Service Schedule:

3:50 p.m.  Choral Prelude (Youth Choir)

4:00 p.m. Family Eucharist sung by the Youth Choir

10:30 p.m. Choral Prelude (Adult Choir) with harp

11:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist sung by the Adult Choir with harp

Worship at Home:

Click here for: Service Bulletin 4 p.m.Service Bulletin 11 p.m.Sermon Text

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Service Music:

Choral Prelude at 3:50 p.m. with the St. John’s Youth and Alumnae Choir

Hymn 102    Once in Royal David’s city    Irby
Stanzas 1 & 2, choir; stanzas 3-6, congregation
Teddy Babbitt, soloist

Torches      John Joubert (b. 1927)
Translation from the Galician by John Brande Trend (1887-1958)

Torches, torches, run with torches All the way to Bethlehem!
Christ is born and now lies sleeping; Come and sing your song to him!
Ah, Roro (‘Little King’), Roro, my baby, Ah, Roro, my love, Roro;
Sleep you well, my heart’s own darling, While we sing you our Roro.
Sing, my friends, and make you merry, Joy and mirth and joy again;
Lo, he lives, the King of heaven, Now and evermore. Amen.

O holy night      Adolphe Adam (1803-1856)
Words: Adapted from the French by John Sullivan Dwight (1812-1893)
Britt Emerick, soloist

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel-voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born!

Truly he taught us to love one another
His law is love, and his gospel is peace.
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise his holy name.
He knows our need, he guardeth us from danger;
Behold your King! before the Lowly bend!

Holy Eucharist Rite II at 4:00 p.m. sung by the Youth and Alumnae Choir; sermon by The Rev’d Susan Pinkerton.

Processional Hymn 83    O come, all ye faithful    Adeste fideles, arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015)

Gloria S280     Robert Powell (b.1932)

Sequence Hymn 115    What child is this   Greensleeves

Offertory Anthem     Nativity carol    words and music by John Rutter (b. 1945)

Born in a stable so bare,
Born so long ago;
Born ‘neath light of star
He who loved us so.

Wise men from distant far land,
Shepherds from starry hills
Worship this babe so rare,
Hearts with his warmth he fills.

Cradled by mother so fair,
Tender her lullaby;
Over her son so dear
Angel hosts fill the sky.

Far away silent he lay,
Born today, your homage pay,
For Christ is born for aye,
Born on Christmas Day.

Sanctus  S130    Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Fraction anthem S164    Jesus, lamb of God     Franz Schubert

Communion Anthem   No small wonder    Paul Edwards (b. 1955)
Text: Paul Wigmore

Small wonder the star,
Small wonder the light,
The angels in chorus,
The shepherds in fright;
But stable and manger for God –
No small wonder!

Small wonder the kings,
Small wonder they bore
The gold and the incense,
The myrrh, to adore:
But God gives his life on a cross –
No small wonder!

Small wonder the love,
Small wonder the grace,
The power, the glory,
The light of his face;
But all to redeem my poor heart –
No small wonder!

Communion Hymn 101    Away in a manger   Cradle Song

Post-communion Hymn 111     Silent night     Stille nacht

Closing Hymn 87     Hark the herald angels sing     Mendelssohn, arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015)

Voluntary    In dulci jubilo (In quiet joy)    Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

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Choral Prelude at 10:30 p.m. with the St. John’s Adult Choir and Olivia Fortunato, harp

Bring a Torch Jeannette Isabella    French Carol, arr. Dewey Owens (1925-2006)

Ave Maria, David Conte (b. 1955)

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
Blessed art thou among women,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
pray for us sinners,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

I wonder as I wander     Carl Rütti, 2001
Words: John Jacob Niles (1892-1980)

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die
For poor on’ry people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all
But high from God’s heaven, a star’s light did fall
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God’s Angels in heaven to sing
He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King

There is no rose from A Ceremony of Carols    Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Words: Anonymous, 14th century

There is no rose of such virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu;
Alleluia.

For in this rose contained was
Heaven and earth in little space;
Res miranda.  (Thing of wonder)

By that rose we may well see
There be one God in persons three,
Paresforma.  (Equal in form)

The angels sungen the shepherds to:
Gloria in excelsis deo:  (Glory to God in the highest)
Gaudeamus.   (Let us rejoice)

Leave we all this worldly mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth;
Transeamus.  (Let us follow)

Interlude from A Ceremony of Carols     Benjamin Britten

Away in a manger    English Carol, arr. John Rutter (b. 1945)
Words found at Hymn 101.

My Lord has come    Will Todd, 2010
Words by the composer

Shepherds, called by angels, called by love and angels:
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come.
Sages, searching for stars, searching for love in heaven;
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come.
His love will hold me, his love will cherish me, love will cradle me.
Lead me, lead me to see him, sages and shepherds and angels;
No place for me but a stable.
My Lord has come.

O come, O come, Emmanuel    13th Century Plainsong, arr. Dewey Owens

Holy Eucharist Rite II at 11:00 p.m. sung by the Adult choir with harp and organ; sermon by the Rev’d Susan Pinkerton.

Processional Hymn 83    O come, all ye faithful    Adeste fideles, arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015)

Gloria S280     Robert Powell (b.1932)

Sequence Hymn 115    What child is this   Greensleeves

Offertory Anthem   Hodie Christus natus est     Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)

Hodie Christus natus est:
Hodie Salvator apparuit:
Hodie in terra canunt Angeli,
laetantur Archangeli
Hodie exsultant justi, dicentes:
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Today Christ is born:
Today the Savior appears:
Today the angels sing on earth,
and the Archangels rejoice.
Today the just exult, saying:
Glory to God in the highest.

Sanctus  S130    Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Fraction anthem S164    Jesus, lamb of God     Franz Schubert

Communion Anthem   In dulci jubilo (1837)    Robert Pearsall (1795-1856)
Words: Heinrich Seuse, c. 1328, translated Pearsall

In dulci jubilo, (In sweet rejoicing,)
Let us our homage show!
Our heart’s joy reclineth
In praesepio; (in the manger;)
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio. (in the mother’s lap.)
Alpha es et O! (You are the Alpha and Omega!)

O Jesu parvule, (O tiny Jesus)
I yearn for thee alway!
Hear me, I beseech thee,
O puer optime; (O best of children)
My prayer let it reach thee,
O princeps gloriae. (O prince of glory)
Trahe me post te. (Make me follow you)

O patris caritas! (O love of the Father)
O Nati lenitas! (O gentleness of the Son)
Deeply were we stained.
Per nostra crimina: (through our crimes)
But thou hast for us gained
Coelorum gaudia, (the joys of heaven)
O that we were there!

Ubi sunt gaudia, (where are joys)
Where, if that they be not there?
There are angels singing
Nova cantica; (new songs)
There the bells are ringing
In Regis curia (in the courts of the King).
O that we were there!

Communion Hymn 101    Away in a manger   Cradle Song

Postcommunion Hymn 111    Silent night    Stille nacht, st. 3 arr. Wolfgang Lindner

Closing Hymn 87    Hark the herald angels sing    Mendelssohn, arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015)

Voluntary    In dulci jubilo (In quiet joy)    Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)