The theme for the 2016 Christmas Fund Offering is God's Love Colors Everything. These worship resources have been developed around that theme using the Revised Common Lectionary readings for this year’s Advent/Christmas season. Ready-to-use PowerPoint presentations, bulletin inserts, information on how the funds are used, and an archive of previous years’ worship resources are available at www.christmasfund.org.
The song accompanying the Advent candle lighting liturgies, “Shine a Candle,” is found http://re-worshipsongs.blogspot.com/2012/11/advent-song-shine-candle.html. Note that the words change each week to reflect each Sunday's theme.
We thank you for your willingness to use these worship resources and promote the important ministry that happens through the Christmas Fund!

CHRISTMAS EVE
Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-20

Lighting the Christ Candle
(The candle lighting begins with the sanctuary in darkness or dimly lit. A song leader assists the congregation in singing the opening verse of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” together.)

Many:	O Come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel
	Who mourns in lonely exile here until the Child of God appear!
	Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

(The worship leader then goes to the Advent wreath and speaks the following words over an instrumental verse of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” This pattern is repeated for each subsequent candle-lighting: invocation over instrumental verse, sung refrain, candle-lighting.)

One: 	Rejoice, and do not be afraid! For see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people: those who have walked in the gloom of discouragement and despair have seen a great Light. 
	(The candle of Hope is lit while the congregation sings the refrain)

Many:	Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
One:	Rejoice, rejoice, and do not be afraid! For those who have lived in lands shadowed by oppression and unspeakable violence, even on them the Light has shined. 
	(The candle of Peace is lit while the congregation sings the refrain)

Many:	Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
One: 	Again I say, rejoice! For though the night of grief and sorrow should cover us, and the Light around us become night, still there is One for whom even the night is as bright as the day. 
(The candle of Joy is lit while the congregation sings the refrain)

Many:	Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
One: 	And yet again I tell you, rejoice! For though hate and fear reign today, in truth the shadow is only a small and passing thing. The light of love shines even in darkness, and darkness cannot overcome it. 
 (The candle of Love is lit while the congregation sings the refrain)

Many: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

(The congregation is led in singing the following verse of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” while the Leader lights the Christ Candle.)

Many:	O Come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here.
O, drive away the shades of night and pierce the clouds and bring us 	Light!
	Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Call to the Offering
(for those churches receiving the Offering on Christmas Eve)

We are called to be the Light of the World, to share the Love of the Holy One with all whom we encounter, to proclaim to those who have walked in darkness and in shadow: “Do not be afraid! God is with you, no matter what.” We are not called to hide our Light; no, we are called to let it shine, to give of ourselves, to bless the world. This is what it means to live as the Children of God.

Our offering tonight goes to the Christmas Fund of the United Church of Christ, which offers support to those Children of God who have blessed the Church with their service and who are experiencing financial difficulties. You are invited now to share your Light, to give as generously as you are able.

In that Spirit, our Christmas Eve offering will now be received.

Prayer of Dedication

O God of Hope, God of Peace, God of Joy, God of Love, we pray you bless these gifts, that they might become a blessing to this world you love so very much. May those who receive them know that you are with them, in this holy season and in all their days to come. In the name of the Child of Bethlehem, Emmanuel the Light of the World, we pray. Amen.

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Copyright © 2016 The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ, Inc.

Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved. 

Writers for the Christmas Fund liturgical resources for 2016 are part of the Pacific School of Religion (PSR), community.  PSR, a seminary of the United Church of Christ, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.  It is a “progressive, multidenominational seminary and center for social justice that prepares spiritually rooted leaders to work for the well-being of all.”  To learn more, visit www.psr.edu .

Tom Emanuel wears many hats: poet, playwright, performer, preacher, pedagogue…even a
few that don’t begin with the letter “P”!  Born and raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota, he is currently in the third year of his Master of Divinity program at PSR. He also serves as co-director of the Mythic Theater, a radical worship arts collective based out of Berkeley, California, and as Minister-in-Training at Mira Vista UCC in El Cerrito, California.

Schmian Evans is a “bridge builder” who uses her gifts and skills in service of those most marginalized. She is a minister at City of Refuge, UCC in Oakland, California and holds a Master of Divinity degree and Certificate in Sexuality and Religion from PSR and a B.A. in Gender Studies from California State University Stanislaus. Schmian has served as an advocate for those living on the outer edges for several years, as an educator, mentor, and organizational leader. She continues the important work of bridge building through research, teaching, activism, and public speaking.

Todd Whitley is a second-year Master of Divinity student at PSR. He is from Texas, where he is a member of Cathedral of Hope UCC and guided the church’s associated social justice organization before beginning seminary. Todd is a father of four, grandfather of two, and partner to Miguel Atkins who introduced him to the United Church of Christ.

Sharon Fennema is the Assistant Professor of Christian Worship and Director of Worship Life at PSR, where she is also the Director of the Certificate in Sexuality and Religion program. She earned her Ph.D. in liturgical studies from the Graduate Theological Union, and also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from St. Olaf College and a Masters of Arts in Religion degree from Yale University Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music. Prior to her post at PSR, she spent two years as a Lecturer on Ritual, Liturgy and Preaching at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.