Christmas Midnight Mass pewsheet

Today’s Eucharistic Prayer B

Colour: White

Welcome to the Church of

St-Peter-in- the-Forest, Walthamstow

Midnight Mass

Parish Eucharist

Presiding and preaching this evening is Fr Paul Trathen

24^th December 2012

 

The ORDER OF SERVICE can be found on page 3 of the Church Service Book

INTROIT HYMN

199

Hark the herald angels sing

Priest:    Welcome all wonders in one sight!

Eternity shut in a span.

Summer in winter, day in night,

heaven in earth and God in man.

Great little one whose all-embracing birth

brings earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth.

Greeting

Priest:   Grace, mercy and peace

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

All:         And also with you.

Lighting of Advent candles

We light the white, Christ candle as we say together:

Lord Jesus, Light of light,

you have come among us.

Help us who live by your light to shine as lights in your world.

Glory to God in the highest.

Amen.

Blessing of Crib

Prayers of Penitence

Priest:    Christ the light of the world has come

to dispel the darkness of our hearts.

In his light let us examine ourselves and confess our sins.

Silence is kept.

God our Father,

you sent your Son full of grace and truth:

forgive our failure to receive him.

Lord, have mercy.

All:          Lord, have mercy.

Jesus our Saviour,

you were born in poverty and laid in a manger:

forgive our greed and rejection of your ways.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Spirit of love,

your servant Mary responded joyfully to your call:

forgive the hardness of our hearts.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

ABSOLUTION

GLORIA

THE COLLECT

Eternal God, who made this most holy night

to shine with the brightness of your one true light:

bring us, who have known the revelation of that light on earth,

to see the radiance of your heavenly glory;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.  Amen.

We sit for the first two readings

FIRST READING	Isaiah 52:7-10 (page 702) Read by Judith Woolnough
SECOND READING	Hebrews 1:1-12 (page 1136) Read by Bernard Eaton
GRADUAL HYMN	377	O little town of Bethlehem
GOSPEL READING	John 1:1-14 (page 1004) Read by Fr Paul Trathen

All:             Alleluia, alleluia. 

Priest:        The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.

All:             Alleluia

Priest:       Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

All sing:     Glory to you, O Lord.

Priest:       This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All sing:     Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON – by Fr Paul Trathen

A Christmas Creed

I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem.

I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a little town;

and whose spirit still brings music to persons all over the world,

in towns both large and small.

I believe in the one for whom the crowded inn could find no room,

and I confess that my heart still sometimes wants to exclude Christ

from my life today.

I believe in the one who the rulers of the earth ignored

and the proud could never understand;

whose life was among common people,

whose welcome came from persons of hungry hearts.

I believe in the one who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible:

I believe in the one whose cradle was a mother's arms,

whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth,

who looked at persons and made them see what God's love saw in them,

who by love brought sinners back to purity,

and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God.

I confess my ever-lasting need of God:

the need of forgiveness for our selfishness and greed,

the need of new life for empty souls,

the need of love for hearts grown cold.

I believe in God who gives us the best of himself.

I believe in Jesus, the son of the living God,

born in Bethlehem today, for me and for the world.

INTERCESSIONS (led by Sarah Collins)

THE PEACE – page 8 of the service books

OFFERTORY HYMN	440	See him lying on a bed of straw
During the offertory hymn, a collection will be taken.  If you would like information on how to gift-aid your donation, please see Peter Shrubsole after the service.  Information on setting up standing orders is also available from Peter.

As the bread and wine are placed on the table:

Priest:  Word made flesh, life of the world,

              in your incarnation you embraced our poverty:

              by your Spirit may we share in your riches.  Amen

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER B (Service Book page 12)

Adults who are baptized and children who’ve received preparation are welcome to receive communion. If you do not receive communion, please feel free to go forward for a blessing.

Priest:    We break the bread of life,

and that life is the light of the world.

All:          God here among us,

light in the midst of us,

bring us to light and life.

Priest:    Christ is the true bread which has come down from heaven.

All:          Lord, give us this bread always.

COMMUNION HYMN   248               In the bleak mid winter

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

God our Father,

in this night you have made known to us again

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

confirm  our faith and fix our eyes on him

until the day dawns

and Christ the Morning Star rises in our hearts.

To him be glory both now and for ever.  Amen.

FINAL HYMN

357

O come all ye faithful

BLESSING & DISMISSAL

Priest:   Go in peace. Proclaim the Word made flesh.

All:         Glory, thanks and praise to God.

************

It’s sharing your gifts, not purchasing gifts;

it’s not wrapping presents,

its being present and wrapping your arms around the ones you love;

it’s not getting Christmas cards out on time,

it’s sending any card, anytime, at the right time;

it’s not having the biggest and best Christmas light display,

it’s displaying the Christ light that comes from your heart;

it’s not Santa coming down the chimney,

it’s Jesus coming down from heaven, and giving us the gift of eternal life.

Weekday evenings & weekends contact: The Vicar: Fr Paul Trathen St Peter’s Vicarage 121 Forest Rise, Walthamstow E17 3PW 020 8521 5000 www.church-in-the-forest.co.uk thejourneyhomeresumed.blogspot.com

Weekday office hours contact: The Parish Administrator: Sarah Collins Peterhouse Centre 122 Forest Rise, E17 3PW 020 8509 1811 www.peterhousecentre.co.uk peterhousecentre@btconnect.com