Oceanview UMC | Christmas Eve Special Service

Home Worship

for Christmas Eve 2020

The Worship Service on Christmas Eve is always incredibly special. Christmas Eve is a time of scripture readings, a special message, and an array of musical delights and of course, lighting candles and singing “Silent Night, Holy Night”. This year’s services will be no exception.

This year, in addition to socially distant, in-person services, we will also gather virtually from home – or wherever you might be. On the bright side, we know that many friends who have not been able to attend a Christmas Eve Service at church will be able to join us online. And, whether you prefer the early Child-Led service, the late service, or a service right in the middle of the evening, this year you have the option of settling into what we hope will be a comfortable spot to begin the service whenever you like.

We hope everyone will have a candle ready to light – preferably from the Christ Candle in your Advent Wreath. If you don’t have an Advent Wreath, simply use a candle or candles of your choice. Then, you can get comfortable at home on Christmas Eve, and look forward to singing “Silent Night” by candlelight.

Candle Lighting at Home

Christmas Eve candle lighting is an honored tradition at Oceanview, and as with so many other traditions in 2020, it has required a bit of preparation to adapt to our unique circumstances. Now as we end our service, we will sing a special rendition of Silent Night together and light our candles both in the sanctuary and in our homes. It will be memorable, inspiring and hope-filled. As always, please use caution and be mindful of open flames and your surroundings, especially if you have small children nearby.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Before the service, please find a candle for each person in your household (over the age of 10) - any kind will work! Also find an additional, single central candle to be your "Christ Candle". (You will light your Christ Candle first - during the Advent Wreath Lighting at the beginning of the service.)

2. During the Advent Wreath Lighting... when the Christ Candle is lit, please light your home Christ Candle. (It stays lit for the whole service).

3. At the end of the service, when beginning to sing "Silent Night" - have every person in your household light his or her personal candle from the burning Christ candle. (Be careful of hot wax dripping!)

4. When the service is over, carefully extinguish your candles.

Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child

Sing-a-long and Celebrate the Savior's Birth

CCLI Song # 7138169. Sandra McCracken © 2019 Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music, David C Cook)) Paper News Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music, David C Cook)) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 625707.

Advent Wreath Lighting: Anticipate a New Covenant

The Stalter Family

O Come, All Ye Faithful UMH #234

A Christmas Eve Prayer - from Rev. Betty Kniss

Living God, who crowns another year with peace and good will help us to remember the birth of Jesus in the humble animal barn, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world? Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. This is the eve that holds such promise, the eve that will be remembered forever, the eve that changed everything. We remember this moment now and continue to wonder at your amazing plans, at your unfailing love, and at your amazing grace. May the coming Christmas morning make us happy to be your children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our bed with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen

Scripture Hebrews 8:7-13 (NIV)

7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Message: A New Covenant

Pastor Emily Denmark McGee

Advent Anticipation Series

A New Covenant is born to us this day! Jesus is something new that God is doing in the world. Following him means being resilient in the face of a global pandemic. All that we have lost and been through this year leads us to long for something new.

Virtual Choir - Christmas Medley Sing-a-Long

Watch as hundreds of United Methodist from around the world sing and celebrate the birth of Christ our Savior! Merry Christmas from The United Methodist Church!

Offering Prayer

Oceanview Online Giving: Giving is a part of our worship to God. Your generosity helps us minister God’s hope and healing to our community and beyond. Contribute here: Oceanview Give. Thank you for helping show Christ real and relevant to the world.

Offering Prayer: Glorious God, we sing with the angels to celebrate the tremendous gift of your Son Jesus! We rejoice with gladness. You give us wonderful joy and peace in our Savior. May we exult in your goodness with the exhilaration of children opening presents. As we bring our offerings, we ask that our lives would reflect your joy and generosity. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Luke 2)

A Special Silent Night for Candle Lighting
Worldwide United Methodist Virtual Choir

This version of Silent Night is sung in three different languages and is uplifting and inspiring in each one. The ending is incredible! The United Methodist Church Worldwide Christmas Choir sings "Silent Night."

Christmas Eve Blessing

Come to us, Lord Jesus,

Be born in us this night, in our hearts, our minds, our lives.

May the light of your life be kindled in us,

And lead us to the shining truth,

of God with us, God for us, God in us.

Amen

Sing We Now of Christmas UMH #237

Bishop Ken Carter: "A Christmas Message"

Revised Common Lectionary

Further Readings for the Nativity of the Lord, December 24, 2020 from The Revised Common Lectionary, Year B.

1st Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7

Psalm: Psalm 96

2nd Reading: Titus 2:11-14

Gospel: Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/