2012 Christmas Day Eucharist

Good morning, and a very Happy Christmas to all of you. We here at

St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol are delighted but you can all share

were thus in our family worship on this Christmas Day morning. A very

important part of our worship is our Nativity play by our children,

and that's where we are going to God sent an angel called Gabriel to

a young woman who lived in the town of NASA red. She was called Mary

and was engaged to marry a man called Gelson. The Angel Gabriel

said to Mary, peace be with you, carp has blessed you. Mary was very

surprised by this and wondered what the message meant. So the angel

said, don't be afraid, God has been very good to you. You will give

birth to a baby boy and call him Jesus. His kingdom will never end.

Mary was afraid, but she trusted Court and replied to the Angel,

made it happen as Court has chosen. A few months went by. Mary and

Joseph lived in a land that was part of the Roman Empire and had to

return to their home town to be registered. Mary, Joseph and a

donkey travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, walking slowly because

Mary's baby was about to be born. When they finally reached Bethlehem

there was nowhere to stay. At every house was full and the only space

they could find to rest was in a stable. With animals around them.

And it was there that Mary gave birth to her baby boy, as Gabriel

had said. She called him Jesus. Now when the hills outside Bethlehem,

shepherds were looking after their sheep through the night. Suddenly

an angel appeared to them and the glory of God shone all around them.

Like Mary, the shepherds were terrified that the angel said,

don't be afraid, I have great news for you and everyone. Today in

Bethlehem the saviour has been born. You will find the baby lying in a

manger. And all the angels praised God and sang, glory to God in the

highest and peace to all upon the earth. The shepherds them said to

one another, let's go to Bethlehem and see the baby for ourselves. So

they went to Mary and Joseph and found baby Jesus lying in a manger,

just as they had heard. They told everyone what had happened and

returned to their flocks, praising God and giving thanks for the birth

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of Jesus. The son of Court. -- cort and the Lord Jesus Christ

Hear the words of the angel for he will save his people

through Jesus the Saviour of the world.

Lord of grace and truth, we confess our unworthiness

to stand in your presence as your children.

We have sinned.

Forgive and heal us.

The Virgin Mary accepted your call to be the mother of Jesus.

Forgive our disobedience to your will.

We have sinned.

Forgive and heal us.

Your Son our Saviour was born in poverty in a stable.

Forgive our greed and rejection of your ways.

We have sinned.

Forgive and heal us.

The shepherds left their flocks to go to Bethlehem.

Forgive our self-interest and lack of vision.

We have sinned.

Forgive and heal us.

The wise men followed the star to find Jesus the King.

Forgive our reluctance to seek you.

We have sinned.

Forgive and heal us.

May God who loved the world so much

that he sent his Son to be our Saviour

forgive you your sins

and make you holy to serve him in the world,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

# Glory be to God on high And in earth peace

# Good will toward men

# We praise thee We praise thee

# We worship thee We glorify thee

# We give thanks to thee For thy great glory

# O Lord God, heavenly King

# God the Father Almighty

# O Lord, the only begotten Son Jesus Christ

# O Lord God, Lamb of God Son of the Father

# Thou that takest away the sins of the world

# Have mercy upon us

# Thou that takest away the sins of the world

# Have mercy upon us

# Thou that takest away the sins of the world

# Receive our prayer

# Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father

# Have mercy upon us

# For thou only art holy

# Thou only art the Lord

# Thou only, O Christ

# With the Holy Ghost

# Art the Most High

# In the glory of God the Father

# Amen. #

# Amen. #

Lord Jesus Christ, your birth at Bethlehem

draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth.

Accept our heartfelt praise as we worship you,

our Saviour and our eternal God.

Amen.

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger

who announces peace, who brings good news,

who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,

together they sing for joy,

for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

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Long ago God spoke to our ancestors

in many and various ways by the prophets,

but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,

whom he appointed heir of all things,

through whom he also created the worlds.

He is the reflection of God's glory

and the exact imprint of God's very being,

and he sustains all things by his powerful word.

When he had made purification for sins,

he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited

is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

"You are my Son. Today I have begotten you"?

Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world,

he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

Of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds,

"and his servants flames of fire."

But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

"and the righteous sceptre is the sceptre of your kingdom.

"You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness,

"therefore God, your God,

"has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."

And, "In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,

"and the heavens are the work of your hands,

"they will perish, but you remain,

"they will all wear out like clothing,

"like a cloak you will roll them up,

"and like clothing they will be changed.

"But you are the same, and your years will never end."

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

ALL: Alleluia.

ALL: # Alleluia.

# The word became flesh and dwelt among us

# And we have seen his glory. #

ALL: # Alleluia.

ALL: # Alleluia.

ALL: # Alleluia.

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

ALL: Glory to you, O Lord.

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus

that all the world should be registered.

This was the first registration

and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

All went to their own towns to be registered.

Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,

to the city of David called Bethlehem,

because he was descended from the house and family of David.

He went to be registered with Mary,

to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son

and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger,

because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid,

"for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy

"for all the people -

"to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,

"who is the Messiah, the Lord.

"This will be a sign for you.

"You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth

"and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

"and on earth peace among those whom he favours!"

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,

the shepherds said to one another,

"Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place,

"which the Lord has made known to us."

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,

and the child lying in the manger.

When they saw this, they made known

what had been told them about this child,

and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God

for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

This is the gospel of the Lord.

ALL: # Praise to you, O Christ. #

ORGAN FANFARE

lest all my speaking and our hearing be naught but vanity.

Last Christmas, I was standing in my local shop.

The lady in front of me was having a chat with the cashier.

She asked her,

"What are you getting your husband for Christmas this year?"

The lady replied, "The same as last year."

The cashier pulled a little face and went, "Oh."

"No," the lady said.

"I mean the same as he has had for the last ten years."

The cashier pulled even more of a face and exclaimed, "Oh!"

"You're not understanding," she said.

"I give him exactly the same thing every year.

"I don't buy him anything new.

"He has had the same new pair of slippers and a scarf

"every year for ten years.

"We get up, we go to see the family,

"we come home and have Christmas dinner,

"he has a few too many drinks, I give him his presents,

"he opens them and tells me how lovely they are.

"He then puts them down by the side of his chair and goes to sleep.

"I pick them up and put them in the cupboard until next year."

We all laughed in the shopping queue.

It's such a great story, and we can all imagine it.

And yet, here we stand in St Mary Redcliffe,

as people have been standing here before us

every Christmas Day for at least 800 years and I wonder,

are we so intoxicated by the worldly Christmas

that we do not notice that, year after year,

we get the same pair of slippers, same old scarf,

the same old emperor's new clothes.

We dare not truly look at what we are being offered.

We quickly put it down, with a sense of gratitude

but also a sense of fear,

lest we truly perceive that the father of lies

has again pulled his old magician's trick.

So, my brothers and sisters,

dare we just this one time truly ask ourselves,

"What is the gift I have been given?"

And it's not easy for us,

because we have become almost totally enraptured

by what other people tell us Christmas should be.

The adverts on the telly, the jingles in the shops,

the aching memory of how precious this all once was

All these things and many others conspire to try and convince us

that though we are naked,

we are in fact dressed in the emperor's finest suit.

So where could we turn to get a clue?

Where might we truly find this gift?

Must we go on some great journey, follow some cold, shining star?

I think we may find a clue in a slightly more prosaic place.

Somewhere in our homes,

somewhere nearby is a picture on the front of the card

we will find replicating

the Nativity we saw at the beginning of our service.

A picture of a mother and child, a father,

some shepherds and, somewhat stretching the biblical timeline,

there will be three Kings...

and a donkey.

There are many truths I could suggest

about this ubiquitous picture

that is in virtually every home in the land.

But for today, two simple ones.

Firstly, no-one is alone in the picture.

If we are truly seeking the great gift of Christmas,

it cannot be found alone.

At this time, when so many of us make so much of an effort

to be with family, how many are excluded?

Is there someone in my life, or your life,

who because of my wrongs, or possibly theirs,

I am not making any effort with this Christmas?

When I go home from here to my little family,

if I were truly seeking a Christmas gift,

I would be looking beyond that which I have comfortably created,

looking to the outcast, the one who needs my love

but, in truth, I'm too busy and too scared to give it.

And it may be that some of us, we will go home and be alone,

too scared, to prideful to reach out.

For the prodigal mother

to reach out her hand to her long-lost daughter,

for love to be reunited.

Just as the scent of a real Christmas tree

reminds us all of our childhood Christmases,

so these simple reconciliations fill our hearts with heaven.

And lastly, as we look upon the Nativity picture,

we must not be too busy or too distracted

to know that the little child looking out at me and at you

is Almighty God, who, if we could but find the courage to gaze back,

would doubtless completely know us

and in knowing still love us, redeem us and treasure us for ever.

May you this Christmas Day find the true gift of Christmas

by forsaking your pride and reaching out in love

to the little, the lost, the last and the least.

And in so doing, may you reflect the great truth of the crib

that God forsook his Majesty and reached out, in love, to you.

Trust me when I tell you in 800 years' time,

everything you treasure will be dust,

except the love you give and receive.

This, in God, is eternal.

ALL: Amen

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Let us pray to our Saviour, whose birth we celebrate this day.

Christ, born in a stable, give courage to all who are homeless.

Jesus, Saviour,

hear our prayer.

Christ, for whom the angels sang,

give the song of the kingdom to all who weep.

We pray for all who are ill,

Jesus, Saviour,

hear our prayer.

Christ, worshipped by the shepherds,

give peace on earth to all who are oppressed.

Jesus, Saviour,

hear our prayer.

Christ, before whom the wise men knelt,

give humility and wisdom to all who govern.

Jesus, Saviour,

hear our prayer.

Christ, whose radiance filled a lowly manger,

give the glory of your resurrection to all who rest in you.

Jesus, Saviour,

hear our prayer.

Jesus, Saviour, child of Mary, you know us and love us,

you share our lives and hear our prayer. Glory to you for ever.

Amen.

Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to all in whom he delights.

The peace of the Lord be always with you and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

ALL OFFER EACH OTHER SIGN OF PEACE

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God of life, saviour of the poor,

receive with this money gratitude for your goodness,

penitence for our pride

and dedication to your service in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Word made flesh, life of the world,

in your incarnation you embraced our poverty,

by your Spirit may we share in your riches.

Amen.

The Lord be with you and also with you.

# Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

# Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

# It is right to give thanks and praise.

All glory and honour be yours always and everywhere,

mighty Creator, ever-living God.

We give you thanks and praise for your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ,

who for love of our fallen race humbled himself,

and was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of your Spirit,

and lived as one of us.

In this mystery of the Word made flesh,

you have caused his light to shine in our hearts,

to give knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

In him we see our God made visible

and so are caught up in the love of the God we cannot see.

Therefore, with all the angels of heaven, we lift our voices

to proclaim the glory of your name

and sing our joyful hymn of praise.

# Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts

# Lord God of hosts

# Heaven and earth are full of thy glory

# Glory be to thee O Lord most high

# Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord

# Hosanna in the highest. #

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness,

grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit,

and according to your holy will,

these gifts of bread and wine may be to us

the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who, in the same night that he was betrayed,

took bread and gave you thanks, he broke it

and gave it to his disciples,

saying: "Take, eat - this is my body which is given for you,

"do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks,

he gave it to them, saying, "Drink this, all of you.

"This is my blood of the new covenant,

"which is shed for you and for many

"for the forgiveness of sins.

"Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Great is the mystery of faith.

Christ has died. Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross,

his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world,

rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension,

and looking for his coming in glory,

we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.

As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,

we bring before you this bread and this cup

and we thank you for counting us worthy

to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom

all who share this one bread and one cup,

so that we, in the company of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

St Joseph, shepherds, Magi and all the saints,

may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father,

for ever and ever. Amen.

BELL IS RUNG

Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,

let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.

We break the bread of life

and that life is the light of the world.

God here among us, light in the midst of us,

bring us to light and life.

# O Lamb of God

# That takest away the sins of the world

# Have mercy upon us

# O Lamb of God

# That takest away the sins of the world

# Have mercy upon us

# O Lamb of God

# That takest away the sins of the world

# Grant us thy peace. #

Christ is the bread which has come down from heaven.

Lord give us this bread for ever.

Most merciful Lord, your love compels us to come in.

Our hands were unclean, our hearts were unprepared,

we were not fit even to eat the crumbs from under your table.

But you, Lord, are the God of our salvation,

and share your bread with sinners.

So cleanse and feed us with the precious body and blood of your Son,

that he may live in us and we in him,

and that we, with the whole company of Christ,

may sit and eat in your kingdom.

Amen.

# Come all you faithful Christians that dwell here on earth

# Come celebrate the morning of our dear Saviour's birth

# This is the happy morning This is the blessed morn

# To save our souls from ruin The Son of God was born

# Behold, the angel Gabriel in scripture it is said

# Did with his holy message come to the virgin maid

# Hail blest among all women He thus did greet her then

# Lo thou shalt be the mother of the Saviour of all men

# Her time being accomplished She came to Bethlehem

# And then was safe delivered of the Saviour of all men

# No princely pomp attended him His honours were but small

# A manger was his cradle His bed an ox's stall

# Now to him that is ascended let all our praises be

# May we his steps then follow and he our pattern be

# So when our lives are ended We all may hear him call

# Come souls, receive the kingdom Prepared for you all. #

# So when our lives are ended We all may hear him call

# Come souls, receive the kingdom Prepared for you all. #

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God our Father, whose Word has come among us

in the Holy Child of Bethlehem,

may the light of faith illumine our hearts

and shine in our words and deeds,

through him who is Christ the Lord.

Amen.

Father of all, we give you thanks and praise,

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things earthly and heavenly, fill you with peace and goodwill

and make you partakers of the divine nature,

and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,

in the name of Christ.