Gathering Our Spirit with God's Spirit

The eye chart is gone. Now the circular table with five candles, one of which is big, is in the middle of the Living Room. It’s dark; lights will come up as we go; shafts of light shine down on the middle table. Cross is hidden.

• “Silent Night” by Rebecca St. James plays
• A Journeyer steps up to light the lamp and another rings the bell
• Leslie make announcements

Worshiping with Our Children

• A Journeyer leads our children in talking about how baby Jesus is like a light in the darkness; we feel sad or overwhelmed or afraid sometimes, but God’s love is like a star, or a shining light, or something helping us feel safe and loved. Merry Christmas! Hooray!

Welcome and Breathe

• Rick welcomes, has us breathe
• A Journey family reads Advent Candle reading, lighting all four Advent candles and the Christ candle in the middle

Reader 1: Merry Christmas! Tonight we light the candle of the Christ Child.

Isaiah chapter 9 says, “The people walking in darkness have seen a bright, overwhelming light.” It is a great comfort that in what feels like darkness, we see light – even a small glimmer of light. That’s the message of the Bible, the message of God’s Love, the message of Jesus being born to a poor family in a backwater part of the world.

Reader 2: Merry Christmas! Tonight we celebrate that this story isn’t just a nice idea; it’s powerful, it’s a deep affirmation of what we all long for. We are not alone. We live in a world and in a worldview that is filled with beauty and power and presence. God is here. We are here. We are not alone. The light shines. And we see.

Reader 1: Merry Christmas! As we gather tonight, we see God all around. In the story of baby Jesus, in the faces of friends and families around us, in the people we see every day, at work and school and out and about. Help us, God, not only to see, but to realize: this is the joy of this story. The Christ child is born. We have seen a bright, overwhelming light.

Reader 2: Please pray with me. God, thank You for sending Yourself to us. Thank You that we can see You – within us and around us. Thank You. Amen.

God’s Spirit and Our Spirit

• Video of Norway spiral lights plays
• Darden Smith and Renee French lead us in singing "What Child Is This" to the tune of "The House of the Rising Sun"

Giving -- To Help God Do God's Work in This World

• Some lights come up
• A Journeyer reads Isaiah 60:1-2 and then leads an offertory prayer
• Darden/Renee sing as the ushers pass the baskets and then take them to the light

Telling The Story and Our Story

• A Journeyer reads Matthew 5:14-15
• Rick talks

Go Out to Serve with Courage and Grace

• Darden Smith and Renee French lead the community in singing “Silent Night” as everyone lights candles off of each other’s candles, beginning with the Christ candle
• Bob W. dismisses, all say “Merry Christmas” together
• “Jesus, Jesus, O What a Wonderful Child” by Mariah Carey plays as folks depart