Carol Service 20 December 2020

by Rev Greg Obong-Oshotse 20 December 2020

​Lighting the Advent Candles

Carol: Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father we praise You for all Your blessings upon us. We thank You for the privilege of coming together and to You in this way despite the virus that prevents us from gathered worship in our sanctuary. We pray that You will have mercy upon us and forgive all our sins as we come to You today, trusting in Your word that ‘if we confess our sins You are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ We thank You and now ask You to lead us by Your Spirit into the blessings of Your word for us today, in the name of Your Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on 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 and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Carol: Joy To The World

Bible Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus Christ

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). ²⁴ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵ but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

 

Hymn: O Little Town of Bethlehem

Prayers

Heavenly Father we thank you for Your unconditional love and for Christ Your gift of unconditional love to us. We pray that we may have the grace to live all our days in the love of Christ. Having being saved, may we continue to be being saved, which is our sanctification, until we shall be finally saved and become like You on that day when we shall see Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, face to face at our glorification. We ask Your blessings upon all our families, friends, neighbours, leaders, the Church, and upon the nations of the world. May Your love be known to them during this season of Christmas and may they be enabled to receive Christ as their Saviour. Grant healing to those who are ill, peace to the afflicted, comfort to the bereaved, and friendship to the lonely, in Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

 

Hymn: O Come All Ye Faithful

Benediction and Dismissal

May the lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace. Go in peace and in the power of the Holy Spirit to love and to serve the Lord. And may the joy of Christmas surround you and yours during this season and always in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.