St. Giles’ Cathedral
Morning Service at 9.30am
Christmas Day
Monday 25th December 2023
Organ Music
William Lloyd Webber Interlude on Coventry Carol
John Ireland The Holy Boy
Introit
In dulci jubilo
In dulci jubilo
Let us our homage show
Our heart’s joy reclineth
In praesepio
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio
Alpha es et O.
Text: Heinrich Seuse c.1328
Music: J.S.Bach 1685-1750
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 52 7-10
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.
Krönungsmesse K 317 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
The Huron Carol
'Twas in the moon of wintertime
When all the birds had fled
That mighty Gitchi Manitou
Sent angel choirs instead
Before their light, the stars grew dim
And wondering hunters heard the hymn
Jesus, your King, is born
Jesus is born
In excelsis gloria
Text: Jean de Brébeuf 1593-1649
Music: arr. Mark Sirrett
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
George Baker Toccata Gigue on The Sussex Carol
CCL Licence No 980930
Streaming Licence 57837
The service was conducted by The Rev George J Whyte