Organ Music 

William Lloyd Webber Interlude on Coventry Carol 

John Ireland The Holy Boy 

Introit 

Frohlocket ihr Völker auf Erden 

Rejoice, ye people of the earth, and praise God! 
The redeemer is come, whom the Lord has promised. 
He has revealed his justice to the world. 
Hallelujah! 

Music: Felix Mendelssohn 1809-1847 

Hymn 

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! 

God of God,  

Light of light, 

Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb; 

very God, 

begotten, not created: 

See how the shepherds, 
summoned to his cradle, 
leaving their flocks, draw nigh with holy fear 

We too will thither 
bend our joyful footsteps: 

Sing, choirs of angels, 

sing in exultation, 

sing, all ye citizens of heaven above: 

'Glory to God 

In the highest:' 

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, 

born this happy morning; 

Jesus, to thee be glory given: 

Word of the Father, 

now in flesh appearing: 

Text: Possibly by John Wade c1711-86 

Tune: Adeste Fideles CH4 306 Possibly by John Wade c1711-86 

Responses 

Minister:  

I bring you good news of great joy: 

a Saviour has been born to you. Alleluia! 

Congregation: 

Unto us a child is born, a son is given. Alleluia! 

Minister: 

Hear the words of St Luke: 

When the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they hastened, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 

He is Christ the Lord. Alleluia! 

Congregation:  

We worship and adore him. Alleluia! 

Hymn 

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 Saviour reigns! 
let all their songs employ; 
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains 
repeat the sounding joy, 
repeat the sounding joy, 
repeat, repeat the sounding joy. 
 

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. 
 

Text: Isaac Watts 1674-1748 

Tune: Antioch CH4 320 Holford’s Voce di Melodia c1834 arr. Lowell Mason 1792-1872 

Prayer 

First Lesson Isaiah 9  2-7 

Hymn 

While humble shepherds watched their flocks 

in Bethlehem's plains by night, 

an angel sent from heaven appeared, 

and filled the plains with light. 

'Fear not' he said, for sudden dread 

had seized their troubled mind; 

'Glad tidings of great joy I bring 

to you and all mankind. 

'To you in David's town, this day, 

is born, of David's line, 

the Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; 

and this shall be the sign: 

'The heavenly Babe you there shall find 

to human view displayed, 

all meanly wrapped in swathing-bands, 

and in a manger laid.' 

This spake the seraph; and forthwith 

appeared a shining throng 

of angels praising God; and thus 

addressed their joyful song: 

'All glory be to God on high, 

and to the earth be peace; 

good will is shown by heaven to men 

and never more shall cease.' 

Text: Scottish Paraphrases 1781 

Music: Winchester Old CH4 296 

The Gospel St John 1  1-14 

The Sermon 

The Apostles’ Creed 

I believe in God the Father Almighty, 

Maker of heaven and earth: 

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, 

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, 

Born of the Virgin Mary, 

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, 

Was crucified, dead, and buried: 

He descended into hell; 

The third day he rose again from the dead; 

He ascended into heaven, 

And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; 

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Ghost; 

The Holy Catholic Church; 

The Communion of Saints; 

The Forgiveness of sins; 

The Resurrection of the body, 

And the Life everlasting. 

The Offering and Hymn 

In the bleak mid-winter, 

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 mid-winter, 

long ago. 

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, 

nor earth sustain; 

heaven and earth shall flee away 

when He comes to reign: 

in the bleak mid-winter 

a stable-place sufficed 

the Lord God Almighty, 

Jesus Christ. 

Enough for him, whom cherubim 
worship night and day, 
a breastful of milk 
and a mangerful of hay: 
enough for him, whom angels 
fall down before, 
the ox and ass and camel 
which adore. 

Angels and archangels 

may have gathered there, 

cherubim and seraphim 

throngèd the air; 

but only his mother, 

in her maiden bliss, 

worshipped the Beloved 

with a kiss. 

What can I give Him, 

poor as I am? 

if I were a shepherd, 

I would bring a lamb; 

if I were a wise man, 

I would do my part; 

yet what I can I give Him- 

give my heart. 

Text: Christina Rossetti 1830-94 

Tune: Cranham CH4 305 Gustav Holst 1874-1934 

The Intercessions 

Gloria in Excelsis sung by the choir 

Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, goodwill towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. 

O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.  Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.  Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. 

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen. 

Spatzenmesse K220  W.A.Mozart 

Thanksgiving 

The Lord be with you 

And also with you 

Lift up your hearts 

We lift them to the Lord 

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God 

It is right to give our thanks and praise 

Prayer 

Sanctus 

Holy, holy, holy,  

Lord God of Hosts, 

Heaven and earth are full of your glory. 

Glory be to you, O Lord Most High. 

Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord: 

Hosanna in the highest.  

Prayer  

The Lord’s Prayer 

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. 

Agnus Dei 

Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world, 

Have mercy upon us. 

Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world, 

Have mercy upon us. 

Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world, 

Grant us your peace. 

Holy Communion 

During Communion the Choir sings 

A maiden most gentle 

A maiden most gentle and tender we sing 
Of Mary the mother of Jesus our King 
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria. 

How blest is the birth of her heavenly child 
Who came to redeem us in Mary so mild 
 

The archangel Gabriel foretold by his call 
The Lord of creation and Saviour of all 
 

Three kings came to worship with gifts rich and rare 
And marvelled in awe at the babe in her care 
 

Rejoice and be glad at this Christmas we pray 
Sing praise to the Saviour, sing endless Amen 
 

Text: Andrew Carter b.1939 

Music: French traditional arr. Andrew Carter b.1939 

The Peace 

Prayer 

Hymn 

Angels, from the realms of glory, 

wing your flight o'er all the earth; 

ye who sang creation's story, 

now proclaim Messiah's birth: 

Come and worship 

Christ, the new-born King. 

Come and worship 

worship Christ, the new-born King. 

Shepherds in the field abiding, 

watching o'er your flocks by night, 

God with us is now residing, 

yonder shines the infant Light: 

Wise men, leave your contemplations; 

brighter visions beam afar; 

seek the great Desire of nations; 

ye have seen his natal star: 

Though an infant now we view him, 
he will share his Father’s throne, 
gather all the nations to him; 
every knee shall then bow down: 

All creation, join in praising 

God the Father, Spirit, Son, 

evermore your voices raising 

to the eternal Three in One. 

Text: James Montgomery 1771-1854 

Tune: Iris CH4 324 French Carol Melody 

Benediction 

Organ Voluntary 

Pierre Cpchereau Sortie on Adeste Fideles 

CCL Licence No 980930 

Streaming Licence 57837 

The service was conducted by The Rev. Dr George J. Whyte