Priest:

People:

The glory of the Lord has been revealed:

And all flesh shall see the salvation of our God.

Priest:

Dear people of God, tonight we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to the tradition handed down to us by the Church. Let us hear from the
Holy Scripture accounts of the mighty acts of God in our creation, our fall into sin
and how God, in His wondrous love for all of us, save from perdition, established
a covenant with us and repeatedly directed us into the paths of righteousness, yet
we continued to rebel against His will. But Gods love is much bigger than our
sins. Let us, therefore, recall Gods redemptive acts through His son Jesus Christ
our Lord, and let us rejoice in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Priest:
People:
Priest:

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God you have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for
our learning, grant us wisdom to understand your message in the Holy Scriptures,
and forgive us our sins that as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, He
may descend in our hearts and transform us into His likeness. That when He shall
come, we may be worthy of His presence, and share in His glory through the ages
to come. Amen

LESSONS AND CAROLS

God creates man and woman to live in obedience to Him in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-25
4

In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the
field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up for the Lord God had not
caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up
from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground 7 then the Lord God formed man of
dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East; and there he put the man whom
he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to
the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of
knowledge of good and evil.
15

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
17
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat
of it you shall die.
18

Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a
helper fit for him. 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and
every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever

the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and
to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper
fit for him. 21 So the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one
of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; 22 and the rib which the Lord God had taken from
the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, This at last is
my bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken
out of man. 24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they
become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
Hymn:

Away in a manger

Adam and Eve rebel against God and are cast out of the Garden of Eden
Genesis 3:1-23
1

Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had
made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" 2 And
the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but God said,
'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you
touch it, lest you die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. 5 For God knows
that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the
eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she
also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew
that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.
8

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,
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 And he
said, "I heard the sound of thee 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 of the tree of which I
commanded you not to eat?" 12 The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she
gave me fruit of 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 beguiled me, and I ate." 14 The Lord God said to
the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild
animals; 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 seed and her seed; he shall bruise your
head, and you shall bruise his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain
in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you." 17 And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of
your wife, and have eaten of the tree of 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 to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 In the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust,
and to dust you shall return."

20

The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And
the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. 22 Then the
Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now,
lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" 23 therefore
the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was
taken.
Hymn:

Nagtapat

God comforts his people and calls on them to prepare for redemption.
Isaiah 40:1-11
1

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to
her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the
LORD's hand double for all her sins.
3

A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the
desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be
made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of
the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has
spoken."
6

A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty
is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD
blows upon it; surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of
our God will stand for ever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift
up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the
cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" 10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm
rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his
flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and
gently lead those that are with young.
Hymn:

It came upon the midnight clear

A new covenant is promised which will be written in our hearts.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
31

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with
the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their
fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which
they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant which I will
make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them,
and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And
no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for
they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive
their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Hymn:

The First Nowell

God promises that a child shall be conceived who will be known as God with us.
Isaiah 7:10-15
10

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as
Sheol or high as heaven." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the
test." 13 And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you
weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman
shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey
when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
Hymn:

Silent Night

The one who is to rule Israel will be born in the village of Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2-4
2

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from
you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from
ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has
brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall
stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD
his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
Hymn:

O Little Town of Bethlehem

The Angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of the Most
High.
Luke 1:26-58
26

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and
the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is
with you!" 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of
greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall
call his name 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 father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob
forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34

And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35 And 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 will be called holy, the Son of God.

36

And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and
this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be
impossible." 38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according
to your word." And the angel departed from her.
39

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of
Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to
me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb
leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was
spoken to her from the Lord." 46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit
rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for
me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to
generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination
of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low
degree; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He
has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his posterity forever." 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and
returned to her home.
57

Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And
her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced
with her.
Hymn:

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

The Messianic King is born for unto us.

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9:6
1

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to
her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the
LORD's hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the
LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and
every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough
places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his
shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace."
Hymn:

O Holy Night

Jesus is born at Bethlehem and is worshipped by Angels and Shepherds.

Luke 2:1-20
1

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to
be enrolled, each to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of
Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and lineage of David, 5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while
they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for
them in the inn.
8

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I
bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11 for to you is born this
day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you
will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes 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, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"
15

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
"Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made
known to us." 16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a
manger. 17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them
concerning this child; 18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But
Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Hymn:

Gloria in Excelsis Deo