Welcome to the CHS Vientiane Worship Service Resources
We invite you to take time this Sunday, in families or very small groups of friends, to responsibly share space to worship God together.
If you are on your own, please be assured we are together in the Spirit and if you have needs, or just want to share concerns, please don't be afraid to reach out and share these with the CHS community. Contact details can be found on our church website at: http://www.thechs.org/
~ Pastor Tony
Scripture Sentence
“'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.'”
(1 Timothy 1: 15)
The Collect
Almighty God,
you have shed upon us the new light
of your incarnate Word.
Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts,
may shine forth in our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
you have shed upon us the new light
of your incarnate Word.
Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts,
may shine forth in our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Approach to God
One: In our looking into 2021,
All: may the God of hope be with us.
One: In our lamenting the losses of 2020,
All: may the God of peace be with us.
One: In our celebrations of Christmas,
All: may the God of joy be with us.
One: In our caring for the world,
All: may the God of love be with us.
One: In our living of life in all its fullness,
All: may we know that God is with us.
Opening Hymn of Praise
Good Christians, all rejoice (CP 70)
1 Good Christians all, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
listen now to what we say,
Jesus Christ is born today;
ox and ass before him bow
and he is in the manger now:
Christ is born today;
Christ is born today!
2 Good Christians all, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
hear the news of endless bliss,
Jesus Christ was born for this:
he has opened heaven’s door
and we are blessed for evermore!
Christ was born for this;
Christ was born for this.
3 Good Christians all, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
now you need not fear the grave;
Jesus Christ was born to save:
come at his most gracious call
to find salvation, one and all:
Christ was born to save;
Christ was born to save!
Confession
Our heavenly Father
thank you that you love us
and care for us all the time.
We know that this week
we have not always lived the way you tell us.
We have done wrong things
and not done all the good things we should have done.
Only you can save us,
so please forgive us
and help us to live as your friends.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Silence
Jesus died and rose again for us.
In humble penitence let us
accept his pardon and receive his peace.
Amen
God of all,
all creation is invited to praise You,
giving thanks to our Creator.
Yet we struggle to be grateful,
when we see loss, fear and destruction in the world.
We struggle to praise,
when we are afraid to look at ourselves before You.
We struggle to turn to You,
when we are distracted by this season.
God with us,
all peoples are invited to come close,
welcoming You into our lives.
Yet we struggle to walk with You,
day after day, in the mess of our lives.
We struggle to welcome You
when You come in those different from us.
We struggle to look ahead with You,
into another year of uncertainty.
God of all,
You know all of there is to know about us, and still You love us.
God with us,
You know all of this, and still You come,
inviting us to come close.
So, set us free from our fears and struggles.
Heal us of our hopelessness.
Forgive us our mistakes.
And open our hearts to know that You are with us,
Your Spirit filling us and Your love guiding us,
this day and in the days to come,
through Jesus, Your Son
Amen
Creed
We believe in God the Father,
Maker of all things.
We believe in his Son Jesus Christ,
Lord and Saviour of the world.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
giver of life and light.
We belong to the Church,
God’s family everywhere.
Amen
Bible Readings
Song
Child in the manger (CP 28)
1 Child in the manger, infant of Mary,
outcast and stranger, Lord of all!
child who inherits all our transgressions,
all our demerits on him fall.
2 Once the most holy child of salvation
gentle and lowly lived below:
now as our glorious mighty redeemer,
see him victorious over each foe.
3 Prophets foretold him, infant of wonder;
angels behold him on his throne:
worthy our saviour of all their praises;
happy for ever are his own.
Prayer for / with the Children
Praise Shout based on Psalm 148
(© Sara Hargreaves / engageworship.org)
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Praise God from heaven,
praise him from the mountaintops,
praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his warriors,
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Praise God from the kitchen,
praise him from the living room,
praise him, all you labourers,
praise him, all you job seekers,
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, you morning stars,
praise him, high heaven,
praise him, heavenly rain clouds,
Oh, let them praise the name of God -
for he spoke them into being.
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Praise him, banks and governments,
praise him, hospitals and health clinics,
praise him, schools and universities,
praise him, movie theatres and media,
Oh, let them praise the name of God -
for he spoke leadership, care, learning and creativity into being.
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Praise him, young and old,
praise him, all you lonely,
praise him, all you busy,
praise him, all you bored,
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Praise him when you’re happy,
praise him through the dark times,
praise him when you’re working,
praise him when at rest.
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Let all praise the name of God -
it’s the only Name worth praising.
His glory is above all -
Hallelujah!
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Sermon
Song
O Holy Night (CP 153)
1 O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
it is the night of the dear Saviour’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, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
2 Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
with glowing hearts by his cradle we stand;
so led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
here came the wise men 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, to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before him lowly bend!
3 Truly he taught us to love one another,
his law is love and his gospel is peace;
claims shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
and in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raising,
let all within us praise his holy name.
Christ is the Lord, O praise his name for ever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
Offering
(Please do bear in mind that as long as we are still able to,
CHS is continuing to support various projects and people in need
and needs will likely increase during this time.
You may want to set aside some money in an envelope
every Sunday and bring these to church when we next meet back at ARDA.)
Dedication of our Offering
In the name and in the spirit of Jesus,
we bring our gifts to you;
and seek the grace to give with them
a ready mind, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart,
and to dedicate our lives
to the truth of your gospel;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord,
in whom we see your everlasting goodness
and receive your kindly care.
Amen
Prayers
God with us,
You know Your world,
and we open our hearts and minds to You,
sharing our concerns
and listening to Your concerns and Your calls to act.
With a baby laid in a manger,
we pray for all mothers and babies
and those who support them…
With a father learning a new role,
we pray for all at new beginnings
and living with uncertainty…
With Simeon and Anna,
we pray for all who wait
in hope or fear, for life or death…
With seekers and worshippers,
we pray for Your Spirit to work
in hearts, minds and faith communities…
With those who speak up,
we pray for Your will to be done
and Your kingdom to come on earth…
With those in poverty,
we pray for transformation of systems
and an end to exploitation…
With all of creation,
we pray for climate justice
and an awakening to our responsibilities…
God with us,
send Your Spirit to transform and guide us,
and so to change Your world in Your ways.
These prayers we offer in the name of Jesus.
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen
Closing Song
It came upon the midnight clear (CP 105)
1 It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
‘Through all the earth, goodwill and peace
from heaven’s all-gracious king!’
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.
2 With sorrow brought by sin and strife
the world has suffered long
and, since the angels sang, have passed
two thousand years of wrong;
the nations, still at war, hear not
the love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise, and cease the strife
to hear the angels sing!
3 And those whose journey now is hard,
whose hope is burning low,
who tread the rocky path of life
with painful steps and slow:
O listen to the news of love
which makes the heavens ring!
O rest beside the weary road
and hear the angels sing!
4 And still the days are hastening on –
by prophets seen of old –
towards the fulness of the time
when comes the age foretold:
then earth and heaven renewed shall see
the prince of peace, their king;
and all the world repeat the song
which now the angels sing.
Prayer of Sending and Blessing
May we go,
ready to see God at work in the world,
open to hope for God’s ways in the world,
and holding God’s love in our lives.
And the blessing of God,
loving Father, newborn Son, and living Spirit,
go with us, and to all those we are given to love,
this day, into 2021, and always,
Amen
in the name of Christ.
Amen
