Christmas Liturgy

The Word became flesh and lived among us

Christmas is not a single day but a season of twelve days, from Christmas Eve to the eve of Epiphany. The church gathers in candlelight to hear again that a Savior is born, then lingers in the wonder of the incarnation through the Sundays that follow.

Below you will find complete liturgies for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the Sundays after Christmas, arranged in the order you will use them.

Use the complete liturgies below, or go straight to what you need:

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day use the same readings every year. The First Sunday after Christmas changes with the lectionary year.

Christmas Liturgies

Each liturgy includes a call to worship, prayers of confession and illumination, an assurance of pardon, and a benediction.

Christmas Day

Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 98, Hebrews 1:1-12, John 1:1-14. The same readings every year.

Any yearChristmas Day LiturgyFor worship on December 25. Any yearThe Nativity of the LordWritten for Year C.

First Sunday after Christmas

The one Christmas Sunday whose readings change by year: the flight to Egypt (A), Simeon and Anna (B), and the boy Jesus in the temple (C).

Year AFirst Sunday after ChristmasMatthew 2:13-23 Year BFirst Sunday after ChristmasLuke 2:22-40 Year CFirst Sunday after ChristmasLuke 2:41-52

Second Sunday after Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 147:12-20, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:1-18. Same readings every year, and only in years when a second Sunday falls before Epiphany.

Any yearSecond Sunday after ChristmasWritten for Year A. Any yearSecond Sunday after ChristmasWritten for Year C.

Prayers and Sermons for Christmas

Prayers for worship and home, and sermons for the season.

Christmas Prayers of IlluminationShort prayers before the Scripture readings. Christmas SermonsSermons for Christmas Eve and the season. The Night That Changed EverythingA Christmas sermon on Luke 2. Night Prayer for Christmas EveA prayer to close the holy night. Morning Prayer for ChristmasA morning prayer on Luke 2:10-11. Morning Prayer for New Year'sA prayer on 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Common Questions About Christmas Worship

How long is the Christmas season?

The Christmas season lasts twelve days, from Christmas Eve through January 5. The Twelve Days of Christmas end on the eve of Epiphany, January 6, when the church celebrates the visit of the Magi.

Do the Christmas readings change each year?

Mostly no. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the Second Sunday after Christmas use the same readings in all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary. The First Sunday after Christmas is the exception: Year A tells of the flight to Egypt, Year B of Simeon and Anna in the temple, and Year C of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple.

Why are there different sets of readings for Christmas?

The lectionary offers three sets of readings for the Nativity of the Lord, sometimes called Proper I, II, and III. Proper I, with Luke's story of the shepherds and the angels, is the usual choice for Christmas Eve. Proper III, with the prologue of John's Gospel, "the Word became flesh," is the usual choice for Christmas Day.

Is there always a Second Sunday after Christmas?

No. It only occurs when two Sundays fall between Christmas and Epiphany, which depends on what day of the week Christmas falls. Many churches also celebrate Epiphany on the nearest Sunday instead. The note at the top of this page shows this year's Sundays.

What color is used for Christmas?

White and gold, the colors of the great feasts of Christ, from Christmas Eve through the Sundays after Christmas.