Community Christmas Carol Service Tuesday 10th December 2024, 1pm  

Welcome

This Christmas, we invite you to be part of a special community initiative inspired by the carol O Little Town of Bethlehem and its powerful message that “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

Pick up a star decoration from beside the Christmas tree outside St Giles’ Cripplegate. Write your hopes for the coming year on one side and any fears or concerns on the other. When you hang your star on the Christmas tree outside St Giles, it will join others to create a unique expression of our community’s shared dreams and worries as we approach the new year. Just as the star of Bethlehem guided people to hope long ago, these stars will represent our community’s journey together.

Once in Royal David’s City

1. Once in royal David’s city
   stood a lowly cattle shed,
   where a mother laid her baby
   in a manger for his bed:
   Mary was that mother mild,
   Jesus Christ her little child.
    
2. He came down to earth from heaven
   who is God and Lord of all,
   and his shelter was a stable,
   and his cradle was a stall;
   with the poor and mean and lowly
   lived on earth our Saviour holy.
    
3. For he is our childhood’s pattern,
   day by day like us he grew,
   he was little, weak, and helpless,
   tears and smiles like us he knew;
   and he feeleth for our sadness,
   and he shareth in our gladness.
    
4. And our eyes at last shall see him,
   through his own redeeming love,
   for that child so dear and gentle
   is our Lord in heaven above;
   and he leads his children on
   to the place where he is gone.
    
5. Not in that poor lowly stable,
   with the oxen standing by,
   we shall see him; but in heaven,
   set at God’s right hand on high;
   where like stars his children crowned
   all in white shall wait around.

First Reading: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

O Come, all ye faithful

1. O come, all ye faithful,
   joyful and triumphant,
   O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
   Come and behold Him,
   born the King of Angels
   Refrain: O come, let us adore Him;
   O come, let us adore Him;
   O come, let us adore Him,
   Christ the Lord!
    
2. God of God,
   Light of Light,
   lo, He abhors not the virgin’s womb;
   very God,
   begotten not created;
   [Refrain]
    
3. Lo! Star-led chieftains,
   Magi, Christ adoring,
   Offer Him incense, gold and myrrh;
   We to the Christ Child
   bring our hearts oblations:
   [Refrain]
    
4. See how the shepherds,
   Summoned to His cradle,
   Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with holy fear;
   We too with thither
   bend our joyful footsteps:
   [Refrain]
    
5. Child, for our sinners
   Poor and in the manger,
   Fain we embrace thee with awe and love;
   Who would not love thee,
   Loving us so dearly?
   [Refrain]
    
6. Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;

sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest!
[Refrain]

​Reading 2: Luke 2:1-7

The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

1. O little town of Bethlehem,
   how still we see thee lie!
   Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
   the silent stars go by.
   Yet in thy dark streets shineth
   the everlasting light;
   the hopes and fears of all the years
   are met in thee tonight.
    
2. For Christ is born of Mary;
   and, gathered all above,
   while mortals sleep, the angels keep
   their watch of wond’ring love.
   O morning stars, together
   proclaim the holy birth,
   and praises sing to God the King,
   and peace to men on earth.
    
3. How silently, how silently,
   the wondrous gift is giv’n!
   So God imparts to human hearts
   the blessings of His heav’n.
   No ear may hear His coming,
   but in this world of sin,
   where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
    
4. O holy Child of Bethlehem,
   descend to us, we pray;
   cast out our sin and enter in;
   be born in us today.
   We hear the Christmas angels,
   the great glad tidings tell;
   O come to us, abide with us,
   our Lord Emmanuel!

Homily:

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight

Please bring your star decorations to hang on the tree while the St Giles’ Choir sing The Angel Gabriel (Basque traditional arr. Marsden Thomas)

Silent Night

1. 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.

2. Silent night! Holy night!
   Shepherds first saw the sight.
   Glories stream from heaven afar,
   heav’nly hosts sing, “Alleluia!
   Christ the Saviour is born!
   Christ the Saviour is born!”
    
3. 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!

Reading 3: Luke 2:8-14

The Shepherds and Angel

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

1. God rest you merry, gentlemen,
let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
was born on Christmas Day
to save us all from Satan’s pow’r
when we were gone astray:
Refrain: O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.

2. From God our heav’nly Father
   a blessed angel came
   and unto certain shepherds
   brought tidings of the same;
   how that in Bethlehem was born
   the Son of God by name:
   [Refrain]
    
3. The shepherds at those tidings
   rejoiced much in mind,
   and left their flocks afeeding,
   in tempest, storm, and wind,
   and went to Bethlehem straightway,
   this blessed Babe to find;
   [Refrain]
    
4. But when to Bethlehem they came
   Whereat this infant lay,
   They found him in a manger,
   Where oxen feed on hay;
   His mother Mary kneeling,
   Unto the Lord did pray:
   [Refrain]
    
5. Now to the Lord sing praises
   all you within this place,
   and with true love and brotherhood
   each other now embrace;
   this holy tide of Christmas
   all other doth deface.
   [Refrain]

Reading 4: Matthew 2:1-11

The Visit of the Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.” In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’]”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

1. 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 hosts proclaim,
   “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
   Hark! the herald angels sing,
   “Glory to the newborn King”
    
2. Christ, by highest heaven adored,
   Christ, the everlasting Lord,
   late in time behold him come,
   offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
   veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
   hail th’incarnate Deity,
   pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
   Jesus, our Immanuel.
   Hark! the herald angels sing,
   “Glory to the newborn King”
    
3. Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
   Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
   Light and life to all he brings,
   risen with healing in his wings.
   Mild he lays his glory by,
   born that we no more may die,
   born to raise us from the earth,
   born to give us second birth.
   Hark! the herald angels sing,
   “Glory to the newborn King”
    

We wish you and all those you love and pray for joy and peace this Christmas time.