First Sunday after Christmas

Shared Service with Glen Cairn & Kanata United Church
A Service of Christmas Poetry & Music

The video recording of this service can be found here.
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104

Gathering Music: Carol-Sing

In the Bleak MidWinter – Voices United #55 v1,2,3

1 In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

2 Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
nor earth sustain; heaven and earth
shall flee away when he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter a stable place
sufficed the Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ.

3 Enough for him, whom cherubim
worship night and day, a breast full of milk, and a manger full of hay. Enough for him, whom angels fall down before, the ox and ass and camel which adore.

Words: Christina Rosetti 1872; Music: Gustav Holst, 1906
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

See Amid the Winter Snow – Voices United #76 v1,3,5

1 See amid the winter’s snow,
born for us on earth below,
See, the tender Lamb appears,
promised from eternal years.

Refrain:
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn;
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn;
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.

3 Say, ye holy shepherds, say
What your joyful news today;
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
On the lonely mountain steep? R

5 Sacred infant, all divine,
What a mighty love was thine,
Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this! R

Words: Edward Caswall, 1851; Music: John Goss, 1871
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome and Announcements Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of the staff and the congregation at BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this First Sunday after Christmas. I especially welcome the congregation of Glen Cairn and Kanata United Churches joining us in today’s service of Christmas Poetry and Music.

Today’s service is offered via Youtube, audio and text formats. Please check our website at bcuc.org for the link. You can also listen to the service by dialing 613-820-8104.

Here are some announcements for Bells Corners United Church:

- On January 3, Epiphany Sunday, there will be no in-person service and no video available to give a break to our worship team. Here are some options how you can still worship this day:

A text format of the service will be emailed to the congregation and will be posted on the website.
Or join Stittsville United Church at 10 am to be offered on Facebook Live and can be found on the Stittsville United Church Facebook page or on the website to be viewed live or at any time afterward. Links to this service will be posted on our website and theirs.
Or check YouTube for worship services offered by Riverside United Church, Glen Cairn UC or Kanata UC. Many other churches across the country will also be offering video worship services that day. We encourage you to take this opportunity to visit another community of faith.

- Video, audio and text formats of the worship service will resume on Sunday, January 10th. Please check the website for updates and information.

Centering for Worship

Friends, let us take a moment to reflect and remember what Christmas and the coming year mean for us. Let us now centre ourselves in God’s presence as we gather in worship.

Lighting the Christ Candle Acolyte: Raven Miller

“The Light of Love”[1]

Through the darkness, there came a light
Though so far but yet so bright.
I close my eyes and look deep insight.
I walk this darkness without a fright.

I never believed I'd find this love,
Like that beautiful star from above.
I questioned love and what I feel
With Jesus’ light, my love is real.

(The Christ Candle is lit)

Sung Response:[2] Take Up This Light (Tune: More Voices #213)

Take up this light of Christ and share it with the world
Take up this light of Christ and shine it brightly
In every moment of the journey we live the light of Christ
Dare to shine, hope, peace, joy and love
This candle of Christ

*Call to Gather Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Come to this place to be opened to the wonder and mystery that awaits you.
We come to catch a glimpse of God’s mystery as we search for new meaning this Christmas.
Come and let your hearts be touched by God’s presence.
We come to be filled anew with God’s love.
Come to hear God’s voice through words that empower and carols of celebration.
May the wonder and joy of this night open our hearts to receive the miracle of Christmas - Emmanuel, God-with-us.

A Christmas Prayer of Confession:[3] Rev. Kim Vidal

God of stable, stars and surprises;
Of light and hope and new life:
Open our eyes and hearts to your presence in our world;
Forgive our obsession with property and possessions;
Forgive our compromises and narrowness of vision.
Open us to your grace,
That we might hear again the song of the angels,
And respond with a song in our hearts,
And in our lives. Amen.

(Moment of Silent Reflection)

Assurance of Love: Calling on God[4]

We stumbled, and fell in through the door,
and found ourselves gathered
at a familiar table of forgiveness.
The wonder is, you met us where we were,
and welcomed us as we are.
Thanks be to God. Amen!

Carol: Once in Royal David’s City - Voices United #62

1 Once in royal David's city
stood a lowly cattle-shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for his bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

2 He came down to earth from heaven,
who, with God is over all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall.
There among the poor and lowly
lived on earth our Saviour holy.

3 For he is our lifelong pattern;
daily, when on earth he grew;
he was tempted, scorned, rejected,
tears and smiles like us he knew.
Thus he feels for all our sadness,
and he shares in all our gladness.

4 And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love;
for that child who seemed so helpless
is our Lord in heaven above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.

Words: Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848; Music: Henry John Gauntlet, 1849;
Harmony © 1957 Mann, Descant © 1970 Willcocks, Song # 84482 & 100901
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Poem: “Christmas is for Children” (Anonymous) Readers: Noah & Nicholas Berard

Christmas is for children--
at least that's what they say,
It's time of wide-eyed wonder,
a magic holiday

When candy canes and gingerbread
fill tummies with delight
And little sleepyheads try hard
to stay up through the night.

Yes, Christmas is for children-
anyone will tell you so.
The twinkling, colored lights on trees
make youngsters' eyes just glow!

Each package and each stocking
is approached with childish joy
And toys bring squeals of laughter
from each eager girl and boy.

Yes, Christmas is for children--
all they say is true.
How wonderful that at Christmas time--
grownups are children, too!

Carol: He is Born - Voices United #50 v1,2,4

Refrain: He is born, little Child divine;
play on the reeds while the lutes are strumming!
He is born, the divine Christ Child;
join the song to announce the day.

1 Through long ages of the past,
prophets have foretold His coming;
through long ages of the past,
now the time has come at last!

Chorus: Il est né, le divin Enfant,
Jouez, hautbois, résonnez, musettes;
Il est né, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avènement!

2 Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant,
Ah! Que ses grâces sont parfaites!
Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant,
Qu'il est doux le divin Enfant! Chorus:

4 Jesus love for all the world
Coming as a child among us
Jesus love for all the world
Grant to us your heavenly peace. Refrain

Storytime (recorded) Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Christmas Day has passed but hopefully the spirit of the season will stay with us for a long time. We are lucky that, in our part of the world, the season changes at Christmas time. This is usually when the snow begins to stay and so we think of snow and Christmas together. I found a story that talks about how the snow can remind us and help us remember Christmas for the next few months. It is called “The Snow Speaks” It is written by Nancy White Carlstrom and illustrated by Jane Dyer.

Carol: Hark the Herald Angels Sing – Voices United #48

1 Hark! the herald angels sing ,
"Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail the incarnate deity.
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel! R

3 Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth. R

Words: Charles Wesley, 1739; Felix Mendelssohn, 1840
Song # 83988 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Ross Mutton

(based on Luke 2: 1-20 by poet Andrew King)

Here is the emptiness of my night
may it be filled with your glory
Here are the silences of my heart
may they be filled with your songs

Here is the watchfulness of my eyes
may they be opened to wonder
Here is the listening of my soul
may it hear the joy of your love

Here is the hopefulness of my journey
may it lead me swift to your side
Here is the searching of my anxious mind
may it find rest in your peace

Here is the wood and straw of my days
may they be a bed for your presence
And here is the humble cave of my life
may it be your home, gentle Saviour. Amen.

Reflection on a New Year: Rev. Kim Vidal

(inspired by the writing of Joyce Rupp in Out of the Ordinary)

The beginning of a New Year always merits some reflection. It is not so much a time of making new resolutions, but rather, space in which to ponder life and review personal growth. A new year is a good opportunity to look at what guides our thoughts and decisions each day, to look at the person we already are and who we want to become.

As we review the year, we look for what allows our life to receive greater meaning and what resists it. We ponder how and when hope has sung in our days. We wander through the months recalling who and what gave us strength and where enthusiasm ripened or died on the vine. We look for graced moments that we have totally forgotten, those spaces in our days when we are swept off our controlled feet by the grace of a tender God who says, “Don’t forget you are in my heart.”

When we review the past year, we often see that there’s a part of it filled with familiar melodies, some delightful and others quite jarring. Our insights and awareness touch again and again on some basic patterns and behaviours. When we see them, we sometimes say with a groan, “I’ve been here before!” However, we have noticed that almost every time we come around the circle, we know it better. We miss more of the off-key notes and disharmony as we get better acquainted with their positions and characteristics, so we feel a sense of hope in spite of the old recurring patterns.

Underneath the circle of the past, we can always spot our principles- the foundational themes and values that spur us on to live our dreams and rekindle a positive attitude. Joyce Rupp shares her wonderful thoughts as we look forward: “if I wait to be perfect before I love myself, I will always be unsatisfied and ungrateful. If I wait until all the flaws, chips, and cracks disappear I will be the cup that stands on the shelf and is never used”

On New Year’s Day, let us rearrange our inner world to make room again for offering little kindness to others. May we renew our life principles of being people of loving kindness, justice, humility and compassion. May we ask God to grace us and be Christ–like to each person we meet in the coming year! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Musical Interlude: Sing We Now of Christmas – arr. Mark Hayes Piano – Abe

Poem: “Cradle Song” (by William Blake) Reader: Sue Morrison

Sleep, sleep, beauty bright,
Dreaming in the joys of night;
Sleep, sleep; in thy sleep
Little sorrows sit and weep.

Sweet babe, in thy face
Soft desires I can trace,
Secret joys and secret smiles,
Little pretty infant wiles.

As thy softest limbs I feel,
Smiles as of the morning steal
O'er thy cheek, and o'er thy breast
Where thy little heart doth rest.

O the cunning wiles that creep
In thy little heart asleep!
When thy little heart doth wake,
Then the dreadful night shall break.

Carol: What Child is This? - Voices United #74

1 What child is this, who laid to rest,
on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
while shepherds watch are keeping?

Refrain:
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the son of Mary!

2 Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear; for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading. R

3 So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
come, one and all, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
let loving hearts enthrone him. R

Prayer of a Mystic: The Traveller’s Homage (by Bruce Sanguin in If Darwin Prayed) Reader: Keith Bailey

We open now
To the way of the Magi,
Wise ones not afraid to journey
Across the borders and boundaries
That mark the territory of the tribe
To what Spirit is doing in another country,
Another tradition, and with other people.
We learn to lay our gifts before the Gift of God,
To follow the bright and beckoning star of our future
Across desserts of unknowing,
Mountainous obstacles,
And valleys of despair
To make an offering of our lives
To the “new thing” our God is birthing
In a land where we have never been.
And then, Holy One,
Lead us back home on the path of the star-gazing sages,
choosing back roads and fresh vistas,
Safe from Herod’s hoard and the passport-phobic.
Laden with spiritual gifts – new sounds, tastes and sights
Of the star-blessed stable where you were born
And the beckoning mangers where you are still born –
We discover that “home” is an expanding house,
as large as a cosmos,
As close as our hearts. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (Sung) - Voices United #959

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil,
for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.

Offering Invitation Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Like the Wise Ones long ago, we bring gifts from the heart to honour the Christ Child. Like the Wise Ones long ago, may we be overwhelmed with joy at the marvelous things God is doing in this world. Let us now offer our time, talents and treasures as gratitude to God’s blessings.

Offertory Carol: In the Bleak MidWinter – Voices United 55 verse 4

What Can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wiseman, I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give him – give my hear.

*Offertory Prayer

We give these offerings in hope,
knowing God can use them to spread love in this world.
And with these offerings, we give ourselves;
May we live with generous hearts and with open hands. Amen

Sending Forth: Irish Christmas Blessing Rev. Kim Vidal

May you be blessed:
with the warmth of the season, which is hope,
the spirit of the season, which is peace,
the gladness of the season, which is joy,
and the heart of the season, which is love.
Go in hope, in peace, in joy, in love. Amen.

*Carol: Angels We Have Heard on High - Voices United #38

1 Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o'er the plains,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heavenly song? R

3 Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King. R

4 See him in a manger laid,
whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
while our hearts in love we raise. R

Departing Music: Irish Blessing – traditional: Music Douglas Nolan - BCUC Choir

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[1] excerpt, Stanley Oguh.

[2] Words by Kim Vidal and Abe TeGrotenhuis

[3] Gordon Nodwell, 1980

[4] P. Bankson & D. Sokolove

Sunday Worship Service - December 27, 2020