December 24th

Christmas Eve

WELCOME AND LITURGY OF GATHERING

Leader: Reading of Psalm 96 (FNV). This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

COMMUNAL SINGING

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With the angelic host proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest heav'n adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold Him come,

Offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate Deity!

Pleased as Man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Immanuel! 

Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Ris'n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth. 

PROCLAMATION

Leader: Reading of Isaiah 9.2-7. This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

COMMUNAL SINGING

Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us;

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art,

Dear desire of ev'ry nation,

Joy of ev'ry long - ing heart.

Joy to those who long to see thee

Dayspring from on high, appear

Come thou promised Rod of Jesse

Of thy birth we long to hear

O'er the hills the angels singing

News, glad tidings of a birth

"Go to him, your praises bringing

Christ the Lord has come to Earth"

Come to earth to taste our sadness

He whose glories knew no end

By his life he brings us gladness

Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend

Leaving riches without number

Born within a cattle stall

This the e—verlasting wonder

Christ was born the Lord of all

Born Thy people to deliver;

Born a child and yet a king!

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all-sufficient merit

Raise us to Thy glor - ious throne.

It Came upon the Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,

That glorious song of old,

From angels bending near the earth

To touch their harps of gold:

"Peace on the earth, goodwill to all,

From heav'n's all-gracious king.”

The world in solemn stillness lay

To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come

With peaceful wings unfurled,

And still their heav'nly music floats

O'er all the weary world.

Above its sad and lowly plains

They bend on hov'ring wing,

And ever o'er its babel sounds

The blessed angels sing.

All you, beneath your heavy load,

By care and guilt bent low,

Who toil along a dreary way

With painful steps and slow:

Look up, for golden is the hour,

Come swiftly on the wing,

The Prince was born to bring you peace;

Of Him the angels sing.

For lo, the days have come to pass

By prophets seen of old,

When down into the circling years

Came Christ as was foretold.

His word of peace shall to the earth

God's ancient promise bring,

And all who take this gift will hear

The song the angels sing.

ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING & LORD’S TABLE LITURGY

Leader: Christmas Eve marks the ending of Advent, the season in which we have anticipated celebrating the birth of Jesus. For unto us, a child is born - the presence of God With Us -  will show us the way. Tonight, let us hear the story of Love - God With Us - once again.

Reflection: The Word Enfleshed, with reading of John 1.1-14 and Luke 2.1-14. 

Tonight, we light our final Advent candle - the Christ candle.

Prayer: God takes on flesh
and joins life in the struggle –
this is what radical solidarity feels like.
Lives and souls and bodies entangled.
Risks and possibilities shared.
We’re in this together.
The mess, the beauty, the work.
Don’t be afraid to feel hopeful.
God’s promises are kept.
God won’t opt-out or turn away.
God won’t give up when things get tough.
God won’t defend power, or privilege, or institutions, or tradition
at the expense of freedom, or love, or liberation, or your worth.
God’s with-ness is resilient - birthed at the margins.
God knows what’s at stake.
Let all who are weary, rejoice!
All of evil’s deceptions will be revealed
and fear of unjust powers will cease.
The Liberating One now dwells among us,
calling upon hearts from all walks of life
to open. to take courage. to soften. to release.
Behold, the Sacred enfleshed reveals the way of Love.

Lighting of the Christ Candle

Leader: As we draw closer to Christmas, we rejoice over the good news: 

ALL: Born in the shadows of night, Christ is our light;

Dying on a rough cross, Christ is our life;

Rising from a cold tomb, Christ is our hope;

Returning to us once more, Christ is our promise.

Leader: Pour out your Spirit upon us, Wonderful Counselor, and on the gifts you have given us.  

ALL: We lift the broken bread, praying we would be made whole, at peace with one another, and reconciled to you.  As we drink the juice, we believe that our salvation has come, and we are one with Christ. As your joy flows into us, may we become a river carrying your justice to the marginalized.  As your hope sings in our hearts, may we carry your righteousness to all who suffer. And as we taste the promise of the feast you prepare for us in your kin(g)dom, may we live for you and serve your children, as we have been served by the Child of Christmas, Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior. 

Leader: The Table of the Lord is open for all who seek the way of Love.

*communion elements are gluten free, not allergen free

RESPONSE & OFFERING OF WORSHIP                                                                                                                                        

The Offering Basket

COMMUNAL SONGS AND LIGHTING OF CANDLES

O Holy Night

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, 

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth. 

Long lay the world in sin and error pining 

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. 

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, 

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. 

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! 

O night divine, O night when Christ was born. 

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, 

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. 

Led by the light of a star sweetly gleaming, 

Here came the wisemen from Orient land. 

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger; 

In all our trials born to be our friend. 

He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger, 

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! 

Truly He taught us to love one another, 

His law is love and His gospel is peace. 

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. 

And in his name all oppression shall cease. 

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, 

Let all within us praise His holy name. 

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! 

O night divine, O night when Christ was born.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! 

O night divine, O night when Christ was born.

Christ is the Lord, O praise His name forever

O night divine, O night O night divine

Silent Night (and lighting of candles)

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at thy birth

Jesus, Lord at thy birth

Peace be with you. Please depart in silence. 

(Some liturgies adapted from lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com and enfleshed.com)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

⁠Holiday Schedule: 

NO Gathering Sunday, December 28th - enjoy gathering with friends and family

January 4th - Brunch Gathering

Upcoming Sermon Series. In the new year we’ll walk through the book of Luke. More details may be found here. More details to come on seasonal small groups this winter. 

Annual Giving Statements - Address Updates. We are in need of any address updates to be sent to finance@indytrinity.org by January 11th in order to send out annual giving statements. Additionally, the last date for giving to apply to the 2025 tax year is December 31st. All checks dated in December will apply to the 2025 tax year.

2026 Budget. The 2026 Budget has been made available via email and in Church Documents on the website. If you need access to either of these, please let us know (contact@indytrinity.org). If you have any questions about this year’s budget, please contact Brenda Howard (brenda@indytrinity.org) or Steve Edinger (steve@indytrinity.org). If you have any questions about our Foundation Fund (previously called our Investment Accounts), please contact Jay Howard (jay@indytrinity.org). 

Guide and Service Dog Training. As we welcome Guide/Service Dogs at Gatherings, please familiarize yourself with resources under on these two websites https://www.guidedogs.com/resources/blindness-and-guide-dog-etiquette and https://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/best-practices-when-around-a-service-dog/  and discuss main points with those in your household. If you or anyone in your household has severe allergies or any fear of dogs, etc. please contact us (contact@indytrinity.org) so we can do our best to keep Gathering spaces welcoming for all. 

Health Guidelines. Gatherings can look differently according to the needs of our leaders and community if health concerns take effect. We ask that everyone remain flexible if and/or when this is the case. If a Gathering is going to be virtual, we will send an email by 8am on Sunday, or earlier. If you are experiencing fever, coughs, or other clear signs of illness, please remain home and join the Gathering via Zoom. If your symptoms are not highly contagious or you are unsure about exposing others, please wear a mask. Specifically, if you have been exposed to or have symptoms of Covid-19 or the Flu, you can follow the guidelines from the CDC to determine what are your best precautions to take.

Land Acknowledgement. We acknowledge that the land on which we gather for worship was stolen from Native peoples, who were driven out of the area and of their native lands by genocide, force (through broken treaties and laws imposed upon their nation), and systematic disposession.  The Myaamiaki, Kaskaskia, and Kickapoo peoples* and their sovereign Nations have cared for, and are deeply a part of, this land - past, present, and future. (ref: Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, Trinity Church)

Gathering Hosting Schedule. As an act of service and care, please join staff, leaders, and others from your parish in hosting Sunday Gatherings. These are great times to connect and welcome others to converse while serving as well. Arrival at 9:45am is great, 9:30am is super helpful for assisting with audio equipment and/or indoor set up. Cleaning up on the back end should only take 10-15 minutes. The hosting checklist is in the Trinity office. Thank you!

December

7th: Broad Ripple

14th: North/Carmel

21st: Midtown/Downtown

24th/Christmas Eve: Leadership Team

28th: No Gathering

January 

4th/New Year Brunch: Fishers

11th: Broad Ripple

18th: North/Carmel

25th: Midtown/Downtown