Creighton Lacy - "Angels We Have Heard...?" (December 24, 1978)
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| (elegant organ music) | 0:03 | |
| ♪ Beautiful savior ♪ | 0:13 | |
| ♪ King of creation ♪ | 0:19 | |
| ♪ Son of God and son of man ♪ | 0:26 | |
| ♪ Truly I love thee ♪ | 0:36 | |
| ♪ Truly I serve thee ♪ | 0:41 | |
| ♪ Light of my soul, my joy, my crown ♪ | 0:47 | |
| ♪ Fair are the meadows ♪ | 0:57 | |
| ♪ Fair are the woodlands, ♪ | 1:02 | |
| ♪ Robed in flowers of blooming spring ♪ | 1:08 | |
| ♪ Jesus is fairer ♪ | 1:19 | |
| ♪ Jesus is purer ♪ | 1:24 | |
| ♪ He makes our sorrowing spirit sing ♪ | 1:29 | |
| ♪ Beautiful savior ♪ | 1:39 | |
| ♪ Lord of the nations ♪ | 1:44 | |
| ♪ Son of God and son of man ♪ | 1:50 | |
| ♪ Glory and honor ♪ | 2:01 | |
| ♪ Praise, adoration ♪ | 2:06 | |
| ♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪ | 2:11 | |
| ♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪ | 2:19 | |
| ♪ Away in a manger ♪ | 2:53 | |
| ♪ No crib for his bed ♪ | 2:57 | |
| ♪ The little Lord Jesus ♪ | 3:02 | |
| ♪ Laid down his sweet head ♪ | 3:06 | |
| ♪ The stars in the bright sky ♪ | 3:11 | |
| ♪ Looked down where he lay ♪ | 3:15 | |
| ♪ The little Lord Jesus ♪ ♪ | 3:20 | |
| ♪ Asleep on the hay ♪ | 3:25 | |
| ♪ As lately we watched ♪ ♪ | 3:44 | |
| ♪ O'er our fields through the night♪ | 3:47 | |
| ♪ A star there was seen ♪ | 3:51 | |
| ♪ Of such glorious light ♪ | 3:54 | |
| ♪ All through the night ♪ | 3:59 | |
| ♪ Angels did sing ♪ | 4:02 | |
| ♪ In carols so sweet ♪ | 4:06 | |
| ♪ Of the birth of the king ♪ | 4:09 | |
| ♪ A king of such beauty ♪ | 4:15 | |
| ♪ Was ne'er before seen ♪ | 4:19 | |
| ♪ And Mary, his mother ♪ | 4:22 | |
| ♪ So like to a queen ♪ | 4:26 | |
| ♪ Blessed be the hour ♪ | 4:30 | |
| ♪ Welcome the morn ♪ ♪ | 4:34 | |
| ♪ For Christ our dear Savior ♪ | 4:37 | |
| ♪ On earth now is born ♪ | 4:40 | |
| ♪ His throne is a manger ♪ | 4:48 | |
| ♪ His court is a loft ♪ | 4:51 | |
| ♪ But troops of bright angels ♪ | 4:56 | |
| ♪ In lay, sweet and soft ♪ | 4:59 | |
| ♪ Him they proclaim ♪ | 5:05 | |
| ♪ Our Christ by name ♪ ♪ | 5:08 | |
| ♪ And earth, sky, and air ♪ ♪ | 5:12 | |
| ♪ Are now filled with his fame ♪ ♪ | 5:16 | |
| ♪ Then shepherds, be joyful ♪ ♪ | 5:23 | |
| ♪ Salute now your king ♪ ♪ | 5:26 | |
| ♪ O'er hills and o'er valleys ♪ ♪ | 5:30 | |
| ♪ Your song now shall ring ♪ ♪ | 5:33 | |
| ♪ Blest be the hour ♪ ♪ | 5:37 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ | 5:41 | |
| ♪ Welcome the morn ♪ ♪ | 5:43 | |
| ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ | 5:45 | |
| ♪ For Christ our dear savior ♪ ♪ | 5:48 | |
| ♪ On earth now is born ♪ ♪ | 5:51 | |
| ♪ O Holy Night ♪ ♪ | 6:12 | |
| ♪ The stars are brightly shining ♪ ♪ | 6:14 | |
| ♪ It is the night of the dear savior's birth ♪ ♪ | 6:18 | |
| ♪ Long lay the world ♪ ♪ | 6:27 | |
| ♪ In sin and error pining ♪ ♪ | 6:30 | |
| ♪ Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth ♪ ♪ | 6:34 | |
| ♪ A thrill of hope ♪ ♪ | 6:40 | |
| ♪ The weary soul rejoices ♪ ♪ | 6:43 | |
| ♪ For yonder breaks ♪ ♪ | 6:46 | |
| ♪ A new and glorious morn ♪ ♪ | 6:49 | |
| ♪ Fall on your knees ♪ ♪ | 6:53 | |
| ♪ O hear the angel voices ♪ ♪ | 6:58 | |
| ♪ O night divine ♪ ♪ | 7:04 | |
| ♪ O night when Christ was born ♪ ♪ | 7:10 | |
| ♪ O night divine ♪ ♪ | 7:17 | |
| ♪ O night, o night divine ♪ | 7:22 | |
| (choir singing) | 7:50 | |
| ♪ I wonder as I wander out under the sky ♪ | 9:59 | |
| ♪ How Jesus my savior did come for to die ♪ ♪ | 10:07 | |
| ♪ For poor on'ry people like you and like I ♪ ♪ | 10:16 | |
| ♪ I wonder as I wander ♪ ♪ | 10:24 | |
| ♪ Out under the sky ♪ ♪ | 10:30 | |
| ♪ When Mary birthed Jesus, 'twas in a cow's stall ♪ ♪ | 10:36 | |
| ♪ With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all ♪ ♪ | 10:43 | |
| ♪ But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall ♪ ♪ | 10:51 | |
| ♪ And the promise of ages ♪ ♪ | 10:58 | |
| ♪ It then did recall ♪ ♪ | 11:03 | |
| ♪ If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing ♪ ♪ | 11:09 | |
| ♪ A star in the sky or a bird on the wing ♪ ♪ | 11:16 | |
| ♪ Or all of God's angels in heaven to sing ♪ ♪ | 11:23 | |
| ♪ He surely could have it ♪ ♪ | 11:29 | |
| ♪ 'Cause he was the king ♪ ♪ | 11:35 | |
| ♪ I wonder as I wander out under the sky ♪ ♪ | 11:41 | |
| ♪ How Jesus my Savior did come for to die ♪ ♪ | 11:49 | |
| ♪ For poor on'ry people like you and like I ♪ ♪ | 11:57 | |
| ♪ I wonder as I wander ♪ ♪ | 12:05 | |
| ♪ Out under the sky ♪ ♪ | 12:11 | |
| ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ | 12:39 | |
| ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ | 12:44 | |
| ♪ God on high ♪ ♪ | 12:48 | |
| ♪ Draweth nigh ♪ ♪ | 12:52 | |
| ♪ See the holy mother and child ♪ ♪ | 12:57 | |
| ♪ Mary and her Jesus mild ♪ ♪ | 13:05 | |
| ♪ Rest in heavenly peace ♪ ♪ | 13:13 | |
| ♪ Rest in heavenly peace ♪ ♪ | 13:21 | |
| ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ | 13:34 | |
| ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ | 13:38 | |
| ♪ Wondrous star ♪ ♪ | 13:42 | |
| ♪ From afar ♪ ♪ | 13:46 | |
| ♪ Guide the wise men as they bring ♪ ♪ | 13:50 | |
| ♪ Gifts of homage to our king ♪ ♪ | 13:58 | |
| ♪ Jesus Christ our lord ♪ ♪ | 14:05 | |
| ♪ Jesus Christ our lord ♪ ♪ | 14:14 | |
| ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ | 14:25 | |
| ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ | ||
| ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ | 14:29 | |
| ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ | ||
| ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ | 14:33 | |
| ♪ With the angel hosts we sing ♪ ♪ | 14:40 | |
| ♪ Hallelujahs for our king ♪ ♪ | 14:46 | |
| ♪ Christ our Savior is born♪ ♪ | 14:54 | |
| ♪ Savior is born ♪ ♪ | ||
| ♪ Jesus our savior is born ♪ ♪ | 15:04 | |
| ♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪ ♪ | 15:20 | |
| ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ | 15:29 | |
| ♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ ♪ | 15:31 | |
| ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ | 15:33 | |
| ♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ ♪ | 15:35 | |
| ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ | 15:36 | |
| ♪ Gloria ♪ ♪ | ||
| ♪ Gloria, Gloria, Gloria ♪ ♪ | 15:49 | |
| ♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ | 15:53 | |
| (choir singing) | 16:17 | |
| - | Let us continue our worship | 17:38 |
| as we join in the prayer of preparation | 17:39 | |
| found in your bulletin. | 17:43 | |
| Let us pray. | 17:48 | |
| As you came in the stillness of night, great God, | 17:50 | |
| enter our lives. | 17:55 | |
| Overcome darkness with the light of Christ's presence | 17:57 | |
| so that we may clearly see the way to walk, | 18:01 | |
| the truth to speak, | 18:05 | |
| and the life to life for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. | 18:07 | |
| Amen. | 18:12 | |
| (organ music "O come let us adore Him") | 18:15 | |
| (congregation and choir singing) | 20:31 | |
| In this holy season, | 22:08 | |
| when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, | 22:10 | |
| we are keenly aware of our sin. | 22:14 | |
| The darkness in us deepens | 22:18 | |
| and we wait again for the light of His birth. | 22:21 | |
| To prepare for Christ's rebirth in our hearts, | 22:26 | |
| let us now make our corporate confession. | 22:31 | |
| Let us pray. | 22:35 | |
| Almighty God, who sent a star | 22:38 | |
| to guide us to the holy child Jesus, | 22:41 | |
| we confess that we have not followed the light of Your word. | 22:45 | |
| We have not searched for signs on Your love | 22:50 | |
| in the world, | 22:52 | |
| or trusted good news to be good. | 22:54 | |
| We have failed to praise Your son's birth, | 22:58 | |
| and refused His peace on earth. | 23:01 | |
| We have expected little, | 23:04 | |
| and hoped for less. | 23:06 | |
| Forgive our doubt | 23:09 | |
| and renew in us all fine desires, | 23:11 | |
| so we may watch and wait, | 23:14 | |
| and once more hear the glad story of our savior, | 23:17 | |
| Jesus Christ the Lord. | 23:22 | |
| Amen. | 23:25 | |
| Amen. | 23:44 | |
| Beloved in Christ, | 23:46 | |
| God has come to us in Christ, | 23:49 | |
| with the good news that our sins are forgiven, | 23:53 | |
| and we can live as forgiven people of God, | 23:57 | |
| and for this we give thanks. | 24:01 | |
| Let us give thanks for God is good, | 24:04 | |
| and God's love is everlasting. | 24:08 | |
| Thanks be to God, whose love has created us. | 24:11 | |
| Thanks be to God, whose mercy forgives us. | 24:16 | |
| Thanks be to God, whose advent offers us hope. | 24:21 | |
| Amen. | 24:26 | |
| Greetings on this Christmas Eve. | 24:28 | |
| We appreciate that the Durham Boys Choir | 24:32 | |
| under Bill Graham's direction is helping us | 24:34 | |
| in our worship this Sunday, | 24:38 | |
| and we give special thanks to the parents | 24:40 | |
| who have made possible their singing with us today. | 24:44 | |
| You are invited to join for what has become | 24:48 | |
| an important and glorious tradition in Duke Chapel: | 24:51 | |
| the Christmas Eve service of Carols and Lessons. | 24:55 | |
| And those of you who would like to sing in the choir | 24:59 | |
| are requested to come here tonight at 9:30. | 25:02 | |
| Dr. Lacey, we appreciate your finding time | 25:08 | |
| in all the paper grading and end-of-semester work | 25:10 | |
| to prepare a sermon for us, | 25:13 | |
| and those of us who have had the privilege | 25:16 | |
| of hearing you preach in the past | 25:18 | |
| have anticipated this day for a long time, | 25:21 | |
| and we eagerly await you word. | 25:24 | |
| Let us pray. | 25:28 | |
| O God, grant that we may hear Your word | 25:31 | |
| with a desire to receive what is promised. | 25:36 | |
| Engrave it not only in our minds, | 25:40 | |
| but in our hearts, | 25:43 | |
| and transform us by Your spirit | 25:45 | |
| that we may be obedient to Your word. | 25:49 | |
| We pray in the spirit of Christ, Amen. | 25:53 | |
| Our Old Testament lesson is found in the seventh chapter | 25:58 | |
| of Second Samuel. | 26:02 | |
| "Now therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, | 26:06 | |
| "Thus says the Lord of host, I took you from the pasture, | 26:12 | |
| "from following the sheep, that you should be a prince | 26:16 | |
| "over my people, Israel. | 26:19 | |
| "And I have been with you where ever you went, | 26:22 | |
| "and have cut of all your enemies from before you. | 26:26 | |
| "And I will make for you a great name, | 26:29 | |
| "like the name of the great ones of the earth | 26:33 | |
| "And I will appoint a place for my people, Israel, | 26:36 | |
| "and I will plant them that they may dwell | 26:39 | |
| "in their own place, and be disturbed no more. | 26:42 | |
| "And violent people shall afflict them no more, as formerly. | 26:48 | |
| "From the time that I appointed judges | 26:52 | |
| "over my people, Israel, and I will give you rest | 26:55 | |
| "from all your enemies, moreover the Lord declares to you | 26:59 | |
| "that the Lord will make you a house. | 27:03 | |
| "When you days are fulfilled | 27:07 | |
| "and you lie down with your fathers, | 27:09 | |
| "I will raise up your son after you, | 27:11 | |
| "who shall come forth from your body, | 27:15 | |
| "and I will establish his kingdom. | 27:18 | |
| "He shall build a house for my name, | 27:20 | |
| "and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. | 27:24 | |
| "I will be his father, and he shall be my son. | 27:28 | |
| "When he commits inequity I will chasten him | 27:33 | |
| "with the rod of men, with the stripes of the son of men, | 27:36 | |
| "but I will not take my steadfast love from him | 27:41 | |
| "as I took it from Saul, | 27:44 | |
| "whom I put away before you, | 27:46 | |
| "and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure | 27:48 | |
| "forever before me. | 27:52 | |
| "Your throne shall be established forever." | 27:55 | |
| Here ends the Old Testament lesson. | 27:59 | |
| The epistle lesson in found in the 16th chapter of Romans. | 28:02 | |
| "Now to him who is able to strengthen you | 28:09 | |
| "according to my gospel, | 28:13 | |
| "and the preaching of Jesus Christ, | 28:15 | |
| "according to the revelation of the mystery | 28:17 | |
| "which was kept secret for long ages, | 28:19 | |
| "but is now disclosed through the prophetic writings | 28:22 | |
| "is made known to all nations, | 28:26 | |
| "according to the command of the eternal God, | 28:28 | |
| "to bring about obedience to the faith | 28:32 | |
| "to the only wise God be glory forevermore | 28:35 | |
| "through Jesus Christ, Amen." | 28:39 | |
| Here ends the reading of the epistle lesson. | 28:42 | |
| (organ music) | 28:56 | |
| (choir singing) | 29:33 | |
| Will the congregation rise | 33:24 | |
| for the reading of the Gospel lesson. | 33:25 | |
| Hear the reading from the first chapter | 33:33 | |
| of Saint Luke. | 33:36 | |
| "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel | 33:38 | |
| "was sent from God to a city of Galilee | 33:41 | |
| "named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man | 33:43 | |
| "whose name was Joseph of the house of David. | 33:46 | |
| "And the virgin's name was Mary. | 33:50 | |
| "And he came to her and said, | 33:53 | |
| "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you. | 33:56 | |
| "But she was greatly troubled at the saying, | 34:00 | |
| "and considered in her mind | 34:03 | |
| "what sort of greeting this might be. | 34:05 | |
| "And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, | 34:08 | |
| "for you have found favor with God. | 34:12 | |
| "And behold, you will conceive in your womb | 34:15 | |
| "and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. | 34:19 | |
| "He will be great and will be called | 34:24 | |
| "the son of the most high. | 34:27 | |
| "And the Lord God will give to him the throne | 34:30 | |
| "of his father David, and he shall reign | 34:33 | |
| "over the house of Jacob forever, | 34:36 | |
| "and of his kingdom there will be no end. | 34:39 | |
| "Then said Mary to the angel, How can this be, | 34:44 | |
| "since I have no husband? | 34:47 | |
| "And the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit | 34:50 | |
| "will come upon you, and the power of the most high | 34:54 | |
| "will overshadow you. | 34:59 | |
| "Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, | 35:01 | |
| "the Son of God. | 35:06 | |
| "And behold your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age | 35:09 | |
| "has also conceived a son, | 35:13 | |
| "and this is the sixth month with her, | 35:16 | |
| "who was called barren, | 35:19 | |
| "for with God nothing will be impossible. | 35:21 | |
| "And Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. | 35:26 | |
| "Let it be to me according to your word. | 35:32 | |
| "And the angel departed from her." | 35:36 | |
| All praise and glory be unto God, Amen. | 35:40 | |
| (organ playing) | 35:46 | |
| ♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪ | 36:00 | |
| ♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪ | 36:14 | |
| - | On this date, 19 hundred and 78 years ago, | 36:52 |
| give or take a few years for calendar changes | 36:57 | |
| and historical discrepancies, | 37:00 | |
| and a few months for seasonal adjustments, | 37:02 | |
| there were shepherds abiding in the field | 37:05 | |
| keeping watch over their flock by night, | 37:08 | |
| and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, | 37:12 | |
| and the glory of the Lord shown 'round about them, | 37:15 | |
| and they were sore afraid. | 37:19 | |
| Most of us are too sophisticated to believe in angels. | 37:23 | |
| Where medieval pundits debated how many angels | 37:27 | |
| could dance on the head of a pin, | 37:30 | |
| we count the number of atoms in a molecule, | 37:32 | |
| or analyze the gases surrounding the planet Venus. | 37:35 | |
| Most of us are familiar with Charlie's Angels. | 37:40 | |
| Not familiar enough, some of you might say. | 37:43 | |
| But we have learned that the old-fashioned | 37:46 | |
| term of endearment is not only sexist, | 37:49 | |
| but of dubious accuracy. | 37:51 | |
| The biblical angels, when personally identified, | 37:54 | |
| are all male, and they do not necessarily | 37:57 | |
| have beautiful voices and gentle tones. | 38:00 | |
| Despite the choirs sweetly singing o'er the plains in | 38:04 | |
| in our next hymn, | 38:07 | |
| in individual confrontation, those messengers | 38:09 | |
| can be pretty blunt. | 38:12 | |
| The command to get up and get going | 38:14 | |
| is seldom dulcet and soothing, | 38:17 | |
| whether it comes from an alarm clock, | 38:20 | |
| or a preacher, | 38:23 | |
| or a roommate, | 38:25 | |
| or a wife, | 38:27 | |
| or some other kind of angel. | 38:28 | |
| Now I must confess, as no surprise to some of you, | 38:31 | |
| that I do not hold direct dialogue with many angels. | 38:35 | |
| In this season, when all sorts of angelic figures | 38:39 | |
| smile benignly from the top of Christmas trees, | 38:43 | |
| or peek or peer or sometimes leer from greeting cards, | 38:46 | |
| I decided to turn to scriptures to find out | 38:52 | |
| what they were saying. | 38:54 | |
| Aided by the helpful interpretations | 38:56 | |
| of a beloved teacher, homiletician, and friend, | 38:59 | |
| the late Halford Luccock. | 39:03 | |
| Let me share a few of my discoveries with you. | 39:05 | |
| In the first place, the angel | 39:09 | |
| is frequently a bearer of good tidings of great joy | 39:10 | |
| in the midst of fear, bewilderment, anxiety. | 39:14 | |
| To Mary in our morning lesson, announcing | 39:20 | |
| that she would bear a son | 39:23 | |
| who should be called Emmanuel, God with us. | 39:24 | |
| To Joseph, wondering whether he | 39:30 | |
| should divorce his young wife. | 39:31 | |
| To Zachariah, learning that the son of his old age | 39:35 | |
| would be prophet of the most high. | 39:38 | |
| To Jesus Himself, according to the Luken narrative, | 39:42 | |
| strengthening his will in the garden of Gethsemane. | 39:45 | |
| To Mary Magdalene, weeping at the tomb. | 39:49 | |
| To Saint Paul in storm and shipwreck on the way to Rome. | 39:53 | |
| To all these and many more, the voice of angels came. | 39:58 | |
| "Fear not, be not afraid. | 40:02 | |
| "The things which are happening | 40:05 | |
| "may be strange and frightening, | 40:07 | |
| "may even contain sorrow and suffering, | 40:09 | |
| "but in all of them, God has a purpose. | 40:12 | |
| "He has chosen you to serve His will. | 40:16 | |
| "Get up and do it." | 40:20 | |
| Sometimes that summons to action is implicit | 40:23 | |
| rather than explicit, | 40:26 | |
| but those who listen attentively get the drift, | 40:27 | |
| and move. | 40:30 | |
| When the shepherds were given a sign to look for in town, | 40:32 | |
| the strange sign of a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes | 40:35 | |
| lying in a manger, | 40:39 | |
| it did not take any unusual imagination, | 40:41 | |
| though a great deal of faith, | 40:44 | |
| to respond, "Let us now go up to Bethlehem, | 40:46 | |
| "and see this thing which the Lord has made known to us." | 40:49 | |
| Similarly, at the other end of Jesus' life, | 40:55 | |
| after his ascension, two angels appeared to the disciples | 40:57 | |
| and said, "Ye men of Galillee, why stand ye | 41:01 | |
| "looking up into Heaven? | 41:04 | |
| "This Jesus shall come in like manner | 41:06 | |
| "as ye beheld His going into Heaven." | 41:08 | |
| They issued no direct order, | 41:12 | |
| but the implications were clear. | 41:14 | |
| Jesus' last word had been a promised and a challenge. | 41:17 | |
| "You shall receive power. | 41:22 | |
| "You shall be my witnesses, | 41:24 | |
| "both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sumeria, | 41:26 | |
| "and unto the uttermost part of the earth." | 41:29 | |
| The angels were prodding gently. | 41:32 | |
| It is important to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus | 41:36 | |
| as much as possible. | 41:39 | |
| Indeed, we all need to look up to Heaven | 41:41 | |
| more often than we do. | 41:43 | |
| But beyond that love and reverence | 41:46 | |
| is a duty to express our faith in concern for others. | 41:48 | |
| Why stand looking up into Heaven | 41:53 | |
| when there is work to do? | 41:55 | |
| Somewhat surprisingly, angel messengers | 41:59 | |
| sometimes tell us to stand still, to pause, | 42:02 | |
| even to go backwards or retreat. | 42:06 | |
| In the early Genesis story of Abraham's concubine Haygar, | 42:09 | |
| who wanted to run away from Sarah's mistreatment, | 42:12 | |
| the messenger said, in effect, "Return to your work. | 42:16 | |
| "Obey your mistress." | 42:20 | |
| "God has a purpose for you life, and for your son." | 42:23 | |
| Ezekiel was told by an angel, | 42:29 | |
| "to go shut thyself within thy house." | 42:31 | |
| To listen, to wait for further revelation from the Lord. | 42:34 | |
| All of us at one time or another | 42:40 | |
| need that admonition to slow down, | 42:42 | |
| to take it easy, | 42:45 | |
| to let time pronounce its benediction. | 42:47 | |
| The Nativity story in Matthew's Gospel ends | 42:52 | |
| with the flight of the holy family. | 42:55 | |
| "When the wise men had departed, behold, | 42:57 | |
| "an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph | 43:00 | |
| "in a dream and said, Rise, take the child | 43:02 | |
| "and his mother and flee to Egypt, | 43:05 | |
| "and remain there 'til I tell you." | 43:08 | |
| What a formidable undertaking that must have been | 43:12 | |
| for a Galilean carpenter. | 43:14 | |
| The scriptures give no hint. | 43:16 | |
| Certainly more difficult in ever way | 43:18 | |
| than the journey form Nazareth to Bethlehem. | 43:20 | |
| Yet Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night | 43:24 | |
| and departed to Egypt. | 43:28 | |
| Most often, however, the angel voices | 43:33 | |
| urge men and women forward, to a new adventure. | 43:35 | |
| It took two messengers to convince Lot | 43:40 | |
| to "arise, take they wife and two daughters, | 43:43 | |
| "and escape from Sodom. | 43:46 | |
| "Look not behind, escape thither. | 43:49 | |
| "Hast thee." | 43:51 | |
| And when his wife, | 43:54 | |
| resentful of leaving her home and friends, looked back, | 43:55 | |
| well we all know what happened. | 43:59 | |
| Or Elijah in first Kings was told to "Arise and eat." | 44:02 | |
| Note how practical these angels are, | 44:07 | |
| not at all ethereal in their concerns. | 44:09 | |
| "Go forth and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. | 44:12 | |
| "Go, return on they way to the wilderness of Damascus | 44:15 | |
| "and anoint the kings of Israel." | 44:19 | |
| In other words, get your instructions from God | 44:22 | |
| and then obey, go forth. | 44:26 | |
| Even the most faithful Bible readers | 44:31 | |
| often forget that it was an angel of the Lord | 44:33 | |
| who spoke to Moses in a burning bush, and gave orders. | 44:35 | |
| Moses was extremely reluctant as we all know, | 44:40 | |
| but the messenger had an answer for all his reservations. | 44:43 | |
| "Certainly, I will be with thee." | 44:47 | |
| With a repertoire of miracles up his sleeve. | 44:51 | |
| "When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, | 44:54 | |
| "ye shall serve God on this mountain. | 44:57 | |
| "Go and gather the elders of Israel together." | 45:00 | |
| Into the physical, political, and personal perils | 45:04 | |
| of Egypt, go. | 45:08 | |
| In the book of Judges an angel's voice came | 45:13 | |
| to Gideon, the warrior, saying, | 45:15 | |
| "Go in this thy might, | 45:17 | |
| "and his strength was the promised presence of God, | 45:20 | |
| "and save Israel. | 45:23 | |
| "Have not I sent thee? | 45:25 | |
| "Arise, get thee down into the camp, | 45:28 | |
| "for I have delivered it into thy hands." | 45:30 | |
| If God sends us, he will use us. | 45:34 | |
| And in sometimes unfathomable ways, | 45:38 | |
| the victory will be his. | 45:41 | |
| And ours. | 45:44 | |
| In a very different New Testament setting | 45:47 | |
| an angel appeared to the apostle Phillip | 45:49 | |
| and told him to arise and go to the south, | 45:51 | |
| to a desert road. | 45:54 | |
| Not a very promising mission field. | 45:56 | |
| Yet there he encountered the Ethiopian eunuch, | 45:58 | |
| and there, beginning with the scripture lesson | 46:01 | |
| from Isaiah, Phillip taught the foreign court official | 46:03 | |
| the good news of Jesus Christ, | 46:07 | |
| and then baptized him. | 46:09 | |
| Arise and go, even if the announced destination | 46:12 | |
| is a desert road, | 46:16 | |
| for obedience often brings unexpected results. | 46:18 | |
| But how seldom can it truly be said of us as of Phillip, | 46:23 | |
| "he arose and went?" | 46:27 | |
| Some of us who enjoy travel and adventure | 46:33 | |
| are eager to get up and go, | 46:35 | |
| but we don't want any responsibilities | 46:37 | |
| when we get there. | 46:39 | |
| We want to be witnesses of what is going on | 46:41 | |
| in the spectator sense. | 46:44 | |
| But we are very reluctant to be outspoken witnesses | 46:46 | |
| for what is going on in God's world. | 46:50 | |
| Yet the angels demand more than just looking. | 46:54 | |
| When John and Peter were in prison | 46:59 | |
| the angel who liberated them did not say, | 47:01 | |
| "Go home and rest, you've had a rough day, boys. | 47:03 | |
| "Relax." | 47:06 | |
| Instead, the world of the Lord commanded them. | 47:08 | |
| "Go ye, and stand and speak in the temple to the people, | 47:11 | |
| "all the words of this life." | 47:15 | |
| Life with a capital "L" in the revised standard version. | 47:18 | |
| But that is exactly what they had been doing, | 47:23 | |
| what they had been in prison for. | 47:25 | |
| Why risk persecution again where the audience | 47:27 | |
| was obviously hostile? | 47:29 | |
| At least they could flee to another town | 47:32 | |
| before deliberately provoking the authorities. | 47:34 | |
| But no. | 47:37 | |
| When they heard this, they entered into the temple | 47:39 | |
| about daybreak and talked. | 47:42 | |
| They responded to the word of the angel | 47:45 | |
| with eagerness, obedience, and faith. | 47:48 | |
| On a university campus, even during a vacation period, | 47:54 | |
| we should remember the angel who spoke | 47:58 | |
| to the prophet Zachariah, | 47:59 | |
| not the father of John the Baptist this time | 48:01 | |
| but the minor star of the | 48:04 | |
| next-to-the-last book in the Old testament. | 48:05 | |
| To him it was said by two angels, | 48:09 | |
| "Run, speak to this young man." | 48:11 | |
| In an age of hot rods and Hondas, | 48:16 | |
| of jet flights to the Holy Land for Christmas | 48:18 | |
| and space shuttles or rockets to Venus, | 48:20 | |
| we Christians truly need to run | 48:24 | |
| if we are going to speak to the young men and women | 48:26 | |
| of this generation. | 48:29 | |
| Those of you who are familiar with the religious life staff | 48:32 | |
| of this university, | 48:35 | |
| know how ceaselessly and faithfully they run | 48:37 | |
| from one dormitory to committee to crises after another | 48:40 | |
| to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is here. | 48:45 | |
| Yes, even here, on this campus. | 48:50 | |
| It is not just going or speaking that is important, | 48:55 | |
| but the word of the Lord that we are called to proclaim. | 48:58 | |
| You remember the story of Balaam, | 49:02 | |
| whose donkey balked on a narrow mountain road? | 49:04 | |
| It was some time before the exasperated Balaam realized | 49:08 | |
| that his companion was not just being an ass, | 49:11 | |
| or a stubborn mule, | 49:14 | |
| but there really was an angel blocking the way. | 49:16 | |
| An angel whom Balaam could not see. | 49:19 | |
| When he finally understood he offered to turn back, | 49:23 | |
| but the angel had other instructions. | 49:26 | |
| "Go with the man, but only the word that I shall speak | 49:29 | |
| "unto thee, shalt thou speak." | 49:33 | |
| In other words, don't retreat from life, | 49:37 | |
| from difficult situations, | 49:39 | |
| put yourself in the midst of needy men and women | 49:41 | |
| in your own community or far away, | 49:44 | |
| and speak God's word to them. | 49:48 | |
| But first, we must prepare ourselves | 49:53 | |
| to respond to angelic orders. | 49:56 | |
| That's the purpose of advent, | 49:59 | |
| so that when the miracle does come, | 50:02 | |
| like Mary and Joseph, | 50:05 | |
| like Elizabeth and Zachariah, | 50:07 | |
| we can accept and believe and rejoice. | 50:09 | |
| In one of the marvelous but difficult visions of Ezekiel, | 50:16 | |
| an angel said, "Son of man, stand upon your feet, | 50:19 | |
| "and I will speak with you." | 50:23 | |
| First move is to get up and listen, | 50:25 | |
| not to rush off without a message. | 50:27 | |
| "I send you to the people of Israel, | 50:31 | |
| "to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. | 50:33 | |
| "The people also are impudent and stubborn. | 50:36 | |
| "I send you to them. | 50:40 | |
| "And be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words." | 50:43 | |
| In other words, don't shrink from dialogue or heckling, | 50:48 | |
| or tirades of opposition. | 50:51 | |
| Don't be dismayed by criticism or rejection. | 50:53 | |
| "You shall speak my words to them." | 50:58 | |
| "My words," notice, not your own, | 51:02 | |
| or what you've picked up from the latest best seller, | 51:05 | |
| be it pornographic or theological. | 51:08 | |
| "All my words that I shall speak to you, | 51:12 | |
| "receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. | 51:15 | |
| "And go, get you to the exiles, to your people, | 51:19 | |
| "and say to them, Thus says the Lord." | 51:22 | |
| That was quite a long speech for an angel | 51:29 | |
| but how full of meaning. | 51:31 | |
| Listen, | 51:34 | |
| in our own hearts as well as with our ears. | 51:35 | |
| Absorb, | 51:39 | |
| Ponder, | 51:41 | |
| Take the words of life into our own being | 51:45 | |
| before we presume to share them with others. | 51:47 | |
| Stand up, | 51:52 | |
| have courage, | 51:53 | |
| don't shilly-shally. | 51:55 | |
| Obey. | 51:58 | |
| That's a nasty word in the modern vocabulary of freedom. | 52:00 | |
| Be not rebellious. | 52:03 | |
| But if the 70's are less defiant and revolutionary | 52:06 | |
| toward authority than the 60's, | 52:09 | |
| the so-called "me decade" can be just as disobedient | 52:12 | |
| in its self-centered apathy towards human needs | 52:16 | |
| or angel voices. | 52:21 | |
| "Go," says the messenger. | 52:24 | |
| Don't expect people to come to you, | 52:27 | |
| they're too busy or preoccupied or cynical. | 52:28 | |
| Go, cross the frontiers, | 52:33 | |
| an ocean or a railroad track, | 52:36 | |
| the barriers of language or race or class. | 52:39 | |
| Be missionaries at home or abroad. | 52:43 | |
| If you listen to angels, | 52:47 | |
| you must be willing to be sent. | 52:49 | |
| Finally, speak. | 52:54 | |
| Tell people the good news of what God has done | 52:56 | |
| on this very day. | 52:59 | |
| Go tell it on the mountains, | 53:01 | |
| over the hills and everywhere, | 53:03 | |
| that Jesus Christ is born. | 53:06 | |
| Tell them what Christ has meant in your life | 53:09 | |
| and what he can mean in theirs. | 53:13 | |
| Tell them that love | 53:16 | |
| and service | 53:18 | |
| and sacrifice | 53:20 | |
| and reconciliation are the in-words now. | 53:22 | |
| It's not easy to obey the instructions of angels. | 53:29 | |
| It's not even easy to hear them | 53:33 | |
| amid the tumult and the shouting | 53:35 | |
| of our modern world. | 53:37 | |
| Riots in Tehran, terrorist bombs in Jerusalem, | 53:39 | |
| Rhodesian raids into Mozambique, | 53:43 | |
| or pistol shots in San Francisco. | 53:45 | |
| It is not easy to pay attention | 53:49 | |
| when we don't even believe in those phony characters | 53:51 | |
| in bed sheets, with wings of wire and gauze. | 53:54 | |
| Yet the voice of angels is often the voice of God. | 53:59 | |
| In fact, they are one and the same in the Bible | 54:04 | |
| where the two terms are often used interchangeably. | 54:06 | |
| Paul told the Thessalonians, "The Lord Himself | 54:10 | |
| "shall descend from Heaven with a shout, | 54:14 | |
| "with the voice of the archangel, | 54:16 | |
| "and the trumpet of God." | 54:18 | |
| Obviously I have talked about angels this morning | 54:22 | |
| because we are a wee bit more receptive | 54:26 | |
| at this time of year. | 54:28 | |
| We sing about them in almost every Christmas hymn. | 54:30 | |
| We hang them on our trees. | 54:34 | |
| We read of their activities, | 54:36 | |
| especially their glad tidings of great joy | 54:38 | |
| in the Nativity story. | 54:40 | |
| But do we listen to them? | 54:44 | |
| Surely if ever we need to hear their message, it is now, | 54:47 | |
| in the midst of a distraught age. | 54:51 | |
| Above the lies and prejudice, | 54:55 | |
| the four-letter words that no longer carry shock value, | 54:57 | |
| the accusations and bitterness, | 55:02 | |
| the greed and corruption at so many levels of society, | 55:05 | |
| the endless inanity often worse than insanity | 55:10 | |
| in our entertainment and our lifestyles. | 55:15 | |
| Somewhere this advent season and all through the year, | 55:18 | |
| angels are saying, "Fear not. | 55:22 | |
| "I bring glad tidings. | 55:26 | |
| "I am with you. | 55:29 | |
| "Arise, go." | 55:32 | |
| Arise, go. | 55:37 | |
| To the hospital to call on a friend. | 55:40 | |
| To a tutoring session that may seem hopeless. | 55:43 | |
| To a dormitory room where stark loneliness | 55:47 | |
| has blotted out the star of hope. | 55:50 | |
| Parenthetically, while I was writing this sermon this week, | 55:54 | |
| a resident advisor came by to tell me | 55:58 | |
| of a single dormitory on this campus | 56:00 | |
| that had recently included an attempted suicide | 56:03 | |
| an admission to Myer Ward, an unwanted pregnancy, | 56:06 | |
| and an alcoholic dropout. | 56:09 | |
| Arise, go. | 56:12 | |
| To help a Durham senior citizen to read. | 56:15 | |
| To serve in the Peace Corps in famine-stricken Mali, | 56:19 | |
| or embattled Korea. | 56:23 | |
| To a community center in Appalachia. | 56:25 | |
| Or to this chapel, for a renewal of vision and dedication. | 56:29 | |
| Get up and speak. | 56:37 | |
| Perhaps the old traditional ever-new assurance | 56:40 | |
| "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." | 56:43 | |
| Or an note of sympathy to someone in sorrow. | 56:49 | |
| A sincere apology for a harsh word, | 56:53 | |
| or even more cruel, neglect. | 56:56 | |
| A letter to your congressman. | 57:00 | |
| A daily prayer for yourself, your church, | 57:03 | |
| your nation, your world. | 57:08 | |
| An unexpected compliment. | 57:12 | |
| A word of encouragement. | 57:15 | |
| A direct, spontaneous confession, "I love you." | 57:17 | |
| Or in just a minute, a joyous, exuberant, | 57:23 | |
| off-key celebration of Gloria in excelsis Deo. | 57:25 | |
| The summons of angels may be very monotonous, | 57:34 | |
| so Dr. Luccock reminds us is the honk or a horn | 57:38 | |
| or the clang of a fire bell. | 57:41 | |
| An irate hearer complained to Samuel Barnett, | 57:44 | |
| cannon of Bristol Cathedral, | 57:46 | |
| "I come to church to be comforted, | 57:50 | |
| "and you sound like a fire alarm." | 57:52 | |
| But the world is on fire, | 57:55 | |
| and we are being told by the angels of God | 57:58 | |
| to get up and speak, | 58:02 | |
| to go out and do something about it. | 58:04 | |
| Monotonous? | 58:07 | |
| Yes. | 58:10 | |
| But the life you will if you listen to angel voices | 58:12 | |
| is anything but monotonous. | 58:15 | |
| Ask the men and women down through the ages | 58:18 | |
| who have heard the Lord's messengers | 58:21 | |
| tell them to get up and go. | 58:24 | |
| And they've got up and gone. | 58:26 | |
| Have you heard any angels this Christmas season? | 58:30 | |
| Have you really heard them? | 58:35 | |
| Are you prepared to listen for them, | 58:40 | |
| and to them, | 58:44 | |
| in the year ahead? | 58:46 | |
| Let us pray. | 58:50 | |
| O God who speaks to us in many ways with many voices, | 58:55 | |
| help us to tune out the noisy commercialism | 58:59 | |
| of this holiday season, | 59:02 | |
| and on this holy day, | 59:04 | |
| to tune in to the jubilant announcement | 59:07 | |
| that indeed, You have come in to this dark world. | 59:09 | |
| That You want us to get up and carry the good news | 59:14 | |
| to all people. | 59:17 | |
| That You expect us to show and tell, | 59:20 | |
| by our lives, | 59:23 | |
| that Jesus Christ is born. | 59:25 | |
| Amen. | 59:31 | |
| (organ playing "Angels we Have Heard on High") | 59:40 | |
| ♪ Angels we have heard on high ♪ ♪ | 1:00:24 | |
| ♪ Sweetly singing o'er the plains ♪ | 1:00:28 | |
| ♪ And the mountains in reply ♪ | 1:00:33 | |
| ♪ Echoing their joyous strains ♪ | 1:00:38 | |
| ♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪ | 1:00:43 | |
| ♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪ | 1:00:59 | |
| ♪ Shepherds, why this jubilee? ♪ | 1:01:16 | |
| ♪ Why your joyous strains prolong? ♪ | 1:01:21 | |
| ♪ What the gladsome tidings be ♪ | 1:01:26 | |
| ♪ Which inspire your heavenly song? ♪ | 1:01:31 | |
| ♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪ ♪ | 1:01:36 | |
| ♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪ | 1:01:51 | |
| ♪ Come to Bethlehem and see ♪ | 1:02:09 | |
| ♪ Him whose birth the angels sing, ♪ | 1:02:14 | |
| ♪ Come, adore on bended knee, ♪ | 1:02:19 | |
| ♪ Christ the Lord, the newborn King. ♪ ♪ | 1:02:25 | |
| ♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪ | 1:02:30 | |
| ♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪ | 1:02:44 | |
| ♪ See Him in a manger laid, ♪ | 1:03:04 | |
| ♪ Whom the choirs of angels praise ♪ | 1:03:08 | |
| ♪ Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, ♪ | 1:03:13 | |
| ♪ While our hearts in love we raise. ♪ | 1:03:18 | |
| ♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪ | 1:03:23 | |
| ♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪ | 1:03:38 | |
| - | Let us affirm what we believe. | 1:04:00 |
| We believe in God, who has created and is creating, | 1:04:04 | |
| who has come in the truly human Jesus, | 1:04:09 | |
| to reconcile and make new. | 1:04:13 | |
| Who works in us and others by the Spirit. | 1:04:16 | |
| We trust God, who calls us to be the church, | 1:04:20 | |
| to celebrate life and its fullness, | 1:04:25 | |
| to love and serve others, | 1:04:28 | |
| to seek justice and resist evil, | 1:04:31 | |
| to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, | 1:04:34 | |
| our judge and our hope. | 1:04:39 | |
| In life, in death, in life beyond death, | 1:04:42 | |
| God is with us. | 1:04:46 | |
| We are not alone. | 1:04:49 | |
| Thanks be to god. | 1:04:51 | |
| Congregation be seated please. | 1:04:54 | |
| The Lord be with you. | 1:05:02 | |
| (congregation responds) | 1:05:04 | |
| Let us pray. | 1:05:06 | |
| Teach us, Lord our God, | 1:05:11 | |
| how to wait faithfully | 1:05:15 | |
| and actively for the time of Your coming. | 1:05:18 | |
| As we recall the glad tidings of the angels | 1:05:23 | |
| and the celebration of the first Christmas, | 1:05:26 | |
| remind us that tidings of great joy | 1:05:30 | |
| are ours as well, | 1:05:33 | |
| and that these tidings call us | 1:05:37 | |
| to respond. | 1:05:40 | |
| Prepare us to receive the Christ when He comes to us, | 1:05:44 | |
| as the one who is hungry, cold, lonely. | 1:05:48 | |
| As the one who is without hope. | 1:05:56 | |
| The one facing an uncertain future. | 1:05:59 | |
| The one who lives in the sharp presence of death. | 1:06:04 | |
| We pray, O God, for those who are in pain, | 1:06:11 | |
| that there will be healing. | 1:06:15 | |
| For those who are broken, | 1:06:18 | |
| that there will be wholeness. | 1:06:22 | |
| For those who are angry, | 1:06:25 | |
| that they will find Your peace. | 1:06:29 | |
| Those who are oppressed or at war, | 1:06:32 | |
| will find Your justice. | 1:06:37 | |
| And we pray that where there is alienation, | 1:06:41 | |
| there will be reconciliation and forgiveness through You. | 1:06:45 | |
| And O God of love, be with us | 1:06:52 | |
| so that we know that Your strength is beneath us, | 1:06:57 | |
| go with us so that we know we have Your love | 1:07:02 | |
| within us. | 1:07:06 | |
| Be for us in our goodness, | 1:07:09 | |
| and against us in our evil. | 1:07:13 | |
| Keep us from all things shallow and unholy. | 1:07:18 | |
| Protect us from all times and places that destroy | 1:07:24 | |
| and deceive. | 1:07:29 | |
| And give us grace, O God, to show the justice and mercy | 1:07:32 | |
| to all people that we would ask for ourselves. | 1:07:39 | |
| We pray in the spirit of the one who taught us to pray: | 1:07:46 | |
| Our Father who art in heaven, | 1:07:51 | |
| Hallowed be thy name. | 1:07:55 | |
| Thy kingdom come. | 1:07:58 | |
| Thy will be done | 1:08:00 | |
| on earth as it is in heaven. | 1:08:02 | |
| Give us this day our daily bread, | 1:08:05 | |
| and forgive us our trespasses, | 1:08:08 | |
| as we forgive those who trespass against us, | 1:08:11 | |
| and lead us not into temptation, | 1:08:15 | |
| but deliver us from evil. | 1:08:18 | |
| For thine is the kingdom, | 1:08:20 | |
| and the power, and the glory, forever. | 1:08:22 | |
| Amen. | 1:08:26 | |
| (organ music) | 1:08:34 | |
| (choir singing) | 1:10:44 | |
| - | We give you thanks, O God, | 1:15:49 |
| for the love and wonder and awe of the shepherds | 1:15:51 | |
| and angels and pilgrims of old. | 1:15:55 | |
| May we come to adore the Christ, whose birth we celebrate, | 1:15:59 | |
| and with our gifts and our love, | 1:16:05 | |
| worship Him as our Lord and Savior. | 1:16:09 | |
| Amen. | 1:16:14 | |
| (organ playing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) | 1:16:17 | |
| ♪ Hark! the herald angels sing,♪ ♪ | 1:16:39 | |
| ♪ "Glory to the new-born King! ♪ | 1:16:44 | |
| ♪ Peace on earth, and mercy mild, ♪ | 1:16:50 | |
| ♪ God and sinners reconciled." ♪ | 1:16:54 | |
| ♪ Joyful, all ye nations rise, ♪ | 1:17:00 | |
| ♪ Join the triumph of the skies; ♪ | 1:17:05 | |
| ♪ With th' angelic host proclaim, ♪ ♪ | 1:17:11 | |
| ♪ "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" ♪ ♪ | 1:17:16 | |
| ♪ Hark! the herald angels sing, ♪ | 1:17:21 | |
| ♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪ | 1:17:27 | |
| ♪ Christ, by highest Heav'n adored; ♪ | 1:17:35 | |
| ♪ Christ the everlasting Lord; ♪ ♪ | 1:17:40 | |
| ♪ Late in time, behold Him come, ♪ | 1:17:46 | |
| ♪ Offspring of a virgin's womb. ♪ | 1:17:51 | |
| ♪ Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; ♪ | 1:17:56 | |
| ♪ Hail th' incarnate Deity, ♪ | 1:18:02 | |
| ♪ Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, ♪ | 1:18:07 | |
| ♪ Jesus our Emmanuel. ♪ | 1:18:12 | |
| ♪ Hark! the herald angels sing, ♪ ♪ | 1:18:17 | |
| ♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪ | 1:18:23 | |
| ♪ Hail the heav'nly Prince of Peace! ♪ ♪ | 1:18:31 | |
| ♪ Hail the Sun of Righteousness! ♪ ♪ | 1:18:36 | |
| ♪ Light and life to all He brings, ♪ | 1:18:42 | |
| ♪ Ris'n with healing in His wings. ♪ | 1:18:47 | |
| ♪ Mild He lays His glory by, ♪ | 1:18:53 | |
| ♪ Born that man no more may die; ♪ | 1:18:58 | |
| ♪ Born to raise the sons of earth, ♪ | 1:19:03 | |
| ♪ Born to give them second birth. ♪ | 1:19:09 | |
| ♪ Hark! the herald angels sing, ♪ | 1:19:14 | |
| ♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪ | 1:19:20 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 1:19:29 | |
| Beloved go forth, and listen for the angel voices. | 1:19:39 | |
| Go forth with assurance that God's love with sustain you | 1:19:46 | |
| as you respond to this call. | 1:19:52 | |
| The grace and peace of God is yours this day. | 1:19:56 | |
| Amen. | 1:20:02 | |
| (organ music) | 1:20:05 | |
| (congregation clapping) | 1:25:54 | |
| (distant chatter) | 1:25:59 |
