The Nine Lessons and Carols New Testament Baptist Church Mandurriao, Iloilo City 25 December 2009

Bidding Prayer Leader: Beloved in Christ,.… All: Our Father…. Leader: The Almighty God.… All: Amen

Once in Royal David’s City

Once in royal David’s city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a Mother laid her Baby In a manger for his bed: Mary was that Mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

Jesus is our childhood’s pattern, Day by day like us he grew, He was little, weak, and helpless, Tears and smiles like us He knew; And He feeleth for our sadness, And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love, For that Child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above; And He leads His children on To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable, With the oxen standing by, We shall see Him; but in heaven, Set at God’s right hand on high; When like stars His children crowned All in white shall wait around.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

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 every nation, Joy of every longing heart.

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 glorious throne.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Wisdom form on high And order all things, far and nigh; To us the path of knowledge show And cause us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind. Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

The Nine Lessons and Carols

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, good will to men, From heav’n’s all-gracious King!” The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing.

Still thro’ 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.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow, Look now! For glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing; O rest beside the weary road And hear the angels sing.

For lo, the days are hast’ning on, By prophets seen of old, When with the ever-circling years Shall come the time foretold, When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world send back the song Which now the angels sing.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, And gathered all above, While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wond’ring love. O morning stars, together Proclaim the Holy birth; And praises sing to God, the King, And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently The wondrous Gift is giv’n! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heav’n. No ear may hear His coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, The dear Christ enters in.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend on us, we pray. Cast out our sin, and enter in; Be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord, Emmanuel.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

What Child is This?

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, hast to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate Where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear, for sinners here The silent Word is pleading. This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, hast to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh; Come, peasant, king to own Him. The King of kings salvation brings; Let loving hearts enthrone Him. This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, hast to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

Silent Night

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; Heav’nly hosts sing alleluia. 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.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains. Glo……ria in excelsis Deo, Glo……ria in excelsis Deo.

Come to Bethlehem, and see Him whose birth the angels sing. Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the new-born King. Glo……ria in excelsis Deo, Glo……ria in excelsis Deo.

See within the manger laid Jesus, Lord of heav’n and earth! Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, With us sing our Savior’s birth. Glo……ria in excelsis Deo, Glo……ria in excelsis Deo.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

We Three Kings

We three kings of Orient are; Bearing gifts we traverse afar- Field and fountain, moor and mountain- Following yonder star. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, West-ward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain; Gold I bring to crown Him again, King forever, ceasing never Over us all to reign. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, West-ward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.

Frankincense to offer have I; Incense owns a Deity nigh. Pray’r and praising, all men raising, Worship Him, God on high. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, West-ward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.

Myrrh is mine: its bitter perfume Breathes a life of gathering gloom- Sorr’wing, sighing, bleeding, dying, Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, West-ward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.

Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice; Alleluia, alleluia! Earth to heav’n replies. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, West-ward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.

The Nine Lessons and Carols

Joy to the World!

Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ, While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sin and sorrow grow, Nor thorns infest the ground He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders of His love.

Collect & Blessing Pastor: The Lord be with you. All: And with thy spirit. Pastor: Let us pray…. All: Amen. Pastor: May He who… All: Amen.

May the love and blessings that Christmas brings be yours and your loved ones both now and forever. Merry Christmas! - from NTBC

Soli Deo Gloria!