A Moment of Stillness
As you begin this worship guide with your household (or on your own), invite all of those with you to find a couple of moments of stillness.
School is on break, hopefully you have some time off from work — one year is ending and a new one is about to begin. In this liminal, sacred, in-between space, take a few moments to let go of your racing thoughts, stress & anxiety, and other distractions. Close your eyes, get seated in a comfortable spot, and take 3 or 4 deep, slow breaths.
If you have a candle, light it and pray this prayer out loud:
Jesus Christ,
glory of God revealed,
by starlight we first saw Your face;
now by candlelight we sing Your praise.
Though the night is long,
You are our hope.
Though the path is dark,
You lead the way.
Fill us with Your light and life,
so that all may experience
Your love, justice, and Shalom.
Amen.
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
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Glo—o—o—o—o—o—ria,
In ex-cel-sis D—e—o
Glo—o—o—o—o—o—ria,
In ex-cel-sis D—e—o
Glory to God, glory to God
Glory to God in the highest
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King
Reflection
Read Matthew 2:1-12 out loud:
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Together: Thanks be to God.
Into a world of turmoil, violence, and pain, Jesus was born as the true Prince of Peace. The history-changing news of His birth reached farther and wider than many had expected.
The magi traveled a long distance to honor Jesus with the gifts they had prepared. These gifts were truly fit for a king — gold, frankincense, and myrrh! Their expectation and hope was that meeting Jesus would be an important moment.
But something truly amazing happens in the presence of Jesus. After their long journey, when the star they were following led them to the place where they would meet Jesus, they were overwhelmed with joy! They knew meeting Jesus would be great, but they didn’t know how great it would be. In this moment of encountering Jesus, their lives were changed.
At our Anchor & Hope Christmas party, Pastor Jeya helped us reflect on the story of Zechariah and the birth of his son John (who would be known as John the Baptist). The people marveled and wondered, “What then will this child become?” In the same way, we want to keep engaging a similar question for ourselves throughout the new year, “What then will I become?”
Take a few moments to reflect on the following questions together:
- What are three gifts of yours that you want to bring to honor Jesus? (Not material gifts, but aspects of your personality and/or things you like about yourself). How do these gifts show respect to Jesus?
- Like the Magi, we know meeting Jesus will be great — but we don’t know how great! Take a few moments to pray for openness to who we will become as we spend time in the presence of Jesus.
Joy to the World
Joy to the world; the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n… and heav’n and nature sing
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
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
Closing Prayer
Glory to You, God most high.
You have given us a Savior,
the Messiah, the Lord.
Good news of great joy for all!
Make us messengers of the Gospel
and shepherds of Your people;
guide us always in paths of peace,
shining Your light each step of the way.
Amen.
Anchor & Hope Church 