Special Service, 24 December 2024
Led by Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall
Musical Prelude: ‘Christmas Time is Here’ – Vince Guaraldi (performed by Andrew Robinson and Abby Lorimier)
Opening Words: ‘We Have an Old Story to Tell’ by Gretchen Haley (adapted)
Calling all who cannot wait any longer for joy,
for hope and some good news (even a little).
The time has come, the waiting is over.
Here in this time we have an old story to tell:
one that has been shared over and over for thousands of years,
But still somehow it remains unheard; still radical and risky;
Breaking through into these days of darkness and cold, division and fear;
Interrupting the perpetual stories of violence and loss and the feelings of powerlessness.
Into the errands and errors of our everyday,
Christmas arrives not only to comfort but to awaken;
to reassure and also to stir us up as a new life,
a life of peace, and justice, and courageous love struggles to be born;
Wondering if we will yet be the ones who make room in our lives and in our world
for the refugee, the poor, the plain and messy sweetness of a newborn baby;
If we will take the journey to Bethlehem;
If we will be changed by the presence of a love
that meets us where we are, in the fields, wherever we lay
And calls us forth into a new journey: a braver and bolder life;
Believing that it is not too late for strong and gentle people to win
For compassion and truth to have the final say
For the bright light of hope to shine through
Even when life seems bleak and we fear all is lost.
Come - let us celebrate the good news of Christmas - and let us worship together.
Words of Welcome and Introduction:
These opening words from Gretchen Haley welcome all who have gathered for our special Candlelit Christmas Eve service. Welcome to those who have gathered in-person at Essex Church and also to all who are joining us via Zoom from far and wide. For anyone who doesn’t know me, my name is Jane Blackall and I’m Minister with Kensington Unitarians. I’m glad you could join us tonight.
This is our traditional service of readings and carols – traditional for us, at least – reflecting on the Christmas story in our own Unitarian way – listening out for resonances with the rather troubled world we are living in today – making space for all the many messages of Christmas to come alive.
Perhaps the spirit of the season can bring us what we most need as we gather together tonight – a sense of comfort and familiarity – or connection and warmth – or maybe it will instil a sense of hopefulness and courage to help us cope with whatever challenges we find ourselves facing in life.
Lighting of Chalice and Advent Candle: ‘The Divine Light’ by Simon John Barlow
Let’s light our chalice flame now, as we do each time we gather. This simple ritual
connects us in solidarity with Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists the world over,
and reminds us of the proud and historic progressive religious tradition of which we are a part.
(light chalice)
This Christmas we light our chalice
in celebration of the Divine Light;
the light waiting to be reborn
in every atom of our bodies,
in every thought in our minds,
in the very essence of every soul –
the light of God waiting for humanity to reach out to it
so that hope and peace and joy and love may reign. (pause)
Let us light the candles on our Advent wreath too – for hope, joy, peace, and love – and tonight we light a central candle, sometimes known as the Christ candle, as the advent journey draws to a close.
(light advent candles)
Carol: ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’
It’s time for our first carol now – after this first one all the carols and readings are going to be unannounced – if you’re in the building you can simply follow along in the little booklet – and if you’re at home the words will pop up on screen (alternatively you can follow the running order on the website). I suggest we remain seated. Our first carol is ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and with your captive children dwell.
Give comfort to all exiles here,
and to the aching heart bid cheer.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come within as Love to dwell.
O come, you Splendour very bright,
as joy that never yields to might.
O come, and turn all hearts to peace,
that greed and war at last shall cease.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come within as Truth to dwell.
O come, you Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by your presence here.
And dawn in every broken soul
as vision that can see the whole.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come within as Light to dwell.
O come, you Wisdom from on high,
from depths that hide within a sigh,
To temper knowledge with our care,
to render every act a prayer.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come within as Hope to dwell.
Reading: ‘We Are Seeking Christmas’ by Tom Schade (read by Brian)
O God, who moves among the stars of the cold clear sky,
whose voice whispers in the silence of falling snow,
whose silence stills our hearts and leaves us wondering and waiting.
Lord, we are seeking Christmas,
searching in this season for a hidden door
to a forgotten room in the house of our very being,
where we can live the lives we meant to live.
We are searching for Christmas,
seeking in this season to be finally persuaded
that hope is not just a good idea, and that love is not naïve,
and that faith is not just the brave face we put on a hopeless situation.
Lord, the fear of all the world is that you have left us alone here,
and that this here-and-now world is all there is or could ever be.
And the hope of our age is that You have, indeed, met us where we are,
at an inn at the end of the world, that we might have assurance;
you have lifted a lantern to light our path,
so we may follow your footsteps through the snow.
Grant us a measure of your Christmas peace;
fill us, each, with hope and good cheer;
and grant that each one be surrounded by those who love them,
and that there, in the joyous tumult of this season, we pray that You speak
a word of encouragement and grace to every human heart.
Reading: ‘Light Began to Shine’ by Daniel S. Schatz (adapted) (read by Juliet)
They say that in an age of fear,
when evil kings ruled
and the people fought among themselves,
light began to shine.
They tell us of a bitter cold night,
when out on the hills,
songs of peace warmed the winter air.
The path was long and the way unclear, they say,
but the wise followed a light of hope.
There was no room
for the family in need of shelter,
but the young father and mother found warmth
among animals,
so that when the child was born,
it was hope from hardship,
light from dark.
It was the possibility of ages
come to earth.
It has always been this way,
whenever a child enters the world.
There is hope.
There is love.
There is wonder.
A new blessing has come to the earth,
in each one that’s born,
and the people rejoice.
Carol: ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlefolk’
God rest ye merry, gentlefolk, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from tyranny when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our heavenly Father, a blessèd angel came;
And unto certain shepherds, brought tidings of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born, the Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy.
The shepherds at those tidings, rejoicèd much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding in tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway, this blessèd child to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy.
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 others doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy.
Prayer for Light in the Darkness by Claire Wilton
I invite you now to join in a time of prayer. I encourage you to do whatever you need to do to get into the right state of body and mind for us to pray together now – perhaps there is a posture that helps you to feel more prayerful – whatever would help you to be fully present with ourselves, with each other, and with that which is both within us and beyond us.
Spirit of Life, God of All Love, in whom we live and move and have our being,
Be with us now as we allow ourselves to drop into the
silence and stillness at the very centre of our being. (pause)
At this time of darkness we remember those who are burdened.
Those who thoughts and feelings weigh heavily;
and our own friends and family members who we know
will have a tough time this season.
Let there be light in the darkness.
We remember those who feel alone while all around them have company.
We also think of those who find it hard to be surrounded
by the noise, colour and commotion of Christmas.
Let there be light in the darkness.
We think of those who do not have a warm place to spend the cold days;
who scuttle around the city looking not for Christmas gifts, but for somewhere to sleep.
Let there be light in the darkness.
We remember those who are no longer with us.
The people we will miss at the most unexpected moments.
The friends who we wish could still be here. Let us smile as we remember them.
Let there be light in the darkness.
There are those of us who do not celebrate the birth of a Christian king;
we may have other faiths; we may have no faith;
we may have strong beliefs of our own, but find ourselves wondering
what all this fuss has to do with the idea of God.
So for all of us, whatever our beliefs...
Let there be light in the darkness. (pause)
And in a few moments of shared silence and stillness,
may we speak inwardly some of those deepest prayers of our hearts —
the joys and sorrows we came in carrying – in our own lives and the lives of the wider world.
Let us each lift up whatever is on our heart this night, and ask for what we most need. (pause)
Spirit of Life – God of all Love – as this time of prayer draws to a close, we offer up
our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears, our beauty and brokenness,
and we call on you for insight, healing, and renewal.
As we look forward now to the turning of the year,
help us to live well each day and be our best selves;
using our unique gifts in the service of love, justice and peace. Amen.
Carol: ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear’
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 blessed 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 splendour fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
ONLINE Reading: ‘When the World was Dark’ by the Iona Community (read by Alex)
When the world was dark
and the city was quiet,
you came.
You crept in beside us.
And no one knew.
Only the few
who dared to believe
that God might do something different.
Will you do the same this Christmas, Lord?
Will you come into the darkness of our world, tonight;
not the friendly darkness
as when sleep rescues us from tiredness,
but the fearful darkness,
in which people have stopped believing
that war will end
or that food will come
or that a government will change
or that the Church cares?
Will you come into that darkness
and do something different
to save your people from death and despair?
Will you come into the quietness of this city,
not the friendly quietness
as when lovers hold hands,
but the fearful silence when
the phone has not rung,
the letter has not come,
the friendly voice no longer speaks,
the doctor's face says it all?
Will you come into that darkness,
and do something different,
not to distract, but to embrace your people?
And will you come into the dark corners
and the quiet places of our lives?
We ask this not because we are guilt-ridden
or want to be,
but because the fullness of our lives long for
depends on us being as open and vulnerable to you
as you were to us
when you came,
wearing no more than diapers,
and trusting human hands
to hold their maker.
Will you come into our lives,
if we open them to you
and do something different?
When the world was dark
and the city was quiet
you came.
You crept in beside us.
Do the same this Christmas, Lord.
Do the same this Christmas.
ONLINE Reading: ‘Christmas Eve’ by Kathleen McTigue (read by Sara Helen)
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.
Musical Interlude: ‘Gesu Bambino’ - Pietro A Yon (performed by Benjie del Rosario, Abby Lorimier, Andrew Robinson)
Reading: ‘The Same Stars Shine’ by Cliff Reed (read by David B)
The same stars shine on us
as shone on Bethlehem
when Jesus was born.
They shone on the same world
with light that even then was
ancient beyond comprehension.
It was a world of misery and unrest,
beset by war and pestilence,
oppression and bitterness,
cruelty, grief, and pain.
It was a world not so very unlike
our own as we might think.
But there was hope,
shining like the stars,
Shining in a child, in his mother’s love.
Shining in his father’s tenderness.
Shining in the wonder of shepherds,
the awe of travelling sages.
And there is hope now, shining in human love,
shining in human courage and compassion,
in the human mind turned to good and noble ends,
shining with the Spirit that filled Jesus.
Beneath the same stars that shone on Jesus,
on all great souls, all souls who strive and
struggle on this good earth, we pray to be
worthy of the promise implicit in our birth.
Carol: ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’
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!
Responsive Reading: ‘We Are the Light of the World’ by Becky Edmiston (read by Patricia)
I invite you now to join in with this responsive reading by Becky Edmiston – this has been a Christmas Eve tradition for many years now at Essex Church – if you wish, please join in with speaking the simple refrain: ‘We Are the Light of the World’.
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.
Lighting of Candles with words by Lisa Rubin
We are about to move into a time of candle-lighting, shared stillness, and meditative singing.
Let us be still in the darkness of our sacred space,
And listen to the quiet around us.
For even in the quiet, there is the gentle being with others.
Let us feel the warmth of our community,
Knowing 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, a diminutive light -
Yet the wondrous gift to kindle another’s glow.
Let us be in awe at this moment as we each take up the flame
And the light envelopes this room,
As hope for peace and goodwill fill this night.
Let us pass the light from one to another – as the light spreads around the room – and across the screen as you hold up candles at home. When our candles are all lit, we will join in singing Silent Night, and then I’ll dim the lights for us to hold a few minutes of candlelit silence together. And an instrumental version of the hymn from Abby and Andrew will bring us out of the silence.
Carol: ‘Silent Night’
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.
Period of Silence and Stillness in Candle Light (~2 minutes)
Musical Interlude: ‘Silent Night’ (reprise) (played by Abby Lorimier and Andrew Robinson)
Reading: ‘Christmas is Subversive’ by Kendyl R Gibbons (read by Liz)
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.
Reading: ‘Christmas Eve Meditation’ by Gary Kowalski (read by John)
Once more the year's turned round.
We've come full circle on this small planet,
Spinning down the grooves of change,
Another revolution completed around the sun.
Another year older ...
Another set of rings on the tree ...
As seasons parade in endless procession
The people's troubles and prayers remain the same:
The worries don't change.
Generation after generation making the same mistakes,
So many thousands of circuits in a world filled with war and woe,
Full of sound and fury,
Bleared, smeared with toil,
The ebb and flow never-ending,
The grating sound of pebbles which the waves draw back
And fling at their return up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin
With tremulous cadence slow,
But bringing us always back to Christmas
Back to a place we've always known
Where we've never been before,
Back to a time that stands outside of time:
Not part of the regular orbit, but the axis of the year,
A still point, a fixity, the centre post and ridge pole
Around which all the rest revolves.
Christmas: Telling us that history isn't just chasing its tail,
Not merely repeating the same old tired story, over and over
Of dog-eat-dog, might-makes-right, every-man-for-himself, blow-for-blow,
Not a tale told by an idiot,
But assuring us that history has a direction and time has a purpose,
That lines are real, as well as circles
That the human saga has a goal
Still to be realized
Yet mysteriously present, already here among us,
That the Holy is enacting a new story on the earth.
Christmas is not a creed we have to believe in,
It's not a feeling that comes and goes.
Christmas isn't something that happened long ago,
Or didn't happen, as the case may be.
Christmas isn't a story we tell
So much as a drama in which all of us have become participants
Whether we feel like it or not,
Whether we believe in it or not,
Whether we like it or not.
Christmas is a reality, here-and-now
Just as love is a reality
And compassion a possibility hidden inside every interaction
Of how we choose to be with one another.
For whether we feel like or not, we are all brothers,
And whether or not we believe it, we are sisters, born of a single womb.
Whether we like it or not
We are all one tribe and share one fate.
Separateness is the illusion,
While interdependence is the plainest fact.
We know it in our heads
And when we know it in our hearts,
Then the centre will be everywhere
And the circumference will have no boundaries
And the sun will rise on a new and different kind of dawn.
Carol: ‘I Heard the Bells’
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!"
Carol: ‘Joy to the World’
Joy to the world, for peace shall come:
Let this be our refrain!
In every heart, in every land,
Let peace and freedom reign!
Let peace and freedom reign!
Let peace and love and freedom reign!
Joy to the earth where truth is all,
And justice our domain!
In every mind, in every word,
Let peace and freedom reign!
Let peace and freedom reign!
Let peace and love and freedom reign!
Joy to our hearts, good-will to all!
The earth, the world shall ring
With deeds of love, with songs of praise:
Let peace and freedom reign!
Let peace and freedom reign!
Let peace and love and freedom reign!
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.
Announcements:
Thanks to Ramona for tech-hosting. Thanks to Shari for welcoming everyone online. Thanks to all our readers – Brian, Juliet, Alex, Sara Helen, David, Patricia, Liz, and John. Thanks to Andrew, Abby, and Benjie for our music today. Thanks to Patricia for greeting, Liz for making the tea, and David for doing the mince pies and mulled wine – do stay on for a bit for a chat after if you can – we’ve also got loads of cake left over from the tea dance and I don’t want that to go to waste so even if you’re dashing off do take a doggy bag as a Christmas treat from us! – and we’ll also leave the Zoom room open for a bit if you want to stay on and chat with Shari on there too.
We have got a few other things going on over the festive season: there’ll be a Heart and Soul Christmas special, online, on Friday at 7pm. Get in touch if you want to join us for that. And we’ve also got a New Year’s Mini-Retreat coming up – you can come in-person on the 29th or online on New Year’s Day – again please let me know if you’re planning to be at any of these events to help me plan and prepare resources. And of course we’ll be back at 11am on Sunday for a service on ‘Making Changes’ (with one eye on any new year’s resolutions we might be thinking about).
Details of all our various activities are printed on the back of the order of service, for you to take away, and also in the Friday email. Please do sign up for the mailing list if you haven’t already. And if you haven’t already had a copy please do pick up a copy of our fancy new newsletter in the foyer for more information about all the other events and activities we offer here at Essex Church all year round. The congregation very much has a life beyond Sunday mornings; we encourage you to keep in touch, look out for each other, and do what you can to nurture supportive connections.
I think that’s everything. Just time for our closing words and closing music now.
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 on your own 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: ‘Linus and Lucy’ – Vince Guaraldi (performed by Andrew Robinson, Benjie del Rosario, Abby Lorimier)
Rev. Dr. Jane Blackall and Congregation Members
24th December 2024