An All Hallows Service of the Word for the First Sunday after Christmas (December 26, 2021)
Take a moment to quieten your thoughts and center yourself on God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear the traditional French carol, “He Is Born.”
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
1 Through long ages of the past,
prophets have foretold His coming;
through long ages of the past,
now the time has come at last!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
2 O how lovely, O how pure
is this perfect Child of heaven;
O how lovely, O how pure,
gracious gift to humankind!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
3 Jesus, Lord of all the world,
coming as a Child among us;
Jesus, Lord of all the world,
grant to us Thy heavenly peace.
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
play the oboe and bagpipes merrily!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
sing we all of the Savior mild.
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
O Christ, Son of God, existing before time,
you came into the world to save us.
Lord, have mercy.
Sun of Righteousness, shining with the Father’s love,
you illumine the whole universe.
Christ, have mercy.
Son of Mary: born a child,
you shared our humanity.
Lord, have mercy.
May the Lord forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are and direct what we shall be, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed is the Lord:
Who has heard the voice of our prayer.
Therefore shall our hearts dance for joy:
And in our song will we praise our God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Isaac Watts’ “Joy to the World.”
1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
let ev’ry heart prepare him room
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
2 Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3 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.
4 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.
Let us pray
Silence is kept.
Shine into our hearts the light of your wisdom, O God, and
open our minds to the knowledge of your word, that in all
things we may think and act according to your good will and
may live continually in the light of your Son, Jesus Christ, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
The Reading
Colossians 3:12-17 Clothe Yourself with Love
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Homily
Put on the Garment of Love
In today’s reading the apostle Paul expresses some noble sentiments.
As those whom God loves, Paul urges us to put on “tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” as we might a garment—a garment that we would wear always, not just when we felt like it, a garment without which we would be naked. Indeed, it would be like our skin.
Paul goes on to urge us to make allowances for each other’s faults. We do more than begrudgingly put up with something. We actively seek to overlook or forgive a mistake. We do not hang on to anger and resentment toward those who may have wronged us. We let go of them. We also let go of our hurt feelings. It may not be easy, but we do it anyway. The person whom we are forgiving may not have asked for forgiveness. They may not think that they need forgiveness. We remember that our Lord as he hung dying on the cross, forgave those who rejected him.
Paul reminds us that the Lord forgave us, therefore we must forgive others. Jesus taught that we cannot expect forgiveness ourselves if we are not forgiving, if we hold something against someone and do not let go of anger and resentment.
Paul further urges us to also put on love. Love, he points to our attention binds us together in perfect harmony. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, harmony is “the situation in which people live or work happily together without any big problems.” It is “a situation in which people are peaceful and agree with each other, or when things seem right and suitable together.”
In other words, we as brothers and sisters in Christ get along with each other. We are transparent with each other. Our thoughts, feelings, and motives are easily-perceived. We work to understand each other and to iron out our differences.
Love is what ties us to each other. It is the stickiness that forms us into a cohesive body as a local expression of the Body of Christ, a body that is “united and working together effectively.”
We cannot be that kind of body unless we do what Paul is urging us to do. When we read these sentiments, it is not enough to think to ourselves that they are things which we should want very much or which we hope to achieve. We must put them into practice.
God gives us ample grace to do them. We need to open our hearts and minds to his grace and make use of it. We need to respond positively to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. What God is urging us to do through the apostle Paul is to become our better self, the self that God intend us to be.
Our better self is something into which we ourselves grow. We are like a young plant growing in a garden. As a young plant draws upon the sun, the rain, and the soil to grow, we draw upon God’s grace. Just as the young plant will blossoms and flowers one day so will we. Let us not hold back from becoming what God means us to be but grow in his love.
Silence is kept.
Let us affirm our faith in the words of the Apostles' Creed.
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christina Georgina Rosetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter.”
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But only His mother, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Let us pray for all people and the Church throughout the world.
After each petition silence may be kept. Further specific petitions may be added at appropriate points in the prayers or before the response.
We pray for the peace of the world, for the leaders of the nation, and for all in authority.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the welfare of your holy church, our bishop, and for all clergy and people.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray that we nay share with justice the resources of the earth, and live in trust and goodwill with one another,
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the aged and infirm, for the bereaved and the lonely, and for the sick and the suffering.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the poor and the oppressed, for prisoners and captives, and for all who care for them.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for ourselves and each other.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We praise you, Lord God, for the communion of the saints, and for the glorious hope of the resurrection to eternal life.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Faithful God,
you have promised to hear the prayers
of all who ask in Jesus’ name.
In your mercy, accept our prayers.
give us what we asked in faith,
according to your will;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray the prayer that Jesus gave us.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
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 those who
trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Dismissal
Open this link to hear John Rutter’s choral arrangement of Christian Georgina Rosetti’s “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,
stars 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.
Let us bless the Lord.
The Lord bless you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts
and may the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us
and remain with us always. Amen.
We cannot be that kind of body unless we do what Paul is urging us to do. When we read these sentiments, it is not enough to think to ourselves that they are things which we should want very much or which we hope to achieve. We must put them into practice.
God gives us ample grace to do them. We need to open our hearts and minds to his grace and make use of it. We need to respond positively to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. What God is urging us to do through the apostle Paul is to become our better self, the self that God intend us to be.
Our better self is something into which we ourselves grow. We are like a young plant growing in a garden. As a young plant draws upon the sun, the rain, and the soil to grow, we draw upon God’s grace. Just as the young plant will blossoms and flowers one day so will we. Let us not hold back from becoming what God means us to be but grow in his love.
Silence is kept.
Let us affirm our faith in the words of the Apostles' Creed.
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.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Christina Georgina Rosetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter.”
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But only His mother, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Let us pray for all people and the Church throughout the world.
After each petition silence may be kept. Further specific petitions may be added at appropriate points in the prayers or before the response.
We pray for the peace of the world, for the leaders of the nation, and for all in authority.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the welfare of your holy church, our bishop, and for all clergy and people.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray that we nay share with justice the resources of the earth, and live in trust and goodwill with one another,
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the aged and infirm, for the bereaved and the lonely, and for the sick and the suffering.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the poor and the oppressed, for prisoners and captives, and for all who care for them.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We pray for ourselves and each other.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We praise you, Lord God, for the communion of the saints, and for the glorious hope of the resurrection to eternal life.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Faithful God,
you have promised to hear the prayers
of all who ask in Jesus’ name.
In your mercy, accept our prayers.
give us what we asked in faith,
according to your will;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray the prayer that Jesus gave us.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
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 those who
trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Dismissal
Open this link to hear John Rutter’s choral arrangement of Christian Georgina Rosetti’s “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,
stars 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.
Let us bless the Lord.
The Lord bless you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts
and may the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us
and remain with us always. Amen.
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