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Gospel for the City
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Friday, December 24, 2021
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Celebrate Christmas in song with the Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir. Lauren Odile Pinkney leads a reflection for all ages. 

You can download a pdf version of the service bulletin here

A text only version of the order of service is posted below. Continue scrolling to follow along. 

ORDER OF SERVICE 

Gospel For The City
Gail Suderman, Artistic Director & Piano
Elliot Polsky, Drums
Laurence Mollerup, Bass
Ingrid Stitt, Alto & Soprano Saxophones

Welcome Dean Christopher A. Pappas

Opening Prayer

Choir O Come, All Ye Faithful
Arr. & adapted by Kirk Franklin Congregational Carol Joy to the World (CP 154) Text: Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748), alt. Music: Antioch; Melody William Holford, Voce de Melodia, 1835; adapt. George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759); harm. Lowell Mason (1792 – 1872).

1. Joy to the world! the Lord is come: let earth receive the King; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

2. Joy to the earth! The Saviour reigns: let us glad songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

3. No more let wrongs and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as our sin is found, far as our sin is found, far as, far as our sin is found.

4. 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 of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love

Reading Luke 1:26-38

Choir    Joy     Kirk Franklin

             Soloist Gail Suderman

Congregational Carol            Angels We Have Heard On High
 Words: French Carol; tr. James Chadwick (1813 – 1882), alt.; Music: Gloria, French Carol; arr. Edward Shippen Barnes (1887 - 1958)

1. Angels we have heard on high, singing sweetly through the night, and the mountains in reply echoing their brave delight. Refrain Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

2. Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why these songs of happy cheer? What great brightness did you see What glad tidings did you hear? Refrain

3. Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee Christ, the Lord, the new-born King. Refrain

4. See him in a manger laid whom the angels praise above; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while we raise our hearts in love. Refrain

Reading Luke 2:1-7

Choir                        Children, Go Where I Send Thee
Trad. Gospel, arr. Chris Hansen Soloist Adrienne Sweat Reading Luke 2:8-16 Choir Away in a Manger Written by J.R. Murray, arr. G. Suderman, E. Henderson, M. Mosely

Soloist Phillp Murray

Congregational Carol                 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (CP 140)
Text: Edmund Hamilton Sears (1810-1876) Music: Richard Storrs Willis (1819-1900)

It came upon a 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 heaven'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 heavenly music floats O'er all the weary world Above its sad and lowly plains They bend on hovering wing And ever o'er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing

All 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

Sermon     Lauren Odile Pinkney Children, Youth & Family Minister

Congregational Carol          The First Nowell
Text: English Trad.; Music: Melody English trad. (17th cent.?), alt.; arr. John Stainer (1840 – 1901), alt.;

1. The first nowell the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay, in fields where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter’s night that was so deep. Refrain Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel.

2. They looked up and saw a star, shining in the east, beyond them far; and to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night. Refrain

3. And by the light of that same star three wise men came from country far; to seek for a king was their intent, and to follow the star wherever it went. Refrain

4. This star drew nigh to the northwest; o’er Bethlehem it took its rest, and there it did both stop and stay, right over the place where Jesus lay. Refrain

5. Then entered in those wise men three full reverently upon their knee, and offered there in his presence their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Refrain

6. Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord, who has made heaven and earth of nought, and with his blood salvation bought. Refrain

Reading Matthew 2:1-11

Offertory
You are invited to consider making a donation to help further the Cathedral’s work of being the city’s Church, by texting “Give” to 639.739.0843 and following the instructions; or going to thecathedral.ca/give. Tax receipts are issued annually for gifts totalling $20 or more.

Congregational Carol Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Text: Charles Wesley (1701 – 1788); Music: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 – 1847); adapt. William Hayman Cummings

1. 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!”

Refrain Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.”

2. Christ, by highest heaven 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 one of us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel! Refrain

3. Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise each child of earth, born to give us second birth. Refrain

Blessing

Choir      Rise Up Shepherd and Follow         Traditional, arr. G. Suderman
Soloist Gail Suderman