday will have the usual two posts. I am planning on taking a vacation from blogging starting Wednesday. I’ll pick it up sometime around the first again. Even though I enjoy doing this very much, it’s time for a break.

Thanks to all my regular readers — I love that you check in on the Southside on a regular basis — which by the way will be part of a new name for our blog starting in the new year. Have a great weekend and a great day in the Lord on Sunday. Blessings….

Weekly Lectionary Readings

22 Saturday Dec 2007

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4th Sunday of Advent
December 23, 2007

Christmas is literally around the corner. The Fourth Sunday of Advent is upon us. This week’s scriptures get us another step closer to the story. The prophet Isaiah tells us the baby’s name will be Emmanuel — God with us. Think of the implications — here is God of very God — and he came down to earth to dwell among us — pretty amazing, I think. We tend to forget that Christ came willingly and this was not plan b. I love what Paul writes in Romans:
1 This letter is from Paul…to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.
I’ve said this over the past few years — we tend to romanticize the Nativity story, but the story is incomplete without the cross and incomplete without Easter — we cannot divorce the Child in the cradle with the Christ on the cross. It all comes together in one marvelous story. It’s our job as Paul tells us to tell the story — That Jesus came to earth — that Jesus would be with us — that He would save us from our sins — so we would tell others about Jesus and give glory to Him when they believe and obey Him. We make the gospel so complicated and Romans simplifies it for us. Let’s go out and seize the day!

Toys for Tots

20 Thursday Dec 2007

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When I was in Junior and Senior High School, our basketball team played at the Marine Armory. I remember Christmas and the Marines collecting toys for Toy for Tots. It was amazing to see the junk people would give to the Marines thinking that some kid would want a rusty old bike. I could not believe that people would think that was ok. When we stopped playing at the Marine Armory, I stopped thinking about Toys for Tots.

The first Christmas Dale and I were married, I was working in a daycare at the local mall and pregnant with Rebecca and I had just start wearing maternity clothing. We would walk the children around the mall for exercise. It was a great way of window-shopping. One day after work, I was waiting for Dale to pick me up from work, so I decided to walk around the mall to waste time. As I walked past the Marine who was collecting Toys for Tots, he stopped me and asked if I was the pregnant lady from the daycare. He remembered me from the daily walked that day. I spend some time talking to him until Dale got there to pick me up. The next day, craziness broke out at the daycare. I had no clue what was going on until one of the ladies I worked with came to me and told me I had a guest. When I got to the door, there stood the young Marine in his dress blues (white gloves and everything) hold an old rocking horse. He asked me if I would like it for my baby because it was too late for him to give to anyone to fix it up. He did not know what to do with it. It brought back the memories at the Marines Armory. He also handed me new rattles that he had bought himself to thank me for taking the time to talk to him the day before. We did give the rocking horse to Rebecca the next year for Christmas. Since then our family tries each year to get a toy for Toys for Tots. It is a way to thank that young Marine.

A Unique Twelve Days of Christmas

20 Thursday Dec 2007

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My daughter Rebecca attends Southern Wesleyan University. As a nice way to say Merry Christmas to the choir, her choir director sent her a link to the video below. It’s a men’s a capella group from Indiana University. These guys are really good.

Mosaic Wednesday Night

20 Thursday Dec 2007

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Because tonight was the last night of school for most of our students, I thought we would have a huge turnout and that they would be rowdy. Fortunately, I was wrong on both accounts. I took my turn driving the church van. It’s the first time in many weeks on a Wednesday night. We had a relatively small crowd on the van and they were subdued.

Over the past month http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/ has been giving away a video clip a day. Some are countdowns, some are short video sermons, some are background worship loops — Tonight I used a snowy forest countdown and added my own Christmas mix to it via Windows Media Player. We then did a fun song, Let It Snow with a fun green snow background — Hey! here in Martinsville, that’s the closest we’ll come to having a white Christmas. (on a side note there are several songs Pam would like to ban playing on the radio – especially in the south — like White Christmas, and Let It Snow.) We also decorated our worship space with Christmas lights and a tree and left the flouresent lights off — it looked nice.

After that we sang some Christmas Carols and I had one of our leaders read the Christmas story from Luke. I then shared a story that I adapted from Tran Siberian’s “The Lost Christmas Eve.” The point of the story is that God is looking for people who most resemble His son Jesus — those who love the Lord God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength and love their neighbor as themselves.

We had a little gift exchange and then we had a nice little Christmas snack — pigs in a blanket, a shrimp ring, deviled eggs, a vegetable tray with dip, cheese and crackers, and chips and dip. Over all our students enjoyed the time tonight and they were very well behaved. Next week, we take a break and we’ll start new after the new year. Over all a solid night — I like those and I know our leaders do too.

Top Ten Christmas Songs.

19 Wednesday Dec 2007

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About a week ago, I shared with you my top Christmas CD’s. Today, I would like to share with you my top Christmas songs — several are from those CD and some are from other recordings. These are in no particular order because I have a hard time ranking these things.

  1. Emmanuel — DeGarmo and Key — while not from any Christmas CD, this has always been a favorite song of mine. I especially like the live version from No Turning Back.
  2. Praise the King — Emmanuel — Little Town — from the first Amy Grant Christmas album — something about these songs put together that I have always enjoyed.
  3. CHRISTMAS EVE/SARAJEVO 12/24 – Trans Siberian Orchestra — an all instrumental song, which includes another of my favorites “Carol of the Bells.”
  4. Breath of Heaven – another Amy Grant tune — A great song about Mary. I love this version with it’s moody background — a prayer for God to help Mary through.
  5. Home for Christmas — Steven Curtis Chapman — what it means to be really home for Christmas and one of these days those who hope in Christ will all be there.
  6. This Baby — Steven Curtis Chapman — A great song about how Jesus — God from God, also came to be here among us in the flesh.
  7. Queen of the Winter Night – Trans Siberian Orchestra — from The Lost Christmas Eve — a take from Mozart’s Magic Flute.
  8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Mannheim Steamroller – a unique instrumental from this group and a great video goes with it.
  9. Gloria – Michael W. Smith — from his first Christmas album
  10. Mary, Did You Know? written by Mark Lowrey, who is more known for his comedic talent than writing songs, but what a powerful message.

In a few days, I’ll post my favorite Christmas hymns (carols) and I want to publish my favorite Christmas movies/programs/DVD’s yet.

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