Our Christmas Eve service begins at 6:30p.m. The text for Christmas Eve is John 8:12: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Our Worship will include:
In the Bleak Midwinter The Sarah McLachlan
In the Bleak Midwinter With lyrics, sung by Sissel
Silent Night This is the Casting Crowns version.
Do You Hear What I Hear? Carrie Underwood – traditional tune
Do You Hear What I Hear? Third Day
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – to the traditional tune This is the only really traditional one I could find – and even it wanders off at the end.
O Little Town of Bethlehem Nice Tradition version, I think by Evie.
Here’s the video I made a few years ago based on the version by Fernando Ortega
The ‘Stokely’ story for Christmas Eve will also focus on Jesus as the light in our darkness. The Andy Gullahorn and Jill Philips song I Will Find a Way approaches this truth from another angle. It’s one of my favorite new Christmas songs.
On Christmas Day we’ll be having an informal worship service (at 10:50 a.m.) The text will reveal Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-16) and the worship will focus on the shepherds and the angels:
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
If you like the well known descant (verse 3): Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Go Tell It On the Mountain Too many fun choices here. That first one is by the Cedarville kids.
But how about Whitney Phipps
James Taylor (really good)
Or for those born more recently Tenth Avenue North
Jenna Martin will be leading us, and combined ‘Go Tell It’ with Jesus, O What A Wonderful Child
As I mentioned in a previous post, I couldn’t really find a version of ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear’ that did everything I wanted. So here are three:
The words and melody we sing, but missing verses
Partial re-write by Kutless – pretty nice
Melody re-written by Sara Groves – also pretty nice
O Come All Ye Faithful This is the version by Casting Crowns, but pretty ‘faithful’ to the original melody.
And for those who were not born recently Art Garfunkel
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen A pretty traditional version.
I’ve always liked Mannheim Steamroller’s version of this song.
Joy To The World, another Cedarmont kids version.
Actually I’ve always liked the Mannheim Steamroller version of this one too.
And I know some folks really like the Chris Tomlin version
Merry Christmas!
Update: Corrected service time on the 25th to 10:50 a.m.
