Christmas Eve - Christ the Savior is Born
A Service of Lessons and Carols Inspired by “Silent Night”
It is, by far, the most popular Christmas carol, and it has a fascinating history. Silent Night was first sung on Christmas Eve in 1818 at St. Nicholas Church in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf. It was composed when a broken church organ forced Father Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber to create a simple carol for voice and guitar. Its quiet melody has echoed through the centuries. The tune is simple, but the text is profound. Consider the lyric, “Christ the Savior is born!” The prophets had foretold that the Christ would be true God, who is omnipresent, eternal, and almighty. Yet, the Christ would be born. He would be confined to his mother’s womb, have a birthday, and enter our world as a weak and helpless baby.
This Christmas Eve, let us walk through the phrases of this beloved hymn and ponder that mystery—Christ the Savior is born! How is this possible? And what does it mean for our lives, both now and in eternity?
Christmas Day - Christ the Savior is Born
The Festival of the Nativity
The theme for worship this Christmas season comes from the most popular Christmas carol in the world, Silent Night. The tune and text are simple, yet the lyrics are profound: “Christ the Savior is born.” The eternal Son of God would become truly human. Today we explore how profound the incarnation actually is. St. John describes it this way: “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14).
When Scripture refers to Jesus Christ as “the Word” it is teaching that he is how you come to know God. Just by looking at a stranger, you can tell some things about him: his build, age, style, etc. But you would not say you really know that person, just by looking at him. To really know him, you would need to converse with him. You would need to use words. Likewise, to really know God, we need to listen to the Word made flesh—the perfect expression of our Heavenly Father’s mind and heart.
Christmas Eve - What Child Is This?
This Christmas Eve, an angel answers that question. "A savior has been born to you." It is a stunning statement, for two reasons. First, this child looks nothing like what we would expect in a hero-savior. This child is weak, helpless, and mired in poverty. Second, he has come to bring salvation "to you." It is a salvation we all need desperately. It was God's gift to us, given on that first Christmas Eve.
New Worship Series - What Child Is This?
A baby is born every twelve seconds. That's 140 million babies born each year. Yet, there is something that sets this child apart from all others. It is not simply his humble beginnings, with a cattle trough as his first cradle. It is not just the miraculous nature of his birth, his mother being a virgin. There is so much more. This child is the only hope we have for peace and a future. This child can wipe away every tear, drive away every fear. Here is the truth of Christmas. With this child, you lack nothing. Without him, you have nothing. Let us use this season of Christmas to answer this most important question: WHAT CHILD IS THIS?