Christmas Day Liturgy
Opening Prayer
Holy and Loving God,
This day is bursting with joy, because you have come to dwell among us!
We greet you with wonder and welcome you with praise.
Open our eyes to your glory and our hearts to your grace.
Christ is born—let heaven and earth rejoice! Amen.
Call to Worship
Leader: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.
People: The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth.
Leader: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad!
People: For unto us is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Leader: Come, let us adore his—Christ the Lord!
Call to Confession
As we celebrate the miracle of Christ’s birth, we confess the ways we resist his coming into our lives. Let us turn to God with honesty and hope.
Prayer of Confession
Incarnate God,
We confess that we often reduce your coming to a holiday or a tradition.
We fail to receive you as King and Lord.
We cling to control and close our hearts.
Forgive us, O Emmanuel.
Be born in us today, and teach us to walk in your ways. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Hear the good news from Galatians 4:4-5
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent the Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children!”
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, adopted, and beloved. Thanks be to God!
Suggested Scripture Readings
Isaiah 52:7–10
This passage celebrates the arrival of good news—God’s salvation and peace being announced to the world. It speaks of the joyful feet of the messenger who proclaims the coming of Zion’s deliverance and the revelation of God’s glory to all nations.
Psalm 98
A psalm of joyful praise, calling all the earth to sing a new song to the Lord for God’s marvelous deeds. It celebrates God’s righteous rule and salvation, inviting nature itself—oceans, rivers, and mountains—to join in the jubilant worship.
Hebrews 1:1–4
This text highlights how God has spoken to humanity through the Son, Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate revelation of God’s glory and authority. It affirms Christ’s supremacy as the heir of all things and the one who sustains the universe by his power.
John 1:1–14
The prologue to John’s Gospel introduces the Word (Logos), who was with God in the beginning and through whom all things were made. It declares that the Word became flesh in Jesus Christ, bringing light, life, and grace to humanity, dwelling among us.
