Gauldry Nine Lessons and Carols 2018 Introduction - Minister

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a format for a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus which is traditionally followed atChristmas.

The story of the Fall of Humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas Carols and hymns.

The format was based on an Order drawn up by Edward Benson, who was to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, for Christmas Eve 1880 in Truro,Cornwall. It has since been adapted and used by other churches all over the world. In the UK, the service has become the standard format for many schools' Christmas carol services.

Bidding, Prayer and Lord’s Prayer - Session Clerk

Beloved in Christ, this Advent let us determine and delight to hear once again the message of the angels, and in our heart and mind imagine the scene in Bethlehem the night Our Lord Jesus Christ was born and lay in a manger wrapped in swaddling cloths.

Once again as we hear the familiar story from God's Holy Word about His love for us and His plan to rescue us even from the first days of humanities disobedience and rebellion. Let us be reminded again of His grace made known to us through Christ.

Let us pray….

First, we pray for the need of the whole world; for peace on earth and goodwill among all His people; for unity and communion within the Church He came to build and especially here in this Parish and Presbytery.It would also be right and fiting with the mind of Christ to bring before Him in our prayers all who are poor and helpless, destitute and desperate, the oppressed, suppressed and depressed. We pray for those who are sick as well as all who mourn. We pray for the disenfranchised, the marginalised and rejected. We pray for the elderly and small children and for all who do not know the love of God in Christ or who reject and grieve his offer of that love.

Finally, we rejoice with all who know the benefits of His love, not just here but also those who have joined that great cloud of witnesses in heaven itself. Amongst them are those who have realised their hope in the Word made flesh and we are one with them in Him who loves us from before the foundation of the world and who has taught us to pray together…

Our Father, which art in heavenHallowed be Thy NameThy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heavenGive us this day our daily breadAnd forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evilFor Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory Now and for ever.

Amen

First Lesson : Genesis 3:8-15

Hymn 1 - ‘Praise to the Holiest in the height’

Second Lesson: Genesis 22:11-18

Hymn 2 - ‘Angels from the realms of glory’

Third Lesson: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Hymn 3 - ‘Still the night, holy the night’

Fourth Lesson: Isaiah 11:1-3a; 4a; 6-9

Hymn 4 - ‘Joy to the world’

Fifth Lesson: Luke 1:26-35; 38

Hymn 5 - ‘Meekness and Majesty’

Lesson 6: Luke 2:1; 3-7

Hymn 6 - ‘See Him lying on a bed of straw’

Seventh Lesson: Luke 2:8-16

Hymn 7 - ‘Come and join the celebration’

Eight Lesson: Matthew 2:1-12

Hymn 8 - ‘In the bleak midwinter’

ALL STAND FOR THE NINTH LESSON

Ninth Lesson: John 1:1-14 - Minister

Collection

CHOIR - ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’

Hymn 9 - ‘O Come all ye faithful (omit v.4)

CHOIR - Sung benediction

CONGREGATION:‘The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore - Amen.’

Note the lessons from ‘THE VOICE’ Bible are below…

First Lesson : Genesis 3:8-15 (Reader: )

8 Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Eternal God walking in the cool misting shadows of the garden. The man and his wife took cover among the trees and hid from the Eternal God.

God (calling to Adam): 9 Where are you?

Adam: 10 When I heard the sound of You coming in the garden, I was afraid because I am naked. So I hid from You.

God: 11 Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten from the tree in the centre of the garden, the very one I commanded you not to eat from?

Adam (pointing at the woman): 12 It was she! The woman You gave me as a companion put the fruit in my hands, and I ate it.

God (to the woman): 13 What have you done?

Eve: It was the serpent! He tricked me, and I ate.

God (to the serpent): 14 What you have done carries great consequences. Now you are cursed more than cattle or wild beasts. You will writhe on your belly forever, consuming the dust out of which man was made. 15 I will make you and your brood enemies of the woman and all her children; The woman’s child will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Genesis 3:8-15 (Voice)

Second Lesson : Genesis 22:11-18 (Reader: )

…the special messenger of the Eternal One called Abraham from heaven.

Special Messenger: Abraham! Abraham!

Abraham: I am right here!

Special Messenger: 12 Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to harm him. I know now that you respect the one True God and will be loyal to Him and follow His commands, because you were willing to give up your son, your only son, to Me.

13 Abraham glanced up and saw a ram behind him with its horns caught in the thicket. He went over, dislodged the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 From that day forward, Abraham called that place, “The Eternal One will provide.” Because of this, people still today say, “On the Mount of the Eternal, all will be provided.” 15 The special messenger of the Eternal One called out to Abraham yet a second time from heaven.

Special Messenger: 16 Listen to the solemn vow the Eternal One has spoken: “Because you have done what I asked and were willing to give up your son, your only son, 17 I will reaffirm My covenant of blessing to you and your family. I will make sure your descendants are as many as the stars of the heavens and the grains of sand on the shores. I reaffirm My earlier promises that your descendants will possess the lands and sit in the gates of their enemies, 18 and from your descendants all the peoples of the earth will discover true blessing. All this is because you have obeyed My voice.

Genesis 22:11-18 (Voice)

Third Lesson: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (Reader: )

2 The people who had been living in darknesshave seen a great light.The light of life has shined on those who dweltin the shadowy darkness of death.

6 Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams, a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift.

And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great.

The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders.

His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—

He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing,Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace.

7 His leadership will bring such prosperity as you’ve never seen before - sustainable peace for all time.This child - God’s promise to David—a throne forever, among us, to restore sound leadership that cannot be perverted or shaken.

He will ensure justice without fail and absolute equity. Always.The intense passion of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will carry this to completion.

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (Voice)

Fourth Lesson: Isaiah 11:1-3a; 4a; 6-9 (Reader: )

…on this humbled ground, a tiny shoot, hopeful and promising,will sprout from Jesse’s stump; A branch will emerge from his roots to bear fruit.

2 And on this child from David’s line, the Spirit of the Eternal One will alight and rest.By the Spirit of wisdom and discernmentHe will shine like the dew.By the Spirit of counsel and strengthHe will judge fairly and act courageously.By the Spirit of knowledge and reverence of the Eternal One,

3 He will take pleasure in honouring the Eternal. 4a So that even those who can’t afford a good defence will nevertheless get a fair and equitable judgment…

6 A day will come when the wolf will live peacefully beside the wobbly-kneed lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; The calf and yearling, newborn and slow, will rest secure with the lion; and a little child will tend them all.7 Bears will graze with the cows they used to attack;even their young will rest together, and the lion will eat hay, like gentle oxen.8-9 Neither will a baby who plays next to a cobra’s holenor a toddler who sticks his hand into a nest of vipers suffer harm.All my holy mountain will be free of anything hurtful or destructive, for as the waters fill the sea,The entire earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Eternal.

Isaiah 11:1-3a; 4a; 6-9 (The Voice)

Fifth Lesson: Luke 1:26-35; 38 (Reader: )

26 Six months later in Nazareth, a city in the rural province of Galilee, the heavenly messenger Gabriel made another appearance. This time the messenger was sent by God 27 to meet with a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David himself. 28 The messenger entered her home.

Messenger: Greetings! You are favoured, and the Lord is with you! [Among all women on the earth, you have been blessed.]

29 The heavenly messenger’s words baffled Mary, and she wondered what type of greeting this was.

Messenger: 30 Mary, don’t be afraid. You have found favour with God. 31 Listen, you are going to become pregnant. You will have a son, and you must name Him “Saviour,” or Jesus. 32 Jesus will become the greatest among men. He will be known as the Son of the Highest God. God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David, 33 and He will reign over the covenant family of Jacob forever.

Mary: 34 But I have never been with a man. How can this be possible?

Messenger: 35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Most High will overshadow you. That’s why this holy child will be known, as not just your son, but also as the Son of God.

Mary (deciding in her heart): 38 Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant. As you have said, let it be done to me.

Luke 1:26-35,38 (Voice)

Lesson 6: Luke 2:1; 3-7 (Reader: )

1 Around the time of Elizabeth’s amazing pregnancy and John’s birth, the emperor in Rome, Caesar Augustus, required everyone in the Roman Empire to participate in a massive census—

3 Each person had to go to his or her ancestral city to be counted.

4-5 Mary’s fiancé Joseph, from Nazareth in Galilee, had to participate in the census in the same way everyone else did. Because he was a descendant of King David, his ancestral city was Bethlehem, David’s birthplace. Mary, who was now late in her pregnancy that the messenger Gabriel had predicted, 6 accompanied Joseph. While in Bethlehem, she went into labor 7 and gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.

Luke 2:1, 3-7 (Voice)

Seventh Lesson: Luke 2:8-16 (Reader: )

8 Nearby, in the fields outside of Bethlehem, a group of shepherds were guarding their flocks from predators in the darkness of night. 9 Suddenly a messenger of the Lord stood in front of them, and the darkness was replaced by a glorious light—the shining light of God’s glory. They were terrified!

Messenger: 10 Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. 11 Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! 12 You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough.

13 At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers—a vast heavenly choir. They praised God.

Heavenly Choir: 14 To the highest heights of the universe, glory to God! And on earth, peace among all people who bring pleasure to God!

15 As soon as the heavenly messengers disappeared into heaven, the shepherds were buzzing with conversation.

Shepherds: Let’s rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let’s see what’s happening! Let’s experience what the Lord has told us about!

16 So they ran into town, and eventually they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the feeding trough. After they saw the baby,

Luke 2:8-16 (Voice)

Eight Lesson: Matthew 2:1-12 (Reader: )

1 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in the province of Judea, at the time when King Herod reigned. Not long after Jesus was born, magi, wise men or seers from the East, made their way from the East to Jerusalem. These wise men made inquiries.

Wise Men: 2 Where is this newborn, who is the King of the Jews? When we were far away in the East we saw His star, and we have followed its glisten and gleam all this way to worship Him.

3 King Herod began to hear rumours of the wise men’s quest, and he, and all of his followers in Jerusalem, were worried. 4 So Herod called all of the leading Jewish teachers, the chief priests and head scribes, and he asked them where Hebrew tradition claimed the long-awaited Anointed One would be born.

Scribes and Priests: 5 An ancient Hebrew prophet, Micah, said this:6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are no poor relation— For from your people will come a Ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.

7 Herod called the wise men to him, demanding to know the exact time the special star had appeared to them. 8 Then Herod sent them to Bethlehem.

Herod: Go to Bethlehem and search high and low for this Saviour child; and as soon as you know where He is, report it to me so that I may go and worship Him.

9-10 The wise men left Herod’s chambers and went on their way. The star they had first seen in the East reappeared—a miracle that, of course, overjoyed and enraptured the wise men. The star led them to the house where Jesus lay; 11 and as soon as the wise men arrived, they saw Him with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They unpacked their satchels and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And then, just as Joseph did a few months before, the wise men had a dream warning them not to go back to Herod. The wise men heeded the dream. Ignoring Herod’s instructions, they returned to their homes in the East by a different route.

Matthew 2:1-12 (Voice)

Ninth Lesson: John 1:1-14 - ALL STAND (Reader: Minister )

1 Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking.The Voice was and is God.2 This celestial Word remained ever present with the Creator;3 His speech shaped the entire cosmos.Immersed in the practice of creating,all things that exist were birthed in Him.4 His breath filled all thingswith a living, breathing light—5 A light that thrives in the depths of darkness,blazes through murky depths.It cannot and will not be quenched.6 A man named John, who was sent by God, was the first to clearly articulate the source of this Light. 7 This baptiser put in plain words the elusive mystery of the Divine Light so all might believe through him. Some wondered whether he might be the Light, 8 but John was not the Light. He merely pointed to the Light.9 The true Light, who shines upon the heart of everyone, was coming into the cosmos.

10 He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognise Him. 11 Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him. 12 But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God; 13 He bestowed this birthright not by human power or initiative but by God’s will.

14 The Voice took on flesh and became human and chose to live alongside us. We have seen Him, enveloped in undeniable splendour—the one true Son of the Father—evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth.

John 1:1-14 (Voice)