Welcome to Worship

December 24, 2015

Christmas Eve Communion & Candlelight Service

A joyous welcome to all who have come to celebrate the birth of our Lord! However dark it may be out in the world, wherever Christ is present

and praised, there is warmth and joy for all! Let us, therefore, draw near to one another as friends and

families to share in the glorious Good News of Christ’s birth.

PRELUDE What Child Is This? Richard Purvis CHIMING OF THE HOUR The sounding of the three chimes symbolizes the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

*CAROL HYMN NO. 246 Joy to the World ANTIOCH

Stanzas 1, 3, & 4 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. No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as, the curse is found. 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. *PASSING OF THE PEACE Please take the red Friendship Pad, fill it out and pass to others on the pew with you.

LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE

12:00 Blake & Leigh Snodsmith and children, Cooper and Emily

4:00 Andrew & Angela Billings and children, Nathan and Noah

6:00 Chris & Amy Thigpen and children, Connor, Charlie, John and Andrew 8:00 Blake & Leigh Snodsmith

*CAROL HYMN MEDLEY (1st stanza of each carol) NO. 220 Angels from the Realms of Glory REGENT SQUARE 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, come and worship,

worship Christ, the newborn King.

NO. 238 Angels We Have Heard on High GLORIA Angels 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!

NO. 240 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing MENDELSSOHN

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn 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!"

SCRIPTURE READING Luke 2:1-14 Liturgist (Pew Bible, NT, p. 58)

SPECIAL MUSIC Gesu Bambino Pietro A. Yon (12:00, 6:00 and 8:00 PM) Chris O’ Rear, Baritone MEDITATION “Song of the Angels” Dr. Ken Dunivant SPECIAL MUSIC O Holy Night Adolphe Adam(12:00, 6:00 and 8:00 PM) Chris O’ Rear THE GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, at this blessed Christmas feast we give you thanks and praise.

You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth. You made us in your image; and though we all have sinned and fallen short of your glory, you loved the world so much you gave your only Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior.

As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and there found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected.

As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so from suffering and death you raised him to bring us life.

Therefore, with the angels who sang

glory in the highest and peace to your people on earth,

with your people in all ages

and the whole company of heaven,

we join in the song of unending praise.

(sung to the tune of Hark the Herald Angels Sing)

Holy, holy, holy Lord! God of hosts, by all adored! Heaven and earth cannot contain All the glory of Your name! Hail, hosanna, God most high! Blest is He who now draws nigh In the name of God the King! Hallelujahs glad we sing: Hail, hosanna! Praises due Be forever, Lord, to you! Truly holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. As your Word became flesh, born of woman, on that night long ago, so, on the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Therefore, in remembrance of all your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we ask you to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, which we offer in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us, as a living and holy surrender of ourselves.

Send the power of your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts, that in the breaking of this bread and the drinking of this wine we may know the presence of the living Christ; be one body in him, cleansed by his blood; faithfully serve him in the world; and look forward to his coming in final victory.

Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

BREAKING THE BREAD

SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP

Please come forward at the direction of the ushers.

If you need assistance, please alert the usher nearest your pew and the servers will bring the communion elements to you.

Liturgists

12:00 p.m. Leigh Snodsmith

4:00 p.m. Ashley Green

6:00 p.m. Lauren Clementz

8:00 p.m. Leigh Snodsmith

Communion Servers

12:00 p.m. Glenda Kilgore; Rev. Dan Kilgore Dr. Ken Dunivant; Leigh Snodsmith 4:00 p.m. Justin Smith; Amy Smith Rev. Dan Kilgore; Kara Creel Dr. Ken Dunivant; Ashley Green Glenda Kilgore; Cameron Creel 6:00 p.m. Donna O’Connor; Rev. Ken Smith Glenda Kilgore; Rev. Dan Kilgore Dr. Ken Dunivant; Susan Kizziah Rick Clementz; Lauren Clementz 8:00 p.m. Blake Snodsmith, Leigh Snodsmith Dr. Ken Dunivant; Rev. Dan Kilgore

Hosts/Ushers

12:00 p.m. Doug Harless; Jody Jobson Mary Lee; Eleanor Boykin 4:00 p.m. Tony Avery; Michael Rodgers Eleanor Boykin; Jerri McCreless Mary Meadows; Jody Jobson Daniel Lavender; Glen Cowan 6:00 p.m. Dick Zeanah; Dale Erdman Mary Meadows; Ann Curry Cindy Sands 8:00 p.m. Cindy Sands, Worship Coordinator

The love offering left at the chancel rail will help support the ministries of Matthew 25

and the United Methodist Children’s Home

*CANDLELIGHT CAROL NO. 239 Silent Night, Holy Night STILLE NACHT

All Stanazs Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright

round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born! Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light; radiant beams from thy holy face with 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!

BENEDICTION POSTLUDE Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella Keith Chapman * Congregation please stand Please silence all cell phones and electronic devices.

(Hymn texts printed through permission of CCLI:1108424)

ALTAR FLOWERS The flowers on the altar are given to the Glory of God

and in memory of Jim Herndon by the Covenant Sunday school class

MUSICIANS Dr. John Ratledge, Director of Music

Susan Goode, Organist/Pianist Chris O’Rear, Baritone

4:00 PM Service features FUMCT Sanctuary Choir

December 24, 2015 Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH TUSCALOOSA

800 Greensboro Avenue Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 Phone 205-345-7261

Facsimile 205-345-7263 After Hour Emergency Number: 886-7177

Email: contact@fumct.org 11:00 AM Worship Service is broadcast on

WACT 1420 AM and 96.9 FM at www.fumct.org