December 24, 2025

SERVICE OF THE WORD

CHRISTMAS EVE

Families cherish their Christmas traditions. Year after year, they decorate the tree with the same ornaments, play the same music, bake the same Christmas cookies. Without asking, family members know when they will open presents. If you try to change your family’s Christmas traditions, you might be in trouble! When it comes to family Christmases, people generally don’t like things to change.

Because our celebration of Christmas has so many unchanging traditions, we might miss the fact that the birth of Christ the Savior meant radical change for the world. Would the change be an improvement or another step in decline? The angels answer the question. They don’t sing “Watch out for impending doom!” They sing “glory” and “peace,” praising God with alleluias!

OPENING HYMN HL422 E OC387 Christmas Eve is Coming Quickly

1 Christmas Eve is coming quickly;
Quickly, too, comes Christmas, morn.
We will sing aloud our praises
To the Infant to be born. (refrain)

ref Let us journey to await him.
Let us go to Bethlehem,
Where the Christ child in a manger
Will be born for us again.

2 For the Child, we carry with us
All the best gifts of our hearts:
Our desire and hope to know him
and the pardon he imparts. (refrain)

3 Here we glimpse a first example
Of the life he will endure:
Out of love, forsaking riches,
To be born among the poor. (refrain)

Text: Osvaldo Catena, SSS, 1920-1986,; tr. por Mary Louise Bringle, n.1953
Text: © 2012 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: Onelicense no. 717826

Please Stand

INVOCATION

In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

CONFESSION OF SINS

Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.

Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin.
For faithless worrying and selfish pride,
For sins of habit and sins of choice,
For the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do,
You should cast me away from your presence forever.
O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant: I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS

♫ Glory to God in the heavens, in the land peace to men.
For your immense glory we praise you, we bless you,
We adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks,
Oh, Lord, heavenly King, Almighty God and Father.

Oh, Jesus Christ, his only Son, Son of the Father, Lamb of God;
You take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us;
You take away the sin of the world, hear our prayer;
You, Lord, who is seated at the right hand of God the Father
Have mercy on us.

Because you alone are holy, you only are the Lord;
You only, Lord Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit,
You share the same glory as God the Father. Amen.

THE WORD

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true light. Grant that as we have known on earth the wonder of that light, we may also behold him in all his glory in the life to come; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Be Seated

FIRST READING Micah 5:2–5a

The prophet foretold that a person would come from a little town called Bethlehem to bring peace to the world.

2“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”

3Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

4He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.

5And he will be our peace

HYMN 363 Now Sing We, Now Rejoice sts. 1–2

1 Now sing we, now rejoice,
now raise to heav’n our voice;
    he from whom joy streameth
poor in a manger lies;
    not so brightly beameth
the sun in yonder skies.
    Thou my Savior art!
    Thou my Savior art!

2 Come from on high to me;
I cannot rise to thee.
    Cheer my wearied spirit,
O pure and holy Child;
    thro’ thy grace and merit,
blest Jesus, Lord most mild,
    draw me unto thee!
    Draw me unto thee!

Text: Latin and German, 14th cent.; tr. Arthur T. Russell, 1806–1874, alt.
Text: Public domain

SECOND READING Titus 2:11–14

The grace God showed us in sending his Son changes not only our present lives but also our eternal destiny.

11For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

HYMN 363 Now Sing We, Now Rejoice sts. 3–4

3 Now through his Son doth shine
the Father’s grace divine.
    Death was reigning o’er us
through sin and vanity
    till he opened for us
a bright eternity.
    May we praise him there!
    May we praise him there!

4 Oh, where shall joy be found?
Where but on heav’nly ground,
    where the angels singing
with all his saints unite,
    sweetest praises bringing
in heav’nly joy and light.
    Oh, that we were there!
    Oh, that we were there!

Text: Latin and German, 14th cent.; tr. Arthur T. Russell, 1806–1874, alt.
Text: Public domain

Please Stand

GOSPEL (in English and Karen) Luke 2:1–20

This child’s birth changed the relationship of human beings and God.

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to you, O Christ.

Be Seated

HYMN 346 Angels We Have Heard on High

1 Angels we have heard on high,
sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their joyous strains. (Refrain)

Ref Gloria in excelsis Deo;
gloria in excelsis Deo.

2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heav’nly song? (Refrain)

3 Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. (Refrain)

Text: French; tr. The Crown of Jesus, Part 2, 1862, alt.
Text: Public domain

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

HYMN OF THE DAY 340 Away in a Manger

1 Away in a manger, no crib for a 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 baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.

3 Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask you to stay
close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
and take us to heaven to live with you there.

Text (sts. 1–2): The Myrtle, Boston, 1884; (st. 3): Vineyard Songs, Louisville, 1892, alt.
Text: Public domain

SERMON

Please Stand

CONFESSION OF FAITH Apostles' Creed ~150 AD

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Be Seated

OFFERING PRESENTED BEFORE THE ALTAR

Please Stand

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Gracious Father, when the time had fully come, you sent your Son, born of a woman, born under law, that we might receive full adoption as your children. You have given us blessed hope in the birth of our Savior, Christ the Lord.