CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
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24, 2023 • 7:00 PM
Welcome to Grace! Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Savior of the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service. Check out the GRACE WEBSITE at GraceLutheranSAZ.org WORSHIP NOTES We are very pleased that you have joined us for worship today! We pray that this time will be a blessing for you as God comes to you with his Word and promises and as you offer him your thanks and praise. The order of worship we will follow is printed in this worship folder for you to follow along and participate. LARGE PRINT worship folders are available at the entrances for those who desire them. If you prefer to sing the hymns from a hymnal, you will find the blue Christian Worship (2021) hymnals in each pew, however, you will find all of the hymns printed in this worship folder as well. Please note the special instructions regarding stanzas to be sung by the choir or the vocalist. Our service will also include the lighting of candles. Please note the instructions on page 12. If you would prefer a battery-operated candle for you or your children, please ask an usher. There is no cost to park in our parking lot during worship services. If you receive a citation by mistake, please let our office staff know so it can be cleared.
OUR WORSHIP SERIES—GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY We live in a world with a 24-hour news cycle. Between the countless cable networks or online sources or social media posts, news is flying at us constantly. Most of it seems awful—bad news after more bad news. Our hearts grow heavy. Our minds grow anxious. The world is starving for good news. And that is exactly what we get at Christmas. On that first Christmas Eve, the angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). News is not advice. The angel had not come to give advice about how to cope in a messed-up world. News is simply a report of facts. The angel reported a fact—the birth of One who would make everything right again. This child would remove all our fears and fill our hearts with joy. Our worship will follow this path: Christmas Eve Morning Christmas Eve Candlelight Christmas Day First Sunday after Christmas (Dec. 31) Epiphany of Our Lord (Jan. 7)
God Keeps His Promise A Savior Has Been Born to Us God Became Man Peace on Earth For All People
THEME FOR THIS EVENING—A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN TO US “I bring you good news of great joy...A Savior has been born.” Think of what the angel’s statement means. If you believe you are basically a decent person—not perfect, but good enough—you can still enjoy the carols and appreciate the pretty lights. You can still relish giving presents and gathering with family. But you will not have “great joy” this Christmas. For the angel said that the “good news of great joy” was the fact that “a Savior has been born.” One cannot truly celebrate Christmas unless one believes he needs salvation. Let us then acknowledge that we aren’t good enough people in God’s eyes. Sin lives in our hearts and permeates our lives. We need to be saved—from the guilt of that sin, from the power of the devil, and from eternal death. So, Jesus came to do just that—save us. So great was his love for us, he left the throne of heaven, crawled into a manger, and would not stop until he reached the cross. Oh, come let us adore him!
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+ ORDER OF WORSHIP + PRESERVICE MUSIC
The First Noel O Little Town of Bethlehem Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming O Little Town of Bethlehem Sussex Carol O Come, All Ye Faithful
WELCOME
Please stand
BIDDING PRAYER Dear people of God, on this Christmas Eve, it is our duty and delight to hear again the message of the angels and, in heart and mind, to go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us—the Christ Child lying in a manger. Let us read and learn in Holy Scripture the story of the loving purpose of God from the first days after our fall into sin to the glorious redemption brought to us by this holy child. But first, let us pray for people all over the world who would delight with us to know the good news of Jesus Christ and who would join with us in singing his praises. Let us pray for the people of this city and for all those in our own congregation. And, because this would please our Lord, let us remember in his name the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who are sad, the lonely and the unloved, and the elderly and the little children. We especially remember all those who do not know the Lord Jesus, those who do not love him, and those who by sin have grieved his heart of love. Finally, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us in heaven, who live in greater light than we, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, who died in faith, and who live before the throne of God and praise him each day in his temple. We confess that we are united with them as we are united with one another.
PRAYER OF THE DAY Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true light. Grant that as we have known on earth the wonder of that light, we may also behold him in all his glory in the life to come; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen. 2
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Please be seated
Good News First Shared SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 3:8–15
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They heard the voice of the L God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the L God among the trees of the garden. 9
The L
God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
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The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11
God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12
The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13
The L
God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14
15
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The L
God said to the serpent:
Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.
HYMN—A Glory Fills the Midnight Sky
Christian Worship 357
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, b. 1926 © 2012 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199. Tune: English; adapt. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872–1958. Public domain.
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Good News in an Impossible Sign SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 7:10–14
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The L spoke to Ahaz again. He said, 11 “Ask for a sign from the L for it either in the depths below or in the heights above.” 12
But Ahaz responded, “I will not ask. I will not test the L
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So Isaiah said:
your God. Ask
.”
Listen now, you house of David. Is it not enough for you to test the patience of men? Will you test the patience of my God as well? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give a sign for all of you. Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel.
HYMN—Peace Came to Earth The vocalist will sing stanza 2. Please join in singing the remaining stanzas.
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Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008 © 1984 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199. Tune: arr. Mark Kellner, 1959–2015, alt.; Richard Jeffrey, b. 1952 © 2000 MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199.
Christian Worship 330
Good News from a Little Town SCRIPTURE READING
Micah 5:2–5
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But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.
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Therefore the L will give them up, until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a child. Then the remaining survivors from his brothers will return to the people of Israel.
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He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the L , in the majesty of the name of the L his God. They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.
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This one will be their peace.
HYMN—O Little Town of Bethlehem
Christian Worship 333
The choir will sing stanza 3. Please join in singing the remaining stanzas.
Text: Phillips Brooks, 1835–1893, abr., alt. Tune: Lewis H. Redner, 1831–1908. Text and tune: Public domain.
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Good News: He Is Born SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 2:1–7
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In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. 6
And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
CHOIR ANTHEM—Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, you have got a manger bed. All the evil folk on earth sleep in feathers at their birth. Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, you have got a manger bed. Have you heard about our Jesus, have you heard about his fate? How his mother went to the stable on that Christmas Eve so late? Winds were blowing, cows were lowing, stars were glowing, glowing, glowing. Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, you have got a manger bed. All the evil folk on head sleep in feathers at their birth. Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, you have got a manger bed. To the manger came then Wise Men, bringing gifts from hin and yon, for the mother and the father, and the blessed little son. Milkmaids left their fields and flocks and sat beside the ass and ox. Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, you have got a manger bed. All the evil folk on earth sleep in feathers at their birth. Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, you have got a manger bed. Text: Appalachian folk song. Public domain. Tune: Appalachian folk song, adapted by Ralph C. Schultz © 2023 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199.
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Good News of Great Joy SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 2:8–14
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There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.”
HYMN—Angels We Have Heard on High
Christian Worship 346
Text: tr. The Crown of Jesus, Part 2, 1862, alt.; French. Tune: French. Text and tune: Public domain.
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Good News to Share SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 2:15–20
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When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child. 18 And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
HYMN—Away in the Manger
Text (sts. 1–2): The Myrtle, Boston, 1884; (st. 3): Vineyard Songs, Louisville, 1892, alt. Tune: William J. Kirkpatrick, 1838–1921. Text and tune: Public domain.
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Christian Worship 341
Good News of Eternal Life SCRIPTURE READING
Titus 3:4–7
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But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs in keeping with the hope of eternal life.
HYMN—To Shepherds as They Watched by Night
Christian Worship 335
The vocalist will sing stanza 1. Please join in singing the remainder of the hymn.
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Richard Massie, 1800–1887, alt. Tune: Latin, 15th cent., adapt. Michael Praetorius, 1571–1621. Text and tune: Public domain.
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OFFERING We offer our gifts to our God who has given us more than we could ever ask for and far more than we deserve—the promise of forgiveness and eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior. If you are our guest tonight and do not wish to give an offering, please do not feel compelled to do so. Online giving is also available online by scanning this QR code: Please use this time fill out the Friendship Register located in the red folder at the end of the row and pass it along. Thank you!
OFFERTORY MUSIC—Noel
Vocal Solo
Love incarnate, love divine. Star and angels gave the sign. Bow to Babe on bended knee, the Savior of humanity. Unto us a Child is born. He shall reign forevermore. Noel, noel. Come and see what God has done. Noel, noel. The story of amazing love, the light of the world given for us, noel. Son of God and Son of man, there before the world began. Born to suffer, born to save, born to raise us from the grave. Christ, the everlasting Lord, he shall reign forevermore. Noel, noel. Come and see what God has done. Noel, noel. The story of amazing love, the light of the world given for us, noel. Words and music: Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash © 2015 ThankYou Music, worshiptogether.com Songs, Worship Together Music, sixsteps Music, sixsteps Songs, Said and Done Music, S.D.G. Publishing, Alletrop Music; all admin. By CapitolCMGPublishing.com. Used by permission: CCLI no. 3095236.
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES The pastor takes the light of the Christ candle to the ushers. They pass the light on to the congregation. Please tip only the unlighted candle to prevent wax from dripping. To light the battery-operated candles, gently twist the bulb at the top.
BLESSING May he who by his incarnation gathered things earthly and heavenly into one fill us with such joy that comes with the knowledge of the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. And the blessing of God Almighty—the Father, the (+) Son, and the Holy Spirit—be upon you and remain with you always.
Amen. 11
CLOSING HYMN—Silent Night
Christian Worship 337
Text: tr. John F. Young, 1820–1885; Franz Joseph Mohr, 1792–1848. Tune: Franz Xaver Gruber, 1787–1863. Text and tune: Public domain.
POSTLUDE MUSIC
O Holy Night
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THOSE ASSISTING IN WORSHIP TODAY Minister .......................................................................................................................... Pastor Ron Koehler Accompanist ............................................................................................................................... Kathy Parra Choir Director ........................................................................................................................ Paul Kassulke Choir Accompanist .................................................................................................................... Jim Bakken Vocalists .................................................................................................. Naomi Kassulke, Jay Wiechmann Preservice Music ................................................................................... Leah Wiechmann, Anna Kassulke Clarinet .................................................................................................................................... Beth Kassulke Trumpet................................................................................................................................... Paul Kassulke Saxophone ............................................................................................................................ Jeremy Snavely Greeters ............................................................................................................... Kevin & Kathryn Bonavita Ushers ..................................... Dylan Guenther, Justin Harris, Ferdie Kramm, Stanley Mead, Rick Street Sound and Recording Techs .......................................... Jeremy Snavely, Danny Koehler, Sam Kassulke Acknowledgements: Scripture readings are taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) © 2018 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. wartburgproject.org. Created by Christian Worship: Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House. Software distributed in partnership with Northwestern Publishing House.
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Thank you for joining us for worship this Christmas Eve. We pray that God will continue to strengthen you in your faith through his Word, during this blessed season and beyond. If you are a guest with us today and do not have a church home, we would consider it a special privilege to share God’s Word with you on a regular basis. Please take a Guest Packet at the exit to learn more about our congregation. You can also find us online at GraceLutheranSAZ.org. We invite you to join us for these holiday worship services:
HOLIDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE Christmas Day Services Monday, December 25 10:00 AM at Grace-Tucson 10:00 AM at Grace-Sahuarita
New Year’s Eve Worship All Site Service Sunday, December 31 5:30 PM at Grace-Sahuarita Followed by food and fun!
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One Church. Four Locations. Proclaiming the love of Jesus in Southern Arizona since 1911. Grace-Tucson and Central Office
Grace-Sahuarita
830 N. 1st Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (520)623-6633 office@gracelutheransaz.org
75 W. Sahuarita Rd, Sahuarita, AZ 85629 (520)578-3538
Pastor Ronald G. Koehler III revrgk3@gracelutheransaz.org
Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke revnpk@gracelutheransaz.org
Pastor Timothy L. Patoka (Campus Ministry)
Pastor Ryan A. Heiman
revrah@gracelutheransaz.org
Child Learning Center
(520) 848-4630 receptionist@gracelutheransaz.org www.GraceLutheranSahuaritaCLC.com
Director—Laura Heiman
director@gracelutheransaz.org
revtlp@gracelutheransaz.org
Assistant Director—Jen Rickling
Grace-Benson and Grace-Vail
Child Learning Center Mission Teachers
Benson
451 W. Duane St., Benson, AZ 85602
Vail
jrickling@gracelutheransaz.org
Chris Leathers, 1-Year Olds cleathers@gracelutheransaz.org
Worshipping at Esmond Station Elementary 9400 S. Atterbury Wash Way, Tucson, AZ 85747
Sam Anthon, 2-Year Olds
Pastor Seth A. Scheuerlein
Vicki Smith, 3-Year Olds
revsas@gracelutheransaz.org
vsmith@gracelutheransaz.org
Office at Civano
Theresa Pratt, Preschool
10501 E. Seven Generations Way, Tucson, AZ 85747 (520)848-4631
Prayer Group—Laura Hodgson prayergroup@gracelutheransaz.org
santhon@gracelutheransaz.org
tpratt@gracelutheransaz.org
Katie Patoka, After School Care kpatoka@gracelutheransaz.org
Bible-Based Counselor—Cinda Drescher
Worship Coordinator—Beth Kassulke
cinda@gracelutheransaz.org (520)581-4714
music@gracelutheransaz.org
Administrative Assistant—Debbie Koehler
Office Assistant—Cora Stuhr
assistant@gracelutheransaz.org
office@gracelutheransaz.org
www.wels.net
Grace Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), a group of nearly 400,000 men, women, and children in nearly 1,300 congregations across the United States and Canada united by a common faith in Christ's saving love. We are committed to a common calling—encouraging each other in our faith and sharing God's gift of a Savior with the rest of the world.