This is part of the worship series,
"Greater Glory”
Series Introduction
Advent 1 | Advent 2 | Advent 3 | Advent 4
Christmas Eve/Day | Christmas 1
Christmas 1
Text: John 1:1–14
Theme: We Have Seen His Glory
Key Idea: The light of Jesus shines through the darkest corners of our world.
John’s account of Christmas is a theological fanfare: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV). Note that the verb for “made his dwelling among us” (skénoó) evokes the imagery of God “pitching a tent,” residing among his people as he did in the desert tabernacle (later replaced by the Jerusalem temple).
The people of Haggai’s day longed for a temple filled with glory. While the second temple was promised to be more glorious than the first (Haggai 2:9), there is a greater temple, with a greater glory. Jesus is the fulfillment of the temple; he is the dwelling place of God among the people (John 2:19–20). And the Holy Spirit spreads this glory to every corner of the earth (Isaiah 40:5; Habakkuk 2:14). No longer do we need to rely on previous or unreliable visions of glory; to see Jesus is to see the glory of God, and now, we are invited to participate in communion with the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.
The season of Christmastide—the twelve days beginning Christmas Day—picks up on these themes of light and darkness. Bethlehem’s bright star, the angels’ radiant announcement, and the magi’s glimmering treasures point to the Child in the manger, yet they pale in comparison to the Light of the World. Unlike in the temple, we can see God without barriers or fear, because Jesus has revealed God’s self “over the hills and everywhere.”
At the final weeks of the calendar, consider where you and your church have seen God in the past year. Use this service to reflect on the “glimpses of glory” that God has allowed you to see. Consider, too, what has made it difficult to see God in the past year—what has clouded our vision? As you look ahead to a new year, what barriers does God want to break through with his Light? The holiday spirit might quickly dissipate, but the Light of Christ still shines, even in the darkest corners—the most difficult, most shameful, most hidden—of our lives.
Service Outline
God Gathers Us
Welcome & Announcements
*Opening Song
“Open the Eyes of My Heart” Baloche
*Opening Sentences & Prayer of Invocation
[Segue immediately. Musician(s) can continue playing a soft underscore; the congregation can remain standing.]
The true light that gives light to everyone
has come into the world.
—John 1:9 NIV
Open our eyes, Lord;
we want to see you.
Let us pray.
[This invocation is based on the Phos Hilaron, one of the oldest extant Christian hymns. It was sung when lighting lamps and candles, a sign of welcoming the light of Christ.]
O Joyful Light,
the heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ:
You are the glory of the Immortal Father.
It is worthy at all times to praise you with joyful voices,
Son of God, Giver of Life.
The whole world sings of your glory!
Make your Light known to us this day,
so that we might walk in your truth. Amen.
*Song(s)
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” Wesley
and/or
“Angels from the Realms of Glory” Montgomery
*God’s Greeting & Greeting One Another
The Lord be with you.
And also with you!
With light and life to all he brings,
our heaven-born Prince of Peace
has made his dwelling among us,
revealing the glory of the Lord
from a lowly stable.
But do not be afraid!
This is good news
that will cause great joy
for all people.
God comes to us in glory;
he gathers us with the shepherds
to behold the baby lying in a manger.
Our Lord greets us now,
fulfilling the words of Zephaniah:
“The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”
—Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
*Song
“The First Noel” Anon.
Confession of Sin
Almighty God,
we long to dwell with you
in your glorious presence,
but our sin has separated us from you.
Lonely and exiled,
we have not done what is good.
We have looked to the wrong pleasures.
We have looked to the wrong promises.
We have looked to the wrong hopes.
Draw nearer to us, Lord Jesus.
Enter our hearts by your Holy Spirit,
and make your home among us. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Hear this good news:
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
while we wait for the blessed hope—
the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness
and to purify for himself a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good.
—Titus 2:11–14 NIV
So rejoice, dear friends!
Christ was born to save.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
—John 1:5 NIV
*Acclamation of Thanksgiving
“Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” Trans. Neale
[Alternatively, if your congregation is less familiar with this suggested carol, or you would like to maintain a more contemplative spirit, you can use the final stanza and refrain of “The First Noel” Anon.:]
*Gloria
[Worship allows us to respond to God’s message of assurance with thanksgiving, which can include a sung or spoken gloria. While the Gloria Patri is common, it would also be fitting to use a liturgical text that resonates with the angels’ chorus in Luke 2, such as the following:]
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father;
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
—Gloria in excelsis, TWS 2.7.4, public domain.
Offering and/or Children’s Message
God Speaks to Us
Prayer of Illumination
Holy Spirit,
The god of this age
has blinded our minds.
In opening the Scriptures,
help us see the light of the gospel
that displays the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God. Amen.
—based on 2 Corinthians 4:4
Scripture Reading
John 1:1–14
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
“We Have Seen His Glory”
God Receives Our Dedication
*Song
“Be Thou My Vision” Hull, trans. Byrne
Prayers of the People
[Offer attention to the dark corners of your congregation’s life, and pray for Christ’s light to shine in those places. Consider prayer forms, such as examen or visio divina, that help your congregation contemplate the “glimpses of glory” that God has allowed them to see in the past year. You could intersperse prayer requests between each stanza of “Be Thou My Vision.”]
God Sends Us
*Sending Sentences
We have made all these petitions of you
because, as our all-powerful king,
you are both willing and able
to give us all that is good.
Yours is the kingdom and power!
And because your holy name,
and not we ourselves,
should receive all the praise, forever.
Your is the glory,
forever and ever!
—based on Heidelberg Catechism Q&A #128
*Benediction & Charge
This is the message we have
heard from him and declare to you:
God is light, and in him
there is no darkness at all.
—1 John 1:5 NIV
As you go into a dark world,
may the Lord makes his face
to shine upon you,
that in beholding the glory of Christ
you might see the marvelous things
that God has set before you.
Do not be afraid.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
*Sending Song
“Shine, Jesus, Shine” Kendrick
or
“Jesus, the Light of the World” Wesley and Elderkin
“Let It Rise” Davis
Additional Song Suggestions
- “Arrival” Hastings et al.
- “Behold” Jenkins et al.
- “Holy is the Lord” Tomlin & Giglio
- “Jesus, Jesus, Oh, What a Wonderful Child” Allison
- “Light of the World” Daigle et al.
- “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” Wesley
- “O Holy Night” Cappeau, trans. Dwight
- “Sing to the King” Horne & Foote
