St Edburg's Church - Bicester

Collect of the Day

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 for ever.

 

First Reading  Isaiah 52.7-10

7How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
8Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion.  9Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10The LORD has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

 

Psalm   Psalm 98

Refrain: The Lord has made known his salvation.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, 
for he has done marvellous things.

2 His own right hand and his holy arm have won for him the victory.

3 The Lord has made known his salvation; his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.

4 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness towards the house of Israel, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

5 Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; break into singing and make music.

6 Make music to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody.

7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sound praises before the Lord, the King. 

8  Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, the world and all that dwell upon it.

9 Let the rivers clap their hands 
and let the hills ring out together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

10  In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity.

 

Second Reading

Hebrews 1.1-4(5-12)

1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 

5For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you’?  Or again,      ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son’?  6And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, 
‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’
7Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds,    and his servants flames of fire.’  8But of the Son he says, 
‘Your throne, O God, is for ever  and ever, and the righteous sceptre is the sceptre of your kingdom.  9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’  10And, ‘In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,            and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; 12like a cloak you will roll them up,           and like clothing they will be changed.  But you are the same, and your years will never end.’

 

Gospel  John 1.1-14

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. 4What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 

 

Post Communion Prayer

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.

 

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):

Dimissal Gospel (Christmas Day) ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA

Hebrews 1.1-4(5-12) ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA

Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000

Psalm 98 ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000

Isaiah 52.7-10 ©  The Archbishops' Council 2005