Kinmundy UMC CHRISTMAS EVE COMMUNION SERVICE
December 24, 2020 – – – 6 pm
Welcome
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.
Away in a manger
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Look down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
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!”
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.
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
MEDITATION – Pastor Dave
Sharing of Needs for Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Prayer of Humble Access: We do not presume to come to Your table, Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but only in Your mercy. We are not worthy to gather up crumbs under Your table, yet You welcome us as Your family. Grant that, as we share in this Sacrament of Your Son Jesus Christ, we may walk in newness of life, may grow into His likeness, and may evermore dwell in Him and He in us. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer: 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, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Distribution of Communion Elements
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.
You are welcome to take communion tonight, or wait until Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, as you wish. Please say the “Prayer of Humble Access” before you partake.
TRANSCRIPT
Jack Canfield once told the story of an enthusiastic college professor who became a Buddhist, who said:
Whenever I talk about Buddhism, my parents hate me.
Whenever I act like the Buddha, they love me.
There’s a lesson here for us:
Whenever I talk about religion, people hate me.
Whenever I act like Jesus, they love me.
or
Nobody cares how much you know
until they know how much you care.
Nature Boy … song performed by Nat King Cole, describes who Jesus is to me:
And then one day
A magic day he came my way
And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings
This he said to me
“The greatest thing
You’ll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved in return”
This is Jesus, who was asked: Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”
And John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Someone may ask me:
Pastor, what do you expect from me … I’m a country boy, born in a log cabin on a farm, never went to college.
I expect nothing more than I would expect from a boy born in a stable, who also never went to college … but who says this to us:
“The greatest thing You’ll ever learn
Is just to love …
And be loved in return”
May love flow between us all in this Christmas season. Amen.