Christmas Candlelight Vespers

“Christ's Light, Eden's Bloom”

via livestream on December 20, 2020

Chamber Choir, joined by String Quartet, Pianos, and OrganMichael J. Devine, Conductor | Rev. Dr. Bill Burch, Senior Pastor

The Worship of God

This Little Light of Mine | arr. Moses Hogan

Soloist: Tiffany Uzoije

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.Let it shine, let it shine, let in shine.

All through the night, I’m gonna let it shine.All through the night, I’m gonna let it shine.All through the night, I’m gonna let it shine.Let it shine, let it shine, let in shine.

My God gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine.My God gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine.My God gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine.In my home, All over the world,Let it shine, let it shine, let in shine.

–Traditional Spiritual

Welcome Dr. Bill Burch

Bell Carol & In Dulci Jubilo | arr. Matthew Naughtin

In the Stillness | Sally Beamish

In the stillness of a church where candles glow, In the softness of a fall of fresh white snow, In the brightness of the stars that shine this night, In the calmness of a pool of healing light,

In the clearness of a choir that softly sings, In the oneness of a hush of angels’ wings,In the mildness of a night by stable bare,In the quietness of a lull near cradle fair,

There’s a patience as we wait for a new morn,And the presence of a child soon to be born.

–Katrina Shepherd

Reflection Dr. Mary Louise Bringle

Light Dawns on A Weary World | Mack Wilberg

Light dawns on a weary world when eyes begin to see all people’s dignity.Light dawns on a weary world: the promised day of justice comes.The trees shall clap their hands; the dry lands gush with springs;The hills and mountains shall break forth with singing!We shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace,As all the world in wonder echoes shalom.

Love grows in a weary world when hungry hearts find bread and children’s dreams are fed.Love grows in a weary world: the promised feast of plenty comes. The trees shall clap their hands; the dry lands gush with springs;The hills and mountains shall break forth with singing!We shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace,As all the world in wonder echoes shalom.

Hope blooms in a weary world when creatures, once forlorn, find wilderness reborn.Hope blooms in a weary world: the promised green of Eden comes.The trees shall clap their hands; the dry lands gush with springs;The hills and mountains shall break forth with singing!We shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace,As all the world in wonder echoes shalom.

–Mary Louise Bringle

III. Scherzo from Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81 | Antonín Dvořák

Holy Radiant Light | Alexandre Gretchaninoff

Holy, radiant Light,Thou holy radiance of the Father,glorious and mighty,Thou only begotten Son of God eternal, holy Jesu.Come we, now, to the hour of setting sun;the lights of evening ’round us shine;Holy, o holy Ones, holy Trinity eternal,we sing Thy praise, evermore we sing Thy praise,holy Trinity. O holy!With undefiled lips evermoreThy glory to be praised,worthy art Thou to be praised evermore.Holy Son of God, source of ev’ry life,now all the world doth praise Thee,evermore praise Thee, Thou Son of GodHoly, radiant Light, praise Thee now and evermore.

–Phos hilaron, Greek hymn ca. 300, tr. Noble Cain

Reading of Holy Scripture Rev. Catherine Boothe Olson

Noël Nouvelet | arr. Stephen Jackson

Noël Nouvelet, we sing a newborn King. With our earthly song the firmament shall ring.See how the love of God such joy doth bring.Noël Nouvelet for Christ the newborn King.

Shepherds from the fields, let gladness fill your mind.Go to Bethlehem, the Lamb of God to find!Lo, from the sky the angel voices sing‘Noël Nouvelet for Christ the newborn King.’

Thus they left their sheep, and to the stable bare,Came with haste and found Joseph and Mary there.With them they marveled at this holy thing:‘Noël Nouvelet for Christ the newborn King.’

Soon the three wise men, who by a star were led,Journeyed from the East, and at the lowly bedEach bowed the knee and made an offering:‘Noël Nouvelet for Christ the newborn King.’

Take my heart, Lord Jesus, who for me was slain,Thou who on the Cross hast borne my grief and pain,Bringing me healing through Thy suffering.‘Noël Nouvelet for Christ the newborn King.’

Noël Nouvelet, we sing a newborn King.With our earthly song the firmament shall ring.See how the love of God such joy doth bring.Noël Nouvelet for Christ the newborn King.

–Traditional French carol, tr. Marion Jackson

Carol Sing | arr. Joshua McClure

O Come, All Ye FaithfulO 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.

Hark! the Herald Angels SingHark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King;”Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies;With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

O Little Town of BethlehemO little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.Yet in they dark streets shineth the everlasting light;The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Away in a MangerAway in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

Angels We Have Heard on HighAngels we have heard on high sweetly singing o’er the plains, And the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Joy to the WorldJoy 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.

Reflection Rev. Jeff Rogers

How Great Our Joy | arr. Craig Courtney

While by the sheep we watched at night,Glad tidings brought an angel bright.How great our joy, How great our joy.There shall be born, so He did say,In Bethlehem a Child today.How great our joy, How great our joy.

There shall the Child lie in a stall,This Child who shall redeem us all.This gift of God we’ll cherish well,That ever joy our hearts shall fill.Praise we the lord, praise we the Lord in heaven on high!How great our joy, How great our joy.

–Traditional German carol

Reading of “Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem” by Maya Angelou Ms. Tiffany Uzoije

Thunder rumbles in the mountain passesAnd lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.Flood waters await us in our avenues.

Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalancheOver unprotected villages.The sky slips low and grey and threatening.

We question ourselves.What have we done to so affront nature?We worry God.Are you there? Are you there really?Does the covenant you made with us still hold?

Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters,Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hopeAnd singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.The world is encouraged to come away from rancor,Come the way of friendship.

It is the Glad Season.Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.Flood waters recede into memory.Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid usAs we make our way to higher ground.

Hope is born again in the faces of childrenIt rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things,Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors.

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.We listen carefully as it gathers strength.We hear a sweetness.The word is Peace.It is loud now. It is louder.Louder than the explosion of bombs.

We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.It is what we have hungered for.Not just the absence of war. But, true Peace.A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.

We clap hands and welcome the Peace of Christmas.We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.We, Baptist and Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come.Peace.Come and fill us and our world with your majesty.We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian,Implore you, to stay a while with us.So we may learn by your shimmering lightHow to look beyond complexion and see community.

It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time.

On this platform of peace, we can create a languageTo translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.

At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus ChristInto the great religions of the world.We jubilate the precious advent of trust.We shout with glorious tongues at the coming of hope.All the earth’s tribes loosen their voicesTo celebrate the promise of Peace.

We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Non-Believers,Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud.Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselvesAnd we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.

Peace, My Brother.Peace, My Sister.Peace, My Soul.

When Jordan Hushed His Waters Still | Stanford Scriven

When Jordan hushed his waters still,And silence slept on Zion's hill;When Bethlehem's shepherds through the nightWatched o'er their flocks by starry light:

Hark! from the midnight hills around,A voice of more than mortal sound,In distant hallelujahs stole,Wild murmuring over the raptured soul.

On wheels of light, on wings of flame,The glorious hosts of Zion came;High heaven with songs of triumph rung,While thus they struck their harps and sung.

“O Zion! Lift thy raptured eye,The long expected hour is nigh;The joys of nature rise again,The Prince of Salem comes to reign.

“He comes, to cheer the trembling heart,Bids darkness and his host depart;Again the day-star gilds the gloom,Again the bowers of Eden bloom.”

–Thomas Campbell & A. H. Palmer

Closing Remarks Mr. Michael J. Devine

Silent Night | arr. Dan Forrest

Silent night! Holy night!All is calm, all is brightround yon virginmother and child;Holy infant, so tender and mild,Sleep in heavenly peace,Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,Son of God, love's pure light;radiant beams from thy holy facewith the dawn of redeeming grace,Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Silent night, holy night,Wondrous star, lend thy light;with the angels let us sing,Alleluia to our King;Christ the Savior is born,Christ the Savior is born.

–Joseph Mohr, tr. John Freeman Young

Chamber ChoirMichelle Augsten

Jacob AugstenBrandon BakerThomas Chafin

Michael DautermanJustin Han

Jenna HernandezBevin Hill

Greg HucksMichelle Jarrell

Michelle LevesqueNicole LewisReid MastersWill McLean

Joy PutneyJoshua Renzi

Cody RussellNathan Schreer

Deborah StephensKati StewartJoel TerningTim Tolar

Tiffany UzoijeMatthew Van Dyke

InstrumentalistsString QuartetHelen Kin, violin

Adelaide Federici, violinSarah Park Chastain, viola

Charae Krueger, cello

PianoJoshua McClureSusan Wallace

OrganJoshua McClure

We are grateful to the Northside Church Music Fund donors! Your generous support helps us bring these special worship services to our community.

Special thanks to our Facilities, Production, and Creative Services teams. Your hard work makes so much possible. We appreciate you and your service to Christ!

Michael J. Devine Director of Music Ministries

Joshua McClure Associate Director of Music & Organist

Nathan Schreer Music Associate for Children & Youth

Ruth Brooks Children's Music Assistant

Tiffany Uzoije Administrative Assistant

Ann Edwards Music Librarian

Music Ministry Staff