Video Archive Celetic Christmas Eve Service of Carols - December 24 - 9:30pm San Francisco, CA - Grace Lutheran

Celtic Christmas Eve

Service of Carols

 December 24, 2014

9:30pm Holy Communion Service

Grace Evangelical Lutheran

Today’s Worship Participants: 

Pastor: Rev. Megan Rohrer

Music: Kristoph and Margaret Klover

Welcome to worship at Grace!

Welcome to long-time Lutherans, Christians from every tradition, and people new to faith. Welcome to all who have no church home, want to follow Christ, have doubts, or do not believe. Welcome to new visitors and old friends. Welcome to people of every age and size, color and culture, every sexual orientation and gender identity, socio-economic status, marital status, ability and challenge. Welcome to believers and questioners, and to questioning believers. This is a place where you are welcome to celebrate and sorrow, rejoice and recover.  This is a place where lives are made new.

Special Welcome to Newcomers

Welcome to our small community of faith.  While we are small in numbers, we have big hearts and a desire to grow.  In order to help you follow along, we have included all the materials you need for worship in this bulletin.

Please join us for worship any Sunday at 10am that you are able.  If you cannot join us in person, you can also join us online via live stream or by watching the archives of our worship and Bible Study that Doesn’t Suck anytime during the week at our website (www.gracesf.com), or on our mobile phone app, Bible Study that Doesn’t Suck, is available on Google Play and ITunes. 

If you have any questions about the service or about Grace, you can fill out the form in pew to let our pastor know you’d like to chat.  Or you can contact Pastor Megan Rohrer at pastor@gracesf.com.

Prelude: Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

Greeting:   Candles are lit and water is poured into the baptismal font. 

The Grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.                                      C   And also with you.

Opening Hymn: Silent Night

1.  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

2. Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born

3.  Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Welcome

Prayer of the Day:

God of love, thank you for choosing to be vulnerable and seeking us out even when we have forgotten you.  Help us to be filled with joy, peace and love as we look for you to be born into the world again.  Amen.

 

First Reading: Luke2:1-20

2In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴Joseph 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. ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And 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.

Second Hymn: Away in the Manger

 

1.  Away in a manger
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

2.  The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Till morning is nigh.

3.  Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

Second Reading:  Luke 2:8-20

⁸In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” ¹⁵When 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.” ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Sermon: Silence for reflection follows the sermon.  The assembly stands to proclaim the word of God in song.

Hymn of the Day: Hark the Harold Angels Sing

1.     Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconcile.
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 newborn King.

2.  Christ by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail, the incarnate deity,
Pleased as Man with Man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

3.  Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Son of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

 

Prayers & Peace

The presiding minister will lead a prayer and invite the assembly greet each other in the peace of Christ.            P   The peace of Christ be with you always.                C   And also with you.

The people may greet one another with the sign of Christ’s peace, and may say, “Peace be with you” or similar words.    Then, the assembly is seated.

Offering: An offering is gathered for the mission of the church, including the care of those in need. 

Offertory Song:  The Holy and the Ivy

Offering Prayer: After the offering is gathered, the assembly stands.

A    Let us pray.   God, bless all that we have to offer.  May our financial support match the generosity of our lives.  Help us to be good stewards of our financial and emotional investments.  Amen.

Communion:

P  It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise . . . we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

     Holy, holy, holy, God of power and might.   Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is everyone who comes in the name of God.  Hosanna in the highest.

The pastor will add words as appropriate for the occasion.

The words below are included for those who are would like to follow along

with the parts of the rite that are often shared in churches throughout the world.

P   On the night in which he was betrayed, our God most high Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Lords 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. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen

Blessing

Closing Hymn: Joy to the World

1.  Joy to the World the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

2.  Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

3.  He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,

      And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

 

Dismissal

A:  Go in peace and serve our God.        C: Thanks be to God.

 Postlude: The Carol of the Birds by John Jacob Niles

 Reception

Following the service you are invited to join us in the back of the church for bubbly drinks and chocolate covered strawberries.  Please consider joining us Sundays at 10:30am, in person or online.  You can find more information and find archived sermons and worship live streams at our website: www.gracesf.com  or on our blog: www.sfgrace.blogspot.com

A Year of Numbers: Grace Lutheran is Growing

Typically, a church reviews its year in the love felt, community built and sacraments shared.  But since has previously been described as a "dying" congregation, we also want to highlight the very real growth, progress and impact on the community that has occurred in the last year:

·        202,000 - number of pounds of groceries given away in 2014 by our mission project Welcome in partnership with St. Francis Lutheran Church, the San Francisco Food Bank and Food Runners.

·        $26,606 - The amount of money the congregation raised through fundraisers for the Grace Infant Care Center, The San Francisco Night Ministry, ELCA World Hunger, Women of the ELCA, Homeless Prenatal, Welcome, SF CARES and other projects close to our heart.

·        $21,000 -  the amount of money Pastor Megan's work at SF CARES and Welcome brought into the church.

·        11,296 - the number of visits to our new website since February

·        9,360 - the number of hot meals served by our mission project Welcome in partnership with St. Francis Lutheran Church.

·        9,482 - views of Pastor Megan's faithful videos and bible studies on YouTube in 2014.

·        $8,300 - the amount of money individuals have donated or pledged to Grace to cover the $18,000 in 2015 lost rent from Hope's departure from our space.

·        3,700 - highest monthly online bible study stats for the year.

·        $3,000 - the amount of money, Pastor Megan's preaching and teach outside the church brought into the church.

·        1,000 - the number of prescription eye glasses given away by our mission project Welcome and SF CARES.

·        546 - number of plates served on Thanksgiving to the homeless and hungry by our Pastor Megan with our mission project Welcome in partnership with St. Francis Lutheran Church, Thrivent Financial, the San Francisco Food Bank and Food Runners.

·        113 - the estimated number of succulents planted in the front yards Labyrinth and Butterfly gardens.

·        100 - the estimated number of neighbors who joined us at our neighborhood block party

·        54 - the highest number of participants on our live stream during a single Sunday service

·        43 - the number of  chairs Pastor Megan reupholstered in Brotherhood Hall.

·        34 - the number of in person (plus 44 online) participants at our Faithfully Fluid conference for Christian LGBTQ College Students in partnership with Welcome, the Student Christian Movement, the Carpenter Foundation and the St. Francis Lutheran Church Endowment.

·        16 - the number of people who voted to unanimously call Pastor Megan to Grace.

·        15 - the number of happy babies and toddlers playing in the infant care center.

·        14- pigs the congregation purchased from ELCA Good Gifts to provide farms for needy folk in other countries.

·        7 - the number of new members that have joined the church since Pastor Megan became our pastor in February - this is a 43% increase in membership.

·        5 - the number of Beatles Masses celebrated at the church

·        3 - the number of Christian Adult Education books Pastor Megan released this year.

·        2- the number of royalty crowned in thanks for their Ministry of Coffee Hour

·        1- the number of adult baptisms at the church.

The traditional Lutheran liturgy is from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2014 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #28429. Hymns used with permission for worship and podcast under OneLicense.net  #A-723548.