All Hallows Matins for Christmas Day (December 25, 2020)
Welcome to All Hallows Murray's Christmas Day Service--Traditional Option. Take a moment to quieten your mind and settle your thoughts. When you are ready, open the first link and hear the glad tidings of comfort and joy.
Open this link in a new tab to hear John Rutter's choral arrangement of the Wexford Carol.
1. Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His belovèd Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas Day;
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.
2. The night before that happy tide
The noble virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass:
From every door repelled, alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but a humble oxen stall.
3. Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God’s angels did appear
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
Prepare and go, the angels said,
To Bethlehem, be not afraid;
For there you’ll find, this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.
4. With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find,
And as God’s angel had foretold,
They did our Savior Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid,
And by His side the virgin maid
Attending on the Lord of Life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.
Coda
Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His belovèd Son.
Silence is kept.
Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
St. Luke 2. 10, 11.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 St. John 1. 8, 9.
Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.
Almighty and most merciful Father,
We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep,
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts,
We have offended against thy holy laws,
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done,
And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
Restore thou them that are penitent;
According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Lord, open thou our lips;
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord;
The Lord’s Name be praised.
Open this link in a new tab to hear the Venite Exultemus Domino Psalm 95.
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth: and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands prepared the dry land.
O come, let us worship, and fall down, and kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Td-day, O that ye would hear his voice: Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;
Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.’
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Psalm 19.
HE heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handy-work.
The Second Letter is written in the Gospel of Luke, in the Second Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirin′i-us was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will among men.
Here endeth the Second Lesson.
Silence is kept.
Open this link a new tab to hear a solo of William Dix’s Christmas carol, “What Child Is This.”
1 What child is this, who, laid to rest,
on Mary's lap is sleeping,
whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Come! Praise! The infant laud.,
the babe, the son of Mary!
2 Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear, for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
the cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word-made-flesh,
the babe, the son of Mary!
3 So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;
hold tongues and people own him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
let ev’ry heart enthrone him.
Raise! raise your song on high;
while Mary sings her lullaby.
Joy! joy, for Christ is born,
the babe, the son of Mary!
Silence is kept.
Open this link in a new tab to hear the Benedictus Dominus Deus.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.
(Canada) O Lord, save the Queen.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
(United States) O Lord, save the President.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord.
For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety.
O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
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 them that 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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect of the Day
Almighty God, who hast given us thy only. begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Second Collect, for Peace.
O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Third Collect, for Grace
O Lord our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Open this link in a new tab to hear John Rutter’s choral arrangement of “Love Came Down at Christmas.”
1 Love came down at Christmas,
love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
star and angels gave the sign,
star and angels gave the sign.
2 Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, Love divine;
worship we our Jesus,
but wherewith for sacred sign,
but wherewith for sacred sign?
3 Love shall be our token;
love be yours and love be mine;
love to God and all men,
love for plea and gift and sign.
love for plea and gift and sign.
Silence is kept.
A number of myths surround Christmas. One of these myths is that Christmas was originally pagan festival. This myth which has a fairly short history was debunked in the last century. However, it persists. Those perpetuating the myth like modern pagan groups may have an agenda of their own. Or they have not taken the trouble to research Christmas’ origins. They are simply repeating what someone else said or wrote. This myth has caused some Christians to question whether they should celebrate Christmas. After all, there is nothing in the Bible that commands us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, they may argue. There is also nothing in the Bible that prohibits us from celebrating his birth and from setting apart a day and a season in which we celebrate it.
Dr. Thomas Talley, a long-time professor of liturgics at General Theological Seminary and visiting professor at Notre Dame University, pioneered the debunking of the myth that Christmas is a pagan festival. I attended a seminar on the church year in the 1980s, in which he explained how the early Church went about calculating December 25th as the date of Jesus’ birth. The early Church did not replace a pagan festival with a Christian one as this myth claims. Since the 1980s it has been established that the Romans did not celebrate the festival of Sol Invictus, the pagan winter festival that the early Church supposedly replaced with Christmas.
With this knowledge Christians can in good conscience celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord. They are not celebrating what was once a pagan festival. They are celebrating the birth of the Christ, the Promised One, the Messiah, the Son of David.
When the early Church settled on a date on which it would celebrate our Lord’s birth, it did not decide to devote one day to that celebration. It decided to devote a whole season--the Twelve Days of Christmas. They begin on Christmas Eve and end on Twelfth Night, the eve of the feast of the Epiphany.
Our Lord’s birth was a lowly one. He was not born in a palace. He was born in quite humble surroundings—not in a stable but in the main room of the house of one of Joseph’s relatives in Bethlehem. There was no room for Mary and Joseph in the guest room so Mary had no choice but give birth to Jesus in the main room of the house. It was the room in the house in which most of the daily activities of the household occurred. It was also the room in the house where the livestock were kept. The presence of a manger in the room was not unusual.
“Wait!” you may be thinking to yourself, “What happened to the inn?!” New Testament scholars have re-examined the Greek text of the New Testament and concluded that the Greek word which earlier translators had rendered as “inn” actually refers to a guest room. The New Testament makes no mention of a stable. It does, however, mention a manager and based upon this reference earlier interpreters of the New Testament concluded that where Mary gave birth to Jesus must have been a stable or some other kind of outbuilding detached from a house. In New Testament times houses, except for the wealthier classes, were house-barns. They doubled as barns for the livestock.
Does this mean that we have stop singing Christmas carols and hymns like “In a Bleak Midwinter,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” and “A Stable Lamp Is Lighted”? No. They may have gotten the details of Jesus’ birth wrong but they do celebrate his birth. Celebrating his birth is what matters. They celebrate that the Son of God humbled himself and was born a tiny baby. He became a human being and lived and died as a human being. He knew hunger. He knew thirst. He knew suffering. At the same time, while he was fully human, he was also fully divine. He was both man and God.
Jesus taught with an authority that is God’s alone that we should love God with our entire being and our neighbors as ourselves—not just our kin and our friends, not just the people like us, but all people. He taught his disciples that they should love each other with the same kind of love that he showed for them, a love so great that he would suffer and die on a cross for our sake and for the sake of all humankind. Through his suffering and death he would reconcile God and humanity, heal the divide that our rebellion had created between God and ourselves.
We are apt to think of God as a kindly grandfather figure to whom we can turn to when we need something but otherwise we can ignore. But the Bible teach us and Jesus himself affirmed what the Bible teaches, God is our creator and we are his creatures. However we may conceive our creation, that is our relationship to God. We can live in harmony with God, trusting his word and obeying him. Or we can go our own way. God gives us that freedom as his creatures. But going our own way has consequences.
By our own choice we can cut ourselves off from God forever. “How bad could that be?” we may think to ourselves. A lot worse than we can imagine. God is the source of all that is good. He is the source of all that is light. Separated from God there is no joy, only anguish; no light, only darkness; no hope; only despair; no love, only self-loathing.
God sent his Son into the world to spare us from an eternity apart from him. It was an act of mercy toward us—an act of kindness, generosity, and love—what Christian theologians call “grace,” God’s unmerited and undeserved favor and good-will toward us. In celebrating the birth of Jesus, we are celebrating that act of mercy. We are celebrating God's graciousness towards us. Through faith in Jesus we can enjoy fellowship with God, not only in this life but for all eternity. That is God's gift to us. It is a gift that makes all other Christmas gifts pale into insignificance.
Silence is kept.
(Canada) Let us pray for the Queen’s Majesty.
O Lord our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way: Endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies, and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(United States) Let us pray for the President of the United States and all in civil authority.
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of the United States; and to all in Authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Let us pray for all clergy and people.
Almighty and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray for those in anxiety
Almighty God, who art afflicted in the afflictions of thy people: Regard with thy tender compassion those in anxiety and distress; bear their sorrows and their cares; supply all their manifold needs; and help both them and us to put our whole trust and confidence in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us give thanks for the mission of the Church.
We thank thee, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to build thy Church in many lands. We praise thee for the light of the Gospel, the labours of thy servants, and the ministrations of thy Church. We also bless thy holy Name for those who have lived, and suffered, and died for thy sake; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may at last attain thy heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Open this link to hear Sir Phillip Ledger’s choral arrangement of the German carol, “Good Christian Men, Rejoice.”
1 Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ was born today.
Ox and ass before him bow,
and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!
2 Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has ope’d the heavenly door,
and man is blessed forevermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
3 Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born, was born to save!
Christ was born to save!
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands prepared the dry land.
O come, let us worship, and fall down, and kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Td-day, O that ye would hear his voice: Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;
When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, “It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways”;
Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.’
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Psalm 19.
HE heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handy-work.
2 One day telleth another; and one night certifieth another.
3 There is neither speech nor language; their voice cannot be heard;
4 Yet their sound is gone out into all lands; and their words into the ends of the world.
5 In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun; which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course.
6 It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, and endureth for ever; the judgements of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb.
11 Moreover, by them is thy servant taught; and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how oft he offendeth? O cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
13 Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me; so shall I be undefiled and innocent from the great offence.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Psalm 85.
Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land: thou hast restored the fortunes of Jacob.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Psalm 85.
Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land: thou hast restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people, and covered all their sin.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure, and turned thyself from thy wrathful indignation.
4 Turn us, O God our Saviour, and let thine anger cease from us.
5 Wilt thou be displeased at us for ever? and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another?
6 Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us, that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 O Lord, show thy mercy upon us, and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hearken what the Lord God will say: for he shall speak peace unto his people and to his saints, and unto them that turn their heart to him.
9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth springeth out of the earth; and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.
12 Yea, the LORD shall give what is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him, and shall direct his going in the way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept
The First Lesson is written in the Book of Isaiah, in the Ninth Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.
But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zeb′ulun and the land of Naph′tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
Thou hast multiplied the nation,
thou hast increased its joy;
they rejoice before thee
as with joy at the harvest,
as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
thou hast broken as on the day of Mid′ian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called
“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom,
to establish it, and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Here endeth the First Lesson.
Silence is kept
Open this link in a new tab to the Bendicite Omnia Opera The Song of the Three Children
O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye waters that be above the firmament, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Sun, and Moon, bless ye the Lord:
O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord,
O ye showers, and dew, bless ye the Lord,
O ye winds of God, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye dews and frosts, O ye frost and cold, O ye Ice and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord:
O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord
O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O let the earth blesse the Lord: yea, let it praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye mountains and hills: bless ye the Lord, praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye green thins upon the earth, bless ye the Lord praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye wells, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye seas, and floods: O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye fowls of the air, O all ye beasts, and cattle, bless ye the Lord:
O ye children of men bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord
O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, O ye holy and humble men of heart blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept
The First Lesson is written in the Book of Isaiah, in the Ninth Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.
But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zeb′ulun and the land of Naph′tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
Thou hast multiplied the nation,
thou hast increased its joy;
they rejoice before thee
as with joy at the harvest,
as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
thou hast broken as on the day of Mid′ian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called
“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom,
to establish it, and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Here endeth the First Lesson.
Silence is kept
Open this link in a new tab to the Bendicite Omnia Opera The Song of the Three Children
O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye waters that be above the firmament, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Sun, and Moon, bless ye the Lord:
O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord,
O ye showers, and dew, bless ye the Lord,
O ye winds of God, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye dews and frosts, O ye frost and cold, O ye Ice and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord:
O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord
O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O let the earth blesse the Lord: yea, let it praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye mountains and hills: bless ye the Lord, praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye green thins upon the earth, bless ye the Lord praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye wells, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye seas, and floods: O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye fowls of the air, O all ye beasts, and cattle, bless ye the Lord:
O ye children of men bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord
O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, O ye holy and humble men of heart blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, blesse ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept.
The Second Letter is written in the Gospel of Luke, in the Second Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirin′i-us was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will among men.
Here endeth the Second Lesson.
Silence is kept.
Open this link a new tab to hear a solo of William Dix’s Christmas carol, “What Child Is This.”
1 What child is this, who, laid to rest,
on Mary's lap is sleeping,
whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Come! Praise! The infant laud.,
the babe, the son of Mary!
2 Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear, for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
the cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word-made-flesh,
the babe, the son of Mary!
3 So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;
hold tongues and people own him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
let ev’ry heart enthrone him.
Raise! raise your song on high;
while Mary sings her lullaby.
Joy! joy, for Christ is born,
the babe, the son of Mary!
Silence is kept.
Open this link in a new tab to hear the Benedictus Dominus Deus.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, that he would grant us
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, that he would grant us
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people for the remission of their sins;
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept.
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The holy Catholic Church;
The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord be with you;
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Silence is kept.
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The holy Catholic Church;
The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord be with you;
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
And grant us thy salvation.
(Canada) O Lord, save the Queen.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
(United States) O Lord, save the President.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord.
For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety.
O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
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 them that 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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect of the Day
Almighty God, who hast given us thy only. begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Second Collect, for Peace.
O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Third Collect, for Grace
O Lord our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Silence is kept.
Open this link in a new tab to hear John Rutter’s choral arrangement of “Love Came Down at Christmas.”
1 Love came down at Christmas,
love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
star and angels gave the sign,
star and angels gave the sign.
2 Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, Love divine;
worship we our Jesus,
but wherewith for sacred sign,
but wherewith for sacred sign?
3 Love shall be our token;
love be yours and love be mine;
love to God and all men,
love for plea and gift and sign.
love for plea and gift and sign.
Silence is kept.
Wait! What Happened to the Inn?!
A number of myths surround Christmas. One of these myths is that Christmas was originally pagan festival. This myth which has a fairly short history was debunked in the last century. However, it persists. Those perpetuating the myth like modern pagan groups may have an agenda of their own. Or they have not taken the trouble to research Christmas’ origins. They are simply repeating what someone else said or wrote. This myth has caused some Christians to question whether they should celebrate Christmas. After all, there is nothing in the Bible that commands us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, they may argue. There is also nothing in the Bible that prohibits us from celebrating his birth and from setting apart a day and a season in which we celebrate it.
Dr. Thomas Talley, a long-time professor of liturgics at General Theological Seminary and visiting professor at Notre Dame University, pioneered the debunking of the myth that Christmas is a pagan festival. I attended a seminar on the church year in the 1980s, in which he explained how the early Church went about calculating December 25th as the date of Jesus’ birth. The early Church did not replace a pagan festival with a Christian one as this myth claims. Since the 1980s it has been established that the Romans did not celebrate the festival of Sol Invictus, the pagan winter festival that the early Church supposedly replaced with Christmas.
With this knowledge Christians can in good conscience celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord. They are not celebrating what was once a pagan festival. They are celebrating the birth of the Christ, the Promised One, the Messiah, the Son of David.
When the early Church settled on a date on which it would celebrate our Lord’s birth, it did not decide to devote one day to that celebration. It decided to devote a whole season--the Twelve Days of Christmas. They begin on Christmas Eve and end on Twelfth Night, the eve of the feast of the Epiphany.
Our Lord’s birth was a lowly one. He was not born in a palace. He was born in quite humble surroundings—not in a stable but in the main room of the house of one of Joseph’s relatives in Bethlehem. There was no room for Mary and Joseph in the guest room so Mary had no choice but give birth to Jesus in the main room of the house. It was the room in the house in which most of the daily activities of the household occurred. It was also the room in the house where the livestock were kept. The presence of a manger in the room was not unusual.
“Wait!” you may be thinking to yourself, “What happened to the inn?!” New Testament scholars have re-examined the Greek text of the New Testament and concluded that the Greek word which earlier translators had rendered as “inn” actually refers to a guest room. The New Testament makes no mention of a stable. It does, however, mention a manager and based upon this reference earlier interpreters of the New Testament concluded that where Mary gave birth to Jesus must have been a stable or some other kind of outbuilding detached from a house. In New Testament times houses, except for the wealthier classes, were house-barns. They doubled as barns for the livestock.
Does this mean that we have stop singing Christmas carols and hymns like “In a Bleak Midwinter,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” and “A Stable Lamp Is Lighted”? No. They may have gotten the details of Jesus’ birth wrong but they do celebrate his birth. Celebrating his birth is what matters. They celebrate that the Son of God humbled himself and was born a tiny baby. He became a human being and lived and died as a human being. He knew hunger. He knew thirst. He knew suffering. At the same time, while he was fully human, he was also fully divine. He was both man and God.
Jesus taught with an authority that is God’s alone that we should love God with our entire being and our neighbors as ourselves—not just our kin and our friends, not just the people like us, but all people. He taught his disciples that they should love each other with the same kind of love that he showed for them, a love so great that he would suffer and die on a cross for our sake and for the sake of all humankind. Through his suffering and death he would reconcile God and humanity, heal the divide that our rebellion had created between God and ourselves.
We are apt to think of God as a kindly grandfather figure to whom we can turn to when we need something but otherwise we can ignore. But the Bible teach us and Jesus himself affirmed what the Bible teaches, God is our creator and we are his creatures. However we may conceive our creation, that is our relationship to God. We can live in harmony with God, trusting his word and obeying him. Or we can go our own way. God gives us that freedom as his creatures. But going our own way has consequences.
By our own choice we can cut ourselves off from God forever. “How bad could that be?” we may think to ourselves. A lot worse than we can imagine. God is the source of all that is good. He is the source of all that is light. Separated from God there is no joy, only anguish; no light, only darkness; no hope; only despair; no love, only self-loathing.
God sent his Son into the world to spare us from an eternity apart from him. It was an act of mercy toward us—an act of kindness, generosity, and love—what Christian theologians call “grace,” God’s unmerited and undeserved favor and good-will toward us. In celebrating the birth of Jesus, we are celebrating that act of mercy. We are celebrating God's graciousness towards us. Through faith in Jesus we can enjoy fellowship with God, not only in this life but for all eternity. That is God's gift to us. It is a gift that makes all other Christmas gifts pale into insignificance.
Silence is kept.
(Canada) Let us pray for the Queen’s Majesty.
O Lord our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way: Endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies, and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(United States) Let us pray for the President of the United States and all in civil authority.
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of the United States; and to all in Authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Let us pray for all clergy and people.
Almighty and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray for those in anxiety
Almighty God, who art afflicted in the afflictions of thy people: Regard with thy tender compassion those in anxiety and distress; bear their sorrows and their cares; supply all their manifold needs; and help both them and us to put our whole trust and confidence in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us give thanks for the mission of the Church.
We thank thee, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to build thy Church in many lands. We praise thee for the light of the Gospel, the labours of thy servants, and the ministrations of thy Church. We also bless thy holy Name for those who have lived, and suffered, and died for thy sake; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may at last attain thy heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Open this link to hear Sir Phillip Ledger’s choral arrangement of the German carol, “Good Christian Men, Rejoice.”
1 Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ was born today.
Ox and ass before him bow,
and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!
2 Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has ope’d the heavenly door,
and man is blessed forevermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
3 Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born, was born to save!
Christ was born to save!
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen.
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