(All our songs this morning are from Singing the Faith (StF) numbers will be given where available)
Welcome to our Christmas Worship, today shared on paper across our Circuit, and with various congregations over the Christmas period. This material is intended to provide prayer and reflection covering worship from 21st December to January 4th.
Click on the blue links to follow them for bible readings and associated links
Call to worship
The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.
Song – StF 272 – From heaven you came, helpless babe
Song – StF 216 – See him lying on a bed of straw
Gathering Prayer
With people around the world and with the angels of heaven, we gather to say:
‘Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace among those on whom your blessing rests’.
Receive our praise and hear our prayers, for we offer both in the name of Jesus,
the name above all names. Amen.
Readings
December 21st
Matthew 1:18-25
December 24th
John 1:1-14
December 25th
Luke 2:1-20
December 28th
Isaiah 52:7-10
January 4th
Matthew 2:1-12
Reflection
This is a very special season, for it offers to us the opportunity to notice afresh the nearness of God, to open our minds and hearts to the gifts and challenges God’s coming brings to us, and to reset our daily living to better reflect the light and love at the heart of the Christmas story.
As you read today’s Bible reading, ask yourself the following questions. Some will be more or less relevant to particular days, but give them a go anyway. It might even be good to jot down some of your thoughts each time you arrive at this point……
- These are familiar words in a story I know well, but is there anything that surprises me in what I’ve read?
- How does this reading make me feel?
- Which character or significant word grabs my attention, and why?
- What question does this passage raise for me, and where could I look for an answer?
- In this season of gifts, when we celebrate the best gift of all, what gift does this part of the story suggest that I might need to give, or receive?
Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for this season and all it speaks of:
your promise of old to send a Messiah to your people,
the fulfilment of that promise through the sending of your Son,
the realisation of those long years of expectation;
the glad tidings proclaimed by the angels, the wonder and mystery of that first Christmas.
We thank you for this season’s power to move, inspire and challenge,
to gladden the hardest of hearts and most broken of spirits,
to stir our minds and imaginations.
We thank you for the important things we associate with Christmas:
the spreading of goodwill, the sharing of friendship,
the hoping for peace, and the sharing of love.
We thank you for the truth behind this day – the message that you have come to us,
that you love us, that you have shared our humanity.
Loving God, his season, accept our praise, receive our thanksgiving,
bless our celebrations and may the wonder of the Christmas story come alive in our hearts.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Adapted from Nick Fawcett, Prayers for all Seasons, 1998)
Song – StF 196 – Come and join the celebration
Song – StF 217 – Silent night, holy night
Comment
Throughout December, we’ve been exploring how each of us is a gift, made with love, and how we can be that gift to those around us. The heart of the story, the ultimate expression of love: is Jesus, the best gift.
Luke’s telling is rich with detail. He lingers on the small things, like the way Mary wraps her newborn in swaddling cloths. A tender gesture, deeply ordinary, yet deeply meaningful. This was what any Ancient Near Eastern mother would do for her child. It was an act of care and love.
In the Old Testament, swaddling is symbolic. In Wisdom 7:4–5, it’s a sign of nurture and belonging. In contrast, Ezekiel 16:4 paints a tragic picture of an unwanted child left unswaddled, a sign of neglect. Luke’s image is deliberate: this child is cherished. This gift is wrapped in love.
The angel’s announcement brings good news, a word the Roman Empire used for military victory or political propaganda. But here, it’s reclaimed. This isn’t the arrival of a conqueror. It’s the birth of a child.
The good news comes today. This is a word Luke uses again and again to mark a turning point, the breaking in of God’s new reality. Something has shifted. The gift has come.
The shepherds rush to see it for themselves. They become the first witnesses, the first to receive and share the news. And Mary? She treasures all these words in her heart. The Greek word Luke uses is ‘rich’. It means to cherish, to turn something over again and again. In Genesis 37:11, Jacob “keeps” Joseph’s dream in his mind. In Daniel 4:28, a mystery is held and pondered. Mary does the same. She receives the moment as a mystery to be held carefully, turned over slowly, and treasured deeply.
This story is not just about what happened then. It’s also about what is happening now. The gift has come. The good news is for today. And as people made with love, we are called to receive it, treasure it and share it.
(The comment above is taken from the Methodist Church material on the website for Christmas Day)
Song – StF 210 – Love came down at Christmas
Responding in prayer
As we journey through Christmas, we turn to you in prayer, Immanuel, God with us. God of all nations and peoples, today we pray for peace where there is war, for Israel and Palestine, for Ukraine, and for all places where violence overshadows hope. Bless those who work for peace: diplomats, aid workers, journalists, and ordinary people who choose compassion in the face of hate. In a world threatened by climate change and division, renew our courage and our global commitment to protect the earth, and to live as people who believe your creation still matters. God with us, hear our prayer.
Christmas God, Today I give thanks for my local community, for neighbours who look out for one another, for volunteers who bring light in dark seasons, for every small sign that love is still alive among us. Where the Church has been silent in the face of injustice, wake us up. Where we’ve been harsh or exclusive, soften our hearts. May I, like Joseph, listen for your voice and act with courage and kindness. God with us, hear our prayer.
God of quiet miracles, as Christmas draws near, help me to make space for your presence in my hearts. When I am uncertain, give me trust. When I am afraid, give me courage. When I am busy or distracted, draw me back to what matters most: your love, born among us, still at work in the world. God with us, hear our prayer. Amen.
In addition to the prayers above, we pray particularly on
December 21st
for those who are pregnant, both those for whom the outcome will be good, and those for whom it will not.
December 24th
for those who are living in darkness, that they might see the light
December 25th
for those working today, especially those caring for others and keeping others safe
December 28th
for those making the sharing of news possible
January 4th
for those travelling far from home, and those seeking to help them
We bring our prayers together, as we pray, with all God’s people.
Lord’s Prayer
Song – StF 212 O Come, All Ye Faithful
Song – StF 213 – O little town of Bethlehem
Sending out prayer
Go out into the world in peace and great joy.
Be Christ-bearers, share the Good News with all;
be heralds of glory, and people loved by old and young, rich and poor.
Be wisdom seekers, travel with enquiring minds, and share in the tasks of redemption.
We go into the world. Christ is born!
Thanks be to God! Amen and amen!
We bless one another, and all those we have brought to mind this day, as we share the Grace:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, now and always. Amen.
(CCLI 79951. Service prepared by Rev Nick Blundel with material used from Gifted, Roots and The Vine)
