Good evening and a very warm welcome to Blackburn Cathedral.
You join us tonight on the very spot where,
for over 1,500 years, people from this part
of Lancashire have come to celebrate their faith
and its place in their everyday life.
Tonight, on this Christmas Eve, we continue that tradition,
bringing our hopes and fears to the newborn Christ
We pray for peace in our world and for the healing of the nations.
But in the midst of all of this, the child of Bethlehem reaches out,
inviting us to embrace him in our own lives.
So let's begin our service with the ancient medieval carol
Of The Father's Heart Begotten.
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Dear friends, we meet to celebrate the birth of Christ,
let us pray that God will bless this crib
that all who worship his Son may come to share his life in glory.
God our Father, on this night your Son Jesus Christ
was born of the Virgin Mary for us and for our salvation.
Bless this crib which we have prepared to celebrate that
holy birth.
May all who see it be strengthened in faith,
and receive the fullness of life he came to bring,
who is alive and reigns for ever.
Amen.
Christ the Word of God has come bringing light and life.
Let us examine ourselves and confess our sins.
You were born for our salvation - Lord, have mercy.
You came as Saviour to bring wholeness and peace -
Christ, have mercy.
You come to bring light into the darkness of our lives -
Lord, have mercy.
May the God of all healing and forgiveness
draw you to himself, that you may behold the glory of his Son,
the Word made flesh, and be cleansed from all your sins,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us pray in the peace of this Christmas celebration
that our joy in the birth of Christ will last for ever.
Eternal God, who made this most holy night
to shine with the brightness of your one true light,
bring us, who have known the revelation
of that light on earth, to see the radiance of your heavenly glory
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger
who announces peace, who brings good news,
who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
Listen!
Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy,
for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Take
# Sing O my love
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways
by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also
created the worlds.
He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint
of God's very being, and he sustains all things
by his powerful word.
When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior
to angels as the name he has inherited is more
excellent than theirs.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him, and without him not one
thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life
was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might
believe through him.
He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet
the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who received him, who believed in his name,
he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood
or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man,
but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son,
full of grace and truth.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Would you like to sit down, please?
So is this all just a nice fairy tale?
Christmas is a season full of fairy tales,
each in its own way delightful, each complete with heroes
and heroines and sidekicks.
There is Cinderella with her ugly sisters.
Jack with his beanstalk.
Snow White and her dwarves.
Maybe what we celebrate this night is just another on the list -
Jesus with his crazy shepherds.
It certainly has all the elements of panto.
An ox and an ass to waddle in.
A classic panto villain in King Herod.
We've got stars and angels and sheep.
So is it all just harmless fun - an excuse for a bit of family
downtime, a good feast and some nice presents?
Or is there more going on tonight?
Listen to the words of St John.
"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory."
The Word was how many thinkers at the time of Jesus described God's
activity in the world - his wisdom, his beauty, his order.
Well, John's outrageous and revolutionary claim
is that the Word turns out to be a person.
Like the Masked Singer on the TV finally revealing who it is,
so the God of all eternity has removed the mask and
revealed himself to us.
And what do we see?
What is God's ultimate act of self-revelation?
It's a baby.
A child.
A vulnerable little boy.
Tonight, Christians throughout the world celebrate
because God has been born.
God is with us.
The God who is everywhere has chosen to be somewhere.
We no longer need to thrash around for glimpses or hints of who God is.
We no longer need to use intellect or logic to decipher him
as if he were a puzzle.
We just need to look into a manger.
God has been born tonight.
Truth has been born.
God is with us!
And the proof?
Look what this little boy went on to do.
He blew away the crowds with his teaching.
He defied nature with his miracles.
He brought a fresh start to the sinner and dignity and freedom
to the broken and oppressed.
He showed the world a whole new way of being human.
And then by going to the cross and rising again, he destroyed death
and called us broken mortals to the glory of eternity.
Now of course, you may well find that wholly unconvincing.
You may have tuned in or turned up tonight for the carols
and the festive cheer and find all this God stuff a bit
heavy and outdated.
If so, then have a great time, because every shred of genuine
Christmas joy is a sharing in the joy that is God's
purpose for his people.
But whilst you're here, why not look deeper?
Why not look into the straw and ask who this child is?
Is it just another baby?
Or is this indeed the Word made flesh?
Because to anyone who can believe that there is more
going on tonight than a fairy tale, life is changed.
It is changed forever.
In Jesus, the Word made flesh, there is, firstly, relationship.
Because God is with us.
In Jesus, God has come to share our lives as a fellow human being,
which means that we can know him and live our lives in
relationship with him.
We live in a culture where relationships can be hard.
Hundreds of thousands will spend today alone.
Many get by on the thin gruel of online friendships.
Many find family life challenging or even abusive.
In the child of Bethlehem, we have a God who is close to us,
who longs to know us and who offers a relationship of deep and intimate
love that will never let us go.
And in Jesus, the Word made flesh, there is hope.
Because if God is with us, then we can be with God.
Why has God come as a human being to share our fragile human life?
So that we fragile human beings can share in God's life.
Because he shares in our humanity, we mortal sinful women and men can
share in his divinity.
That's why there's hope.
For many people, hope will be hard to find this Christmas.
Maybe you have struggled to afford food or presents.
Maybe you will be doing your best to celebrate in a cold home.
Maybe you are worrying about how you will pay off
the debts come January.
The worst cost of living crisis for decades has forced many
people into hardship.
But even when there is no hope in the bank balance,
there is always hope in the manger straw.
God himself, the living and eternal God of all things,
has taken our human form tonight.
He has entered into your life, with all its questions
and problems and failings.
And because he has entered into your life, you can enter
into his life and so find your true beauty and dignity.
You can be with God.
That's why there's hope tonight.
That's the heart of Christmas.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy
to the full the days to come.
But in the midst of it all, in the depths of your heart,
gaze into the manger, pull back the straw and ask
yourself, who is the child?
For if indeed this is the Word made flesh, then God is with us.
And if God is with us, then we can be with God.
two all eternity.
Amen.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right
hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Please be seated.
On this holy night, on which the angels sang of God's
peace to people on earth, we know that for many around the world,
stillness and peace is hard to find or even pray for.
We think especially of our sisters and brothers in Ukraine
whose lives continue to be torn apart.
To both earth and inspire our prayers,
the choir will first sing of Mary's love and care for her fragile
and vulnerable child, set to an old Ukrainian folk tune.
Father, on this holy night the angels sang,
"Peace to God's people on earth."
Strengthen those who work for peace,
striving for justice in Ukraine and troubled parts of our world.
Holy God.
Hear our prayer.
God, the Father, on this holy night there was no room
for your Son in the inn.
Protect with your love those who have no home
and all who live in poverty.
Holy God.
Hear our prayer.
On this holy night, Mary, in the pain of labour,
brought your Son to birth.
Hold in your hand all who are in pain or distress.
Holy God.
Hear our prayer.
On this holy night, shepherds in the field
On this holy night your Christ came as a light in the darkness. Bring
comfort to all who suffer in the sadness of the world.
Holy God.
Hear our prayer.
On this holy night chipped in the field heard good tidings of joy to
give us grace to preach the gospel of Christ's redemption.
Holy God.
Hear our prayer.
On this holy night, strangers found the Holy Family,
and saw the baby lying in the manger.
Bless our homes and all whom we love.
Holy God.
Hear our prayer.
On this holy night, heaven is a come down to earth and Earth is raised to
heaven. Hold in your hand all those who have passed through death in the
hope of your coming kingdom.
hope of your coming kingdom. Holy God. Hear our prayer. On this holy
night, Christian is the world ever celebrate Christ's birth plan to
open our hearts in that he may be born in us today. Holy God. Hear our
prayer. Father, on this holy night, angels and shepherds worshipped at
the manger thrown. Received their worship we offer in the fellowship
with Mary, Joseph and the Saints, through him who is your Word made
flesh, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Ar
Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
and his name shall be called the Prince of Peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Word made flesh, life of the world, in your incarnation
you embraced our poverty.
By your Spirit, may we share in your riches.
Amen.
# The Lord be with you.
# And also with you.
# Lift up your hearts.
# We lift them up to the Lord.
# Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
# It is right to give him thanks and praise #.
# All glory and honour be yours always and everywhere,
# Mighty creator, ever-living God.
# We give you thanks and praise for your Son,
# Our Saviour Jesus Christ,
# Who for love of our fallen race humbled himself,
# On this night was born of the Virgin Mary
# By the power of your Spirit, and lived as one of us.
# In this mystery of the Word made flesh
# You have caused his light to shine in our hearts,
# To give knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
# In him we see our God made visible
# And so are caught up in the love of the God we cannot see.
# Therefore, with all the angels of heaven,
# We lift our voices to proclaim the glory of your name
# And sing our joyful hymn of praise.
# Sanctus
# Dominus
# Hosanna in excelsis.
# Hosanna
# In excelsis.
We praise and bless you, loving Father, through Jesus Christ,
our Lord, and as we obey his command, send your Holy Spirit,
that broken bread and wine outpoured may be for us the body and blood
of your dear Son.
On the night before he died, he had supper with his friends and,
taking bread, he praised you.
He broke the bread, gave it to them and said, "Take, eat.
This is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
When supper was ended, he took the cup of wine.
Again he praised you, gave it to them and said,
"Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed
for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did, in him, we plead
with confidence his sacrifice made once for all upon the cross.
Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim his death and resurrection until
he comes in glory.
Great is the mystery of faith.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Lord of all life, help us to work together for that day
when your kingdom comes and justice and mercy will be seen
in all the earth.
Look with favour on your people, gather us in your loving arms
and bring us with Mary, Paul and all the saints to feast
at your table in heaven.
Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours,
O loving Father, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Rejoicing in God's presence here among us, we join our prayers
with those of the Church Universal, saying, each in our own language,
the prayer our Saviour taught us...
We break the bread of life, and that life is the light of the world.
God here among us, light in the midst of us,
bring us to light and life.
# Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
# miserere nobis.
# Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
# miserere nobis.
# Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
# Dona nobis pacem.
Christ is the true bread which has come down from heaven.
Lord, give us this bread always.
# Then why should men on earth be so sad?
# When from our sin he set us free
# All for to gain our liberty?
# When from our sin He set us free
# All for to gain our liberty
# All for to see the newborn King All for to see the King
# All out of darkness we have light
# Which made the angels sing this night
# All out of darkness we have light
# Which made the angels sing this night
# "Glory to God and peace to men
# "Now and for evermore
# "Evermore, amen." #
# Blooms in the cold bleak winter
# Turning our darkness into light
# This shoot Isaiah taught us
# From Jesse's root should spring
# The Virgin Mary brought us
# The branch of which we sing
# Our God of endless might
# Gave her this child to save us
# Thus turning darkness into light.#
God our Father, in this night you have made known to us again
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Confirm our faith
and fix our eyes on him until the day dawns
and Christ the Morning Star rises in our hearts.
To him be glory both now and for ever.
Amen.
please stand.
Tonight, we have celebrated that moment when God stepped
down into his creation - no longer remote, no longer distant
but born as one of us - flesh of our flesh and bone
of our bone.
In doing so, he not only affirms our humanity but brings
dignity and hope to all.
Wherever you may be - may I wish you a safe,
peaceful and happy Christmas.
May the Father, who has loved the eternal Son
from before the foundation of the world,
shed that love upon you his children,
filling you with his joy and peace; and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Go in peace.
Proclaim the Word made flesh.
Glory, thanks and praise to God.