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Join All the Glorious Names

A Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas

LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan
December 14, 2003

Order of Service

Organ Voluntary: Prelude on “Christus Paradox,” Albert Travis
O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright, Walter Pelz
I. Prelude
II. Pastorale
III. Toccata

* Processional Hymn: Join All the Glorious Names

Stanza 1: all
Stanza 2: all unison
Stanza 3: women
Stanza 4: men
Stanza 5: all unison

Text: Isaac Watts, 1707
Music: tune Darwall's 148th; John Darwall, 1770

* Bidding Prayer

Pastor:

Beloved in Christ, as we await the great festival of Christmas, we prepare ourselves so
that we may be shown its true meaning. We have gathered to hear, in readings from
the holy scriptures, how the prophets of Israel foretold that God would visit and redeem
his waiting people. We rehearse again the account of the loving purposes of God from
the first days of our disobedience to the glorious redemption brought us by our Lord
Jesus Christ. We rejoice, in carols and hymns, that the good purpose of God is being mightily fulfilled: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up.

But first, we pray for the world which God so loves, for those who have not heard the
good news of God, or who do not believe it; for those who walk in darkness and the
shadow of death; and for the Church in this place and everywhere, that it may be freed
from all evil and fear, and may in pure joy lift up the light of the love of God. These
prayers we humbly offer as we meditate on each of the readings from holy scripture,
and also now, in the words that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us.

* Congregation:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen!

*God’s Greeting

Please be seated.

I. Word

Readings from Genesis 1:1-4 and John 1:1-5

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Suscepit Israel, Johann Sebastian Bach

Suscepit Israel puerum suum,       He has helped his servant Israel,
recordatus misericordiae suae.     in remembrance of his mercy.
—Luke 2:54

The Glory of the Father, Egil Hovland

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
We beheld the glory of the Father,
full of grace and truth.

In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was with God.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
He came to his own, and his own received him not.

II. Immanuel

A Reading from Isaiah 7:10-14

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

O Come, O Come, Immanuel

Stanza 1: Choir men; congregation joins choir on refrain.
Stanza 2: Choir women; congregation joins choir on refrain.
Stanza 3: All men
Stanza 4: All women
Stanza 5: All

Text: Latin hymn, 1710; tr. by John M. Neale (1818-1866), alt.
Music: tune Veni Emmanuel, French processional, 15th cent.; arr. by David Cherwien

III. Rose

A Reading from Hosea 14

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming, arr. J. Edmund Hughes

Of the Father’s love begotten
       Lo, how a rose e’er blooming
ere the world began to be,
       from tender stem hath sprung;
he is the Alpha and Omega;
       of Jesse’s lineage coming
he the source, the ending he.
       as men of old have sung.
Of the things that are that have been
       It came a flow’ret bright
and that future years shall be
       amid the cold of winter
evermore and evermore!
       when half spent was the night.
              -Of the Father's Love Begotten: Marcus Aurelius C. Prudentius, 4th c.; tr. John M. Neale, 1854, and Henry W. Baker, 1859, alt.
              -Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming: German, 15th c.; st. 1 tr. Theodore Baker, 1894

A Spotless Rose, Herbert Howells

A Spotless Rose is blowing,
sprung from a tender root.
Of ancient seers’ foreshadowing,
of Jesse promised fruit.
Its fairest bud unfolds to light
amid the cold, cold winter,
and in the dark midnight.

The Rose which I am singing,
where-of Isaiah said,
is from its sweet root springing
in Mary, purest Maid.
For through our God’s great love and might,
the Blessed Babe she bare us
in a cold, cold, winter’s night.
              —Es ist ein Ros entsprungen/The Rose of Sharon; 15th c. German carol, trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1869

IV. Lamb of God

Readings from Isaiah 53:1-7 & John 1:29

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

The Lamb, John Tavener

       Little Lamb, who made thee?
       Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life and bid thee feed
by the stream and o’er the mead;
gave thee clothing of delight,
softest clothing, woolly, bright;
gave thee such a tender voice,
making all the vales rejoice?
       Little Lamb, who made thee?
       Dost thou know who made thee?

       Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee,
       Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee:
he is called by thy name,
for he calls himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and he is mild;
he became a little child.
I, a child, and thou a lamb,
we are called by his name.
       Little Lamb, God bless thee!
       Little Lamb, God bless thee!
              —William Blake

O Christ, the Lamb of God, Psalter Hymnal 257
            All sing as printed in Psalter.

V. King

A Reading from Psalm 110

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Jesu! Rex admirabilis, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Jesu! Rex admirabilis        Jesu, transcendent, glorious King!
et triumphator nobilis,       Exalted and all conquering!
dulcedo ineffabilis,            Ever tender and gracious Lord,
totus desiderabilis.            by all desired, by all adored.

Mane nobiscum Domine    Lord, evermore remain with us;
et nos illustra lumine,         thy Holy Light illumine us:
pulsa mentis caligine,         leave no shadow in mind or heart;
mundum reple dulcedine.   to all the world thy love impart.
Amen.                                 Amen.

A Reading from Psalm 98

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

* Joy to the World, arr. John Rutter, Psalter Hymnal 337

Stanza 1: All
Stanza 2 & 3: Choir
Stanza 4: All

Please be seated.

VI. Tree of Life

Readings from Isaiah 11:1, Psalm 80 & Revelation 22:1-2

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Christ, the Apple Tree, Elizabeth Poston

The tree of life my soul hath seen,
laden with fruit and always green:
the trees of nature fruitless be
compared with Christ the apple tree.

His beauty doth all things excel:
by faith I know, but ne’er can tell,
the glory which I now can see
in Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought,
and pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
‘tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I’m weary with my former toil,
here I will sit and rest a while:
under the shadow I will be,
of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
it keeps my dying faith alive;
which makes my soul in haste to be
with Jesus Christ the apple tree.
              —Anonymous

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, Lee R. Kesselman

Apple tree! Apple tree! Jesus Christ the apple tree!
Apple tree! Apple tree! Jesus Christ the apple tree!

The tree of life my soul hath seen,
laden with fruit and always green:
the trees of nature fruitless be
compared with Christ the apple tree.

His beauty doth all things excel:
by faith I know, but never can tell,
the glory which I now can see
in Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought,
and pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
‘tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I’m weary with my former toil,
here I will sit and rest a while:
under the shadow I will be,
of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
it keeps my dying faith alive;
which makes my soul in haste to be
with Jesus Christ the apple tree.
              —Anonymous

VII. Paradox

* The Tree of Life/There in God's Garden, K. Lee Scott

Text: Pécselyi Kiràly Imre von, 1961; paraphrased by Erik Routley, 1974
Music: tune Shades Mountain, K. Lee Scott
Text paraphrase copyright © by Hinshaw Music, Inc.
Music setting copyright © 1987 by MorningStar Music Publishers

Readings from John 1:14 & Revelation 5:6-10

Followed by

Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Christus Paradox, Alfred Fedak

* Prayer

All: Almighty God, you wonderfully created and yet more wonderfully restored the dignity of human nature. In your mercy, let us share the divine life of Jesus Christ who came to share our humanity, and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

* Parting Challenge

Pastor: Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast to that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the faint-hearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honor all people,
love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

* Benediction

Pastor: May the God of peace
make you holy in every way
and keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—
free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

* Congregation: Alleluia! Amen!

* Recessional Hymn: O Come, All Ye Faithful, Psalter Hymnal 340

Organ Postlude: Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella, Keith Chapman

*All who are able, please stand.