Candlelit Christmas Eve – 24/12/22

Opening Music: ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ (Virtual Choir)

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.

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.

Shepherds came to see this wonder,
And to kneel in holy awe,
At that lowly stable manger
Where the infant lay on straw;
So may we this happy morn
Honour every child that’s born.

From afar three magi journeyed
To that stable rude and bare,
To pay homage to the infant
Off’ring gifts both rich and rare;
So may we our gifts bestow,
Whether we be high or low.

In that happy Christmas spirit,
Hear the angels from on high
Sing their ancient salutations:
Joy’s a gift you cannot buy.
So may we, with heart that sings,
Share the truth this season brings.

Opening Words: ‘Christmas Meditation’ by Christine C. Robinson (adapted)

Let us join our hearts and minds together in a contemplative spirit,
as we gather once again, to rediscover what Christmas means to us.

May this quiet hour lead us to the heart of the season, which is peace.

May we breathe deeply of peace in this gathering, relax into its warmth,
know we are safe here, and let us open our hearts to the evening’s story.

Like the wandering couple, may we find that
our greatest trials issue forth from our greatest joys.

Like the harried innkeeper, may we find ways to be of help to others.

Like the lumbering beasts, may we be silent witnesses to the unfathomable glory of life.

Like the shepherds on the hill, may we know that we need never be afraid.

Like the journeying wise, may we always have the courage to follow our stars.

Like the angels, may we cry peace to an unjust and troubled world.

And may this season of peace and goodwill nudge our world
towards its liberating ideals, for then will Christmas truly dawn.

Opening Words of Welcome:

These words by UU minister Christine Robinson welcome all who have gathered here on Zoom for our special candlelit Christmas Eve service. Welcome to regular members of the congregation, to friends old and new, and visitors who are with us for the first time – also those who might be listening to our podcast, or watching on YouTube, at some time in the future. For those who don’t know me, my name is Jane Blackall, and I’m Ministry Coordinator with Kensington Unitarians.

This evening’s service is our special Candlelit Christmas Eve – a contemplative service lasting a bit less than an hour – there’ll be readings from Unitarian sources reflecting on the Christmas story and the comfort and inspiration we might take from it – and familiar carols to sing along with at home, some of which are taken from Christmas services in the church in years gone by, and some of which are recordings from a ‘virtual choir’ of members and friends of the congregation. And right at the heart of this service is a time of silent meditation by candlelight so, if you can, please find a candle and something to light it with, and have it ready for later on in the service.

Chalice Lighting: ‘Fellow Sojourners’ by Dan Lambert (adapted)

Before we go any further though, I’ll light our chalice, as we always do whenever we gather. This simple ritual connects us with Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists the world over, and reminds us of the proudly progressive religious tradition of which this gathering is part.

We gather together on this Christmas Eve as fellow sojourners
looking for light, for hope, for peace, and for love.

We gather as people from many backgrounds,
with diverse stories, and varied spiritual paths.

But as we light this chalice, we gather as one body
looking to the Nativity for its message to all of humanity.

Its message is that there is light, there is hope, there is peace, there is love.

Carol: ‘Hark the Herald Angels’ (Kensington Unitarians)

Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
Cometh with the holy child.
Joyful, all ye nations rise!
Join the triumph of the skies!
With the angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!

Hail, the holy Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Comes with healing in his wings.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!
Hail the indwelling Deity!
Born to raise upon the earth
All who yearn for love’s rebirth.
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!

Reading: ‘What Are You Here For?’ by Quinn G. Caldwell (read by Veronica)

If you came to this place expecting a tame story, you came to the wrong place.

If you came for a story that does not threaten you,
you came for a different story than the one we tell.

If you came to hear of the coming of a God who only showed up
so that you could have a nice day with your loved ones,
then you came for a God whom we do not worship here.

For even a regular baby is not a tame thing.
And goodness that cannot threaten complacency and evil is not much good at all,
and a God who would choose to give up power and invincibility
to become an infant for you, certainly didn’t do it just you could have dinner.

But.

If you came because you think that unwed teenage mothers
are some of the strongest people in the world…

If you came because you think that the kind of people who
work night shifts doing stuff you’d rather not do
might attract an angel’s attention before you,
snoring comfortably in your bed, would….

If you came because you think there are wise ones to be found
among undocumented travellers from faraway lands
and that they might be able to show you God…

If you came to hear a story of tyrants trembling
while heaven comes to penniless peasants…

If you came because you believe that God loves the animals
as much as the people and so made them
the first witnesses to the saving of the world.

If you came for a story of reversals that might end up reversing you.

If you came for a tale of adventure and bravery,
where strong and gentle people win,
and the powerful and violent go down to dust,
where the rich lose their money but find their lives
and the poor are raised up like kings.

If you came to be reminded that God loves you
too much to leave you unchanged.

If you came to follow the light even if it blinds you.

If you came for salvation and not safety, then:
ah, my friends, you are in the right place.

Carol: ‘Holly and the Ivy’ (Kensington Unitarians)

The holly and the ivy, now they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.
Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet saviour
Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good.
Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.
Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.
Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

Reading: ‘A Unitarian Christmas’ by Kate Brady McKenna (read by Alex)

They say a story can carry a truth far greater than the literal truth.

We Unitarians know the value of stories.
We know they carry truth.
We know they carry more truth than just the plain truth ever can.

Maybe we can’t believe a virgin gave birth to the son of God:
but we can believe that all births are miracles, worthy of celebration and wonder.

Maybe we can’t believe angels brought revelations:
but we can believe truth can be revealed
through the actions and words of those who dare to speak it and to act it.

Maybe we can’t believe the angels sang to shepherds:
but we can believe that those revelations about life
can come to and through even those we think are the most humble.

Maybe we can’t believe the wise men travelled to see the new-born baby king:
but we can believe that we should never be too lofty
or think ourselves too clever or too rich to see the wonder and majesty in tiny things.

Maybe we can’t believe that Jesus brought back the light by redeeming our sins:
but we can believe in a leader and teacher and prophet
who brought and brings illumination to the lives of those who wish to listen.

We can believe in the light. Always, we can believe in the light.

Maybe we can’t believe the Christmas story:
but we can believe in it
as a story which points to
a truth greater than we can possibly imagine.

Carol: ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ (Virtual Choir)

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 street shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace throughout the earth;
For Christ is born of Mary —
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The peace and joy of heaven.
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

Time of Prayer and Reflection: adapted from words by Parisa Parsa

We’re moving now into a meditative time. Let’s each do what we need to do to get into the right state of body and mind to pray together now. And let us open our hearts to prayer.

Spirit of Life, God of All Love, in whom we are one;
Divine Being, present in each and every birth;
into our hearts this season we ask for an opening –
a door through which your grace may pass –
and offer each of us a new path to life.

Help us to see in each and every stranger
the presence of eternal Love.
Help us to find within our tender hearts
the presence of abiding Peace.
Help us to find one another when we are hurting and afraid
and weave together a strengthened Faith.

Let us know you in watchful shepherds
who behold the star of hope in a dark sky.
Let us know you in innkeepers, in anyone
who will make space for the stranger to enter their world.
Let us know you in each and every being in the manger
all creatures of a sacred spirit who know
the holiness of every soul that’s born.
Let us know you in struggling parents and caregivers
who want the best for their children in a dangerous world –
and in wise people who go out of their way to witness
the wonder of the holy presence here on earth.

Most of all, let us know the joy that is born in our hearts
Each time we see and greet you, eternal love,
alive in the world in the presence of another. (pause)

And in a few moments of stillness now I invite you to reflect on the imagery of
the Christmas story and its resonances for your life. Where do you sense light, and love,
and holiness being born in the world around us – despite everything? In connection with friends and dear ones? In strangers’ random acts of kindness? In nature’s beauty? In all those small but significant everyday acts of resistance which make this world more peaceful and more just? (pause)

And in a further time of stillness I invite you to reflect on your own desire,
for light, love, and holiness, this Christmas Eve. What is it that you most yearn for?
Life is so hard for so many people right now. Each of us carries our own burdens and hopes.
So in this quiet time let us each inwardly acknowledge our own interior needs and longings,
and ask for a blessing on ourselves, our loved ones, our gathered community,
that we might see those blessings radiate to encompass the whole world. (pause)

Responsive Reading: ‘We are the Light of the World’ by Becky Edmiston

And I invite you now to join, if you wish, in a prayerful spirit with the responsive words shown in bold on screen – a Christmas tradition – ‘We are the light of the World’. (pause)

Some say that Jesus is the light of the world.
We all can be the light of the world
if we seek to act in ways that enlarge the realms of love and justice.

When we share another’s pain or offer a comforting ear to a friend in need,
We are the light of the world.

When we give bread to the hungry or support ways to house the homeless,
When we fight temptations to wrongdoing within ourselves
and treat our neighbours with respect,
We are the light of the world.

When we try to overcome differences with understanding
and solve conflict with peaceful means,
We are the light of the world.

When we look for the good in other people and in ourselves,
We are the light of the world.

When we do not stay quiet in the face of prejudice,
but speak our minds firmly and gently,
We are the light of the world.

When we fight despair within ourselves and side with hope,
We are the light of the world.

When we use our powers justly and in the service of love for humanity.
We are the light of the world.

We are the light of the world! Amen.

Carol: ‘Dark of Winter’ (Kensington Unitarians)

Dark of winter, soft and still, your quiet calm surrounds me.
Let my thoughts go where they will, ease my mind profoundly.
And then my soul will sing a song, a blessed song of love eternal.
Gentle darkness, soft and still, bring your quiet to me.

Darkness, soothe my weary eyes, that I may see more clearly.
When my heart with sorrow cries, comfort and caress me.
And then my soul may hear a voice, a still, small voice of love eternal.
Darkness, when my fears arise, let your peace flow through me.

Introduction to Candle-Lighting:

It’s time now to light our candles and take some time for candlelit stillness and silence. At this point I invite you to switch to gallery view, if you can, so that we can all see each other’s faces, and see the screen fill with the light each one of us brings to this community. I’ll just offer a few words as you light your candles and we’ll hold three minutes of silence.

Let us be still in the darkness of this sacred space,
And listen to the quietness around us and within us.
For even in the silence, there is the gentle being with others.

Let us feel the warmth of our community this night,
Knowing that, even as we are apart, we are not alone.
For in the quiet shadow is the glow of life within all.
Let us know in the darkness the gift each candle bears,
A small flame, perhaps – yet each holds the wondrous gift
to kindle another’s glow – to bear the light onward.

Let us be in awe at this moment as we each lift up the flame
And the light envelops this gathering we’ve co-created,
As hope for peace and goodwill shines all around.

Silence (3 min)

Carol: ‘Silent Night’ (Virtual Choir)

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”,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Child of God, love’s pure light,
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Reading: ‘Christmas Eve Meditation’ by Anya Sammler-Michael (read by Chloe)

Blessed and holy night, silent night,
full of truths too awesome to bend into words,
we sit in the glow of ages,
wound round stories that teach us
some of what it means to be human,
and some of what it means to see God.

The meditations of our hearts, and prayers of our souls,
speak our independent needs, loves and yearnings –
…may they collect, for a moment, in this our common experience,
as we direct them together, in a spirit of petition.

We seek the patience to peer long enough,
in the eyes of our brothers and sisters,
our cousins and niblings, all our relations,
that we too may see them as children,
of loving mothers and fathers,
children of divinity itself.

We seek the wisdom to pause long enough,
before making hasty judgments
that separate us from one another,
that separate us from our very souls.

We seek, the strength to hold the lives
that are placed in our own tender care,
not to protect them from every trial – no arms are that strong –
but to hold them in the light, as long as the light is available.

We seek the still small call to compassion,
that cannot be silenced by greed, fear, or anger,
the call that roots so deeply in our humanity,
that it will out, should we pause long enough to listen.

For all of these we give of ourselves, in prayer or meditation,
not to end with an amen, but so we might find the means
to make our yearnings manifest in our world, by the work of our hands,
and the proclamation of our hearts. May it be so. Amen.

Carol: ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ (Kensington Unitarians)

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace to the earth, goodwill to all,
From heaven’s all-gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long:
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And those who are at war hear not
The love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise, all ye of strife,
And hear the angels sing!

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow:
Look now! For glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo! The days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendours fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Reading: ‘Christmas is Subversive’ by Kendyl R Gibbons (read by Sara Helen)

One of the great things about Christmas is that it is a sturdy holiday.
Christmas doesn’t wimp out when times are hard – it comes anyway,
even if there are hardly any presents,
even when there isn’t much food to make a feast with,
even if you’re sad, even if the world around you is at war,
even if you are living in fear and danger and oppression, Christmas still comes.

And when it comes, Christmas is subversive.
Christmas, with its story of an unwed mother and a doubtful father;
with its legend of a helpless baby, born in a stable,
who was worshipped by some of the wisest, richest men in the world;
with its tale of the child pursued by the deadly wrath of kings,
who escaped as a refugee to a foreign land far from home.

Christmas, with its ancient, enduring summons
of peace on earth, good will to all people, everywhere.
You can’t stop a day like that with a little hardship, or greed, or injustice.
It will show up anyway, shining the light of a midnight star
into the darkest places of our collective lives.

Do not underestimate the power of the manger, and the hope it holds.
The Christmas song of the angels is not as innocent as it sounds.
It has turned the world upside down before now. It still can.

Carol: ‘I Heard the Bells’ (Kensington Unitarians)

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet, The words repeat,
“Goodwill to all, and peace on earth!”

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along The unbroken song,
“Goodwill to all, and peace on earth!”

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, A chant sublime:
“Goodwill to all, and peace on earth!”

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said.
“For hate is strong And mocks the song:
Goodwill to all, and peace on earth!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, and doth not sleep!
The wrong shall fail, The right prevail –
Goodwill to all, and peace on earth!”

Reading: ‘Christmas Eve’ by Kathleen McTigue (read by Jeannene)

All these centuries after the story of the star,
the wise men, the baby born in the stable
and the angels singing him in with their
mysterious alleluias,
we are lost and wandering still.
We stumble at every step
over our own greed or need, our ignorance or fear.

Bethlehem is not a gentle city tonight.
Its people are wise in the ways of the clenched fist, the broken truce.
Marked like them with the scars of ignorance and sorrow
we come to Christmas baffled as any shepherd
by the music that sounds so high above us,
the syntax foreign to our sceptical hearts.

Yet we try to speak the language of hope,
lifting ourselves toward the future with a dream
of what yet may be.

We remember that the heart of Christmas is hope:
hope that a child, born homeless and in danger,
may grow up to be wise and kind;
that the stars, serene in their darkness,
have something to teach;
that there are mysteries around us, among us, singing ethereal harmonies.

New hope in ourselves rises then, too:
that we will learn, one day,
and in the nick of time, how to walk our paths
with truth and justice, how to bring peace to life on this earth,
how to sing for ourselves the angels’ songs
of praise, wonder and joy.

Carol: ‘Deck the Halls (Kensington Unitarians)

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
‘Tis the season to be jolly – Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, fa la la, la la la,
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol; Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing yule before us, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la, fa la la, la la la,
While I tell of yuletide treasure, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together, Fa la la, fa la la, la la la,
Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Announcements:

Just a few abbreviated announcements before we close tonight. Thanks to our readers: Veronica, Alex, Chloe, Sara Helen and Jeannene. Thanks to all the singers who volunteered for our virtual Christmas choir: Maria, Fred, Gaynor, Tati, Shari, Hannah, John, Sonya, Ned, Sarah, Torry, and Veronica, not forgetting Marilisa Valtazanou who also mixed these lovely voices all together.

We’ll keep the zoom room open for a while after the service as usual so you can stay and chat if you’d like. If that’s not your thing do get in touch via email if you’d like to introduce yourself.

We’ll be back here on Zoom at 10.30 on New Year’s Day for our regular Sunday service. As you’ll have gathered we’ve been slightly disrupted by illness and injury of late but all being well we plan to be back in the church and offering our normal hybrid services from Sunday 8th January.

We have a few other online events coming up: there will be a Festive Special of Heart and Soul on Boxing Day, Monday, at 7pm. This is our contemplative spiritual gathering where we spend about an hour and a half in a group of about a dozen exploring a theme and praying together. It’s a great way to get to know others in the congregation so do drop me an email to sign up for it if you like. The regular H&S programme resumes on Friday and Sunday next week. And we also have a one-off mini-retreat on Zoom from 2-5pm on New Year’s Eve – a chance to reflect on the year just gone and look ahead to 2023 – again sign up with me if you’d like to get the Zoom link for that. And we have our first discussion group on the book ‘Why Are We Here?’ coming up on 11th January. Make sure you’ve got the dates for that in your diary if you’re planning to come along.

I think that’s all for now. Details of all the forthcoming events are listed in the Friday email.

Let’s sing together one more time before we close. This has become a Christmas Eve tradition for our congregation and it’s a way to bless each other for the days to come: the Goodnight Hymn.

Carol: ‘Goodnight Hymn’

To you each, my friends, tonight
I give thanks for company;
We have shared the inner light:
May that light go forth with thee.
May we give each other power –
Live with courage every hour.

As we face the coming week,
With its worries and its strife,
Strength and wisdom let us seek
In this hour’s remembered life.
May we give each other power –
Live with courage every hour.

In our homes and in the street,
In a world with sadness rife,
May we show to all we meet
Glory that we find in life.
May we give each other power –
Live with courage every hour.

To you each, my friends, tonight
I give thanks for company;
We have shared the inner light:
May that light go forth with thee.
May we give each other power –
Live with courage every hour.

Benediction: based on words by Maureen Killoran and Colin Bossen

Tonight in this beloved community,
we have shared stories, sung carols,
opened our hearts to the beauty of music.

Tonight we have turned to one another,
lighting candles of hope in the darkness.

Tonight we have dared to hear a message of resistance
spoken once again against the forces of oppression.

It is time now to depart, to go onward,
to our lives and to the world outside.

So let us go in the spirit of love,
Never knowing when or where we may find the divine,
Yet conscious of the spark within each of us,
And the unfolding beauty that surrounds us.

May peace and joy be your companions,
whether you are with others or alone this Christmas.

And may the gift of community dwell in your heart,
for here, in this place, you will be welcome – always.

Merry Christmas everyone. Go well and blessed be. Amen.

Closing Music: ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ (Virtual Choir)

We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year!

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
We wish you a merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
And bring some right here!

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
We wish you a merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

We won’t go until we get some
We won’t go until we get some
We won’t go until we get some
So bring it out here!

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
We wish you a merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year!

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
We wish you a merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall

24th December 2022