Liturgy for Holy Eucharist

Participation in the presence of Christ

December 24, 2025

Christmas Eve

 

Welcome & Breath Prayer

 

Acclamation

Our King and Savior now draws near,

O come, let us adore him!

 

(Some cross themselves as a way of praying with their bodies.)

The Collect for Purity

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you, no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Summary of the Law

Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind. This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

 

O Come, all ye faithful

O come all ye faithful


Joyful and triumphant


O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem


Come and behold Him


Born the King of angels


O come, let us adore Him


O come, let us adore Him


O come, let us adore Him


Christ the Lord

Sing, choirs of angels


Sing in exultation


Oh sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;


Glory to God


Glory in the highest

O come let us adore Him


O come let us adore Him


O come let us adore Him


Christ the Lord

Yea Lord, we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

Oh Jesus to Thee be all glory given

Word of the Father

Now in flesh appearing

O come, let us adore him


O come, let us adore him


O Come, let us adore him

Christ the Lord

 

The Collect of the Day

The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.

Let us pray:

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.

Amen.

 

(A collect is a prayer meant to gather the intentions of the people and to be prayed together. Each week, the same collects are prayed by Christians all over the world.)

 

The Lessons

First Reading

A reading from Isaiah 9:2–7:

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
    on them light has shined.
You have multiplied exultation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden
    and the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
    and all the garments rolled in blood
    shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Great will be his authority,
    and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
    He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

We will read Psalm 96 responsively. I will read the first line up to the break. Together we will read the second line to the end of the verse.

O sing to the Lord a new song; //
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord; bless his name; //
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, //
    his marvelous works among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; //
    he is to be revered above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, //
    but the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before him; //
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, //
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; //
    bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in holy splendor; //
    tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, “The Lord is king! //
    The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
    He will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; //
    let the sea roar and all that fills it;
    let the field exult and everything in it.

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy //
    before the Lord, for he is coming,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness //
    and the peoples with his truth.

Second Reading

A reading from Titus 2:11–14:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

The Gospel Reading

The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke 2:1–14:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

 

(Some cross their foreheads, lips, and heart as a way to pray that the gospel would always be in their heads, on their lips, and in their hearts.)

 

Reflection on God’s Word

 

Song // 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,

'Til 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 angels voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace;

Chains shall He 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;

Christ is the Lord,

Let ever, ever praise we

His power and glory evermore proclaim!

Fall on your knees,

Oh, hear the angels voices!

Noel, noel, O night, when Christ was born

O night divine, O night, O night divine

 

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.


We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten 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 worshiped 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.

 

(This has been the summation of the Christian faith since 325 A.D.)

 

The Prayers of the People

Let us pray for the Church and for the world…

Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your name may be united in Your truth, live together in Your love, and reveal Your glory in the world…

Lord in your mercy:

Hear our prayer.

Inspire the witness of God’s people throughout the world, for our bishop Jeff, our priest Peter, for this gathering and for all the churches in Tulsa, and all our ministry partners.

Lord in your mercy:

Hear our prayer.

Guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth for You have established peace amongst us in your Risen Son. We pray for the end of violence in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and in all corners of our world. Be close to the brokenhearted and all who mourn. In your good time, enable us all to stand reconciled before you. For President Trump, Governor Stitt, and Mayor Nichols—that you would give them the power to lead with wisdom, grace, and integrity…

Lord in your mercy:

Hear our prayer.

For your blessing, O God, on the soil, air, water, non-human life, and all those that labor on behalf of creation. Give us wisdom and reverence to use these resources of nature rightly, that generations yet to come might continue to praise you for your bounty…

Lord in your mercy:

Hear our prayer.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them and love one another as He loves us, and by your Spirit who continually seeks us out, remember those absent and displaced from us. For the sick, for the elderly, for those trapped in addiction, for the lonely, for those in deep despair. We pray especially for…

Lord in your mercy:

Hear our prayer.

For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and destitute, for prisoners and captives in downtown and north Tulsa, for immigrants and refugees around the world, we pray for them to be delivered from all danger and oppression. For families who have lost loved ones this year. O Lord, give them courage and hope in their trouble and bring them the joy of your salvation. Have mercy on us for the ways that oppression, racism, discrimination, and inequality persist in society and in our lives. Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move that these divisions would be dismantled and healed and that all may live in the justice and peace of your Kingdom…

Lord in your mercy:

Hear our prayer.

We commend to your mercy all who have died, born and unborn, enemy and friend, that your will for them may be fulfilled. We pray especially for… and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom…

Lord in your mercy:

Hear our prayer.

(Please feel free to voice your own prayers and thanksgivings concluding them with, “Lord, in your mercy…”)

Heavenly Father, grant these our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

 

The Confession and Absolution of Sin

Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.

(silence)

Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name.

Amen.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent and with true faith turn to him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

The Comfortable Words

Hear the Word of God to all who truly turn to him.

“Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

“But suppose someone does sin. Then we have a friend who speaks to the Father for us. He is Jesus Christ, the Blameless One. He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only paid for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1–2).

 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And with your spirit.

 

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

 
 

The Sursum Corda

The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.

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.

It is right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Because you gave Jesus Christ, your only Son, to be born for us; who, by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary his mother, was made truly man, yet without the stain of sin, that we might be cleansed from sin and given the right to become your children.

Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:


The Sanctus

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.


The Prayer of Consecration

Holy and gracious Father:

In your infinite love you made us for yourself;

and when we had sinned against you

and become subject to evil and death,

you, in your mercy, sent your only Son Jesus Christ

into the world for our salvation.


By the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

he became flesh and dwelt among us.

In obedience to your will,

he stretched out his arms upon the Cross

and offered himself once for all,

that by his suffering and death, we might be saved.


By his resurrection, he broke the bonds of death,

trampling Hell and Satan under his feet.

As our great high priest,

he ascended to your right hand in glory,

that we might come with confidence

before the throne of grace.


On the night that he was betrayed,

our Lord Jesus Christ took bread;

and when he had given thanks, he broke it,

and gave it to his disciples, saying,

“Take, eat; this is my Body, which is given for you:

Do this in remembrance of me.”


Likewise, after supper, Jesus took the cup,

and when he had given thanks,

he gave it to them, saying,

“Drink this, all of you;

for this is my Blood of the New Covenant,

which is shed for you, and for many,

for the forgiveness of sins:

Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”


Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.


We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Word and the Holy Spirit

to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ.

Sanctify us also,

that we may worthily receive this holy Sacrament,

and be made one body with him,

that he may dwell in us and we in him.


In the fullness of time,

put all things in subjection under your Christ,

and bring us with all your saints

into the joy of your heavenly kingdom,

where we shall see our Lord face to face.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ:

By him, and with him, and in him,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honor and glory is yours,

Almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your Name,

your Kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial,

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and forever. Amen.


The Fraction

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast.


The Prayer of Humble Access

We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord,

trusting in our own righteousness,

but in your abundant and great mercies.

We are not worthy so much as to gather up

the crumbs under your table;

but you are the same Lord

whose character is always to have mercy.

Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord,

so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ,

and to drink his blood,

that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body,

and our souls washed through his most precious blood,

and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.


The Agnus Dei

O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world;

have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world;

have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world;

grant us thy peace.



The Ministration of Communion

Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.


The Post Communion Prayer

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food

of the most precious Body and Blood

of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;

and for assuring us in these holy mysteries

that we are living members of the body of your Son,

and heirs of your eternal Kingdom.

And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do,

to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.

To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,

be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.


 

Song // O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth receive her king

Let every heart prepare him room

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and nature

And heaven and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the earth the Savior reigns

Let all their songs employ

While fields and floods,

Rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy, the sounding joy, the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy, the sounding joy, the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make his blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Far as the curse the 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 of his love

And wonders, wonders

Wonders, wonders

Wonders, wonders of his love

 

The Blessing and Dismissal

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God.