Christmas Eve

Freelton and Strabane Pastoral Charge

Horseshoe Falls Regional Council.
Christmas Eve 

  December 24 2022

 

       

 Minister: Rev. Will Wheeler, B.A. M. Div.     

905-659-3380 E Mail wwwheeler@sympatico.ca



 

One: Oh she has yet come again. Her foot cold upon the sleeping landscape.  Draped in a mantle of white and shades of blue the hollow wind sings her song.   

 

All:  She spends her days painting frosted patterns across our window, her nights scattering snowy diamonds to dance in the moon light while her teal white and red ribbons dance in the sky. 

 

One:  Her perfume the crisp sent of an iced morn.  In deep swirls of drifts she dances her name is Winter. With icicled barren branches as her bouquet Winter comes in a long hours of the night.     

 

All Winter’s longest night surrounds us and we have watched, waited and wished for a light into the darkness of the world. 

 

One: This night gives us that light a promised gift  Christmas is this night  tomorrow and  all year all time.

 

  One: on the first Sunday of Advent we lit a candle for Hope

 

All on the second Sunday we lit a candle for peace

 

One On the third Sunday we lit a candle for joy

 

All Last Sunday we lit a candle for love

 

One now the time has come to light a candle for Christ as the flame of Christ candle begins to burn the angels sing, the shepherd draws near. The full spectrum of God’s love is revealed like a covenantal rainbow a promise of God in our lives. We come to this holy time to be here with Jesus to offer our gifts and to sing praise to God as they did so long ago in Bethlehem Let us pray. 

 

All: God of light and love Let your Spirit shine in our hearts let your love shine in our world and let the wonder of this new day touch all of our hearts as the Christ child invites us into God’s love Amen 

  Prayer

 

All: God on this holy night you teach us abundant life in the birth of a child with the angels song echoing Glory to you in the highest.   We remember your love shown in Mary and Joseph, We remember you hope in the awe of the shepherds. May we this night once more move from a world which has gift wrapped this joyful happening to once more hold the true gift of light and promise found in the peace of your coming in the new born Jesus.  Amen 

 

 The Winter Night Sculpture 

One: Wind worked through the day. Moving and piling sculpting and polishing. Scouring reshaping the snow on the barren lake. The Sun smiled on winds work and admired how the light danced across the reflective edges. My sister will be pleased and tonight will be a triumph. Wind whispered a thanks as the. Sun wrapped in crimson and orange walked under the horizon ,   

All: The Moon pregnant with energy climbs to her place. She smiles a greeting to Wind who bows to her in a flourish of crystal glazed snow.   

One: Moon smiles her pale white light across the frozen lake, Sculpted snow casts mythical shadows. The scoured polished ice reflects back the light. 

All: It is the dazzling beauty of a piled iced lake, ice fragments heaped upon each other that create prisms of diamond light that illuminates the frozen landscape. The million points of this light sculpture brings a glowing applause from the heavenly host of stars. A winter’s gift to all who would be still and see. Yet this is not Winter’s first gift.  

One: The Moon in her course remembers another lonely landscape she once illuminated. 

     All: A Tiny family making its way to a town, to only find room in a simple stable.  

One: Her pale light shadowing the silhouettes of sheep in fields. Shepherds bathed in her light.  

All: But this night She would not be alone in her course across the sky for this night will be a night that will always be remembered.  

One There in the stillness of quiet curve of night under the canopy of the heavens Moon is greeted by the full heavenly house to sing of a most wondrous gift.   

All: A song that would touch all who heard it. A song sung as duet between the Moon and Winter A song first sung by angels a chorus echoed through time itself.

One A song greeted in the dawn with all the colours of creation singing glory to God. A song of a journey from Holly to Thorns. A song of promised life. A song sung in the moon of winter time.  

 


    One: The centuries has clouded the sky the song sung by Winter and Moon a song sung by angels has become lost to Holly Jollies, winter wonderlands and fevered wrapping of parcels packages and garish bows. 

 

All: Who sees Winter’s gift? A gift from the one who created and is creating.  Who is this that is revealed to us, who is this child? 

 

 One: Maybe this Christmas will mean something more.

All: Maybe this year love will appear deeper than ever before

One: And maybe forgiveness will ask us to call someone who we love someone we’ve lost.

All: Maybe this Christmas will find us at last in Heavenly peace

One: Maybe this Christmas will find us greeting the one who lead us home. 

 

 

  One: In the light of our story, filled with the spirit of God, let us ask God for a good Christmas.

 

All:  That no powerful nation should tax the poor or uproot them; that all people will be accepted and loved as one of God’s children; that no door will be shut on those who need to find it open.

That shepherds and sheep and all of nature need not be afraid

That wise men and wise women might appear with justice in all those places of conflict.

That children may be protected from those would abuse them.

That this Christmas, we look beyond the ribbons, paper feasting and come to worship once more at a manger and that we God’s children may come to know that the rumor has become a reality that Christ has come among us. The Lord of Light, the Prince of Peace, the King of Love, and the Bringer of Hope has come down and crept in beside us.

 

 These things we pray as we say together. . .

Our father . . . Amen.

     

 

  One: Still here in this place, in this time, we still can be, and come and stand in the presence of the One who changes us and fills us with the love of the divine light of God, born this night, the Child, the King of glory.  And here, long removed from that night, here in these strong stone walls, far from those crowded eastern streets, we come once more to remember God’s gift.

 

All: For us there are no gathered heavenly host, no angel’s choirs, only our familiar stars.

 

One: For us this night born for you in the city of David the son of God who will be the bringer of hope and joy and new life

 

Sending Forth and Blessing

One: A boy has been born for us.

All:  A child has been given to us.

One:  And his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.

All: Now we are all God’s people.

One:  Once we walked in darkness.

All:  Now we have seen a great light. 


Blessings May the Blessings of the Child born this night who shall be the light to world bless you all on your journey illuminating your way with his love.

 

Yesterday
we honour our heritage.

Today
we know that we are not alone,
that we live in God's world.

Tomorrow
with God,
we will discover
the undiscovered country.

Upcoming Events

    UPDATE: December 4 2021 


Worship will move to Strabane Church for the month of December at 10:30am as we continue to worship together during these Covid times.  

Filming has now long wrapped at Strabane United Church and the Restoration almost complete. We warmly invite our family and community to join us on December 12th at 10:30 for a blessing of the Sanctuary.

The Journey of Faith begins again. 

Longest Night Covid has been hard on all people from young to old. The passages of life have not been able to be honoured. We have at times found ourselves in a wilderness of change and uncertainty. We the darkening days we invite you to come and be a part of our family as we own these changing times as we gather for our Longest Night service on December 21st at 7pm at Freelton. A time to own what has been and let it go in a time of hope and love. Please know that proof of double vaccination will be required.  

Christmas Eve 

As we move to Words the Celebration of Christ's Mass honouring his birth we are so pleased to invite you to join us for our Christmas Eve services.    

Strabane Church will honour the Eve with a service of word and music at 7pm on December 24th  

Freelton Church will honour the Eve with a Candle light Communion Services at 10pm on December 24

  Please know that proof of double vaccination will be required

 If you have any questions Please don't hesitate to call Rev Will 


Bethlehem Experience



 An Outdoor Walk through the Christmas Story Hosted by the Branch Churches (Freelton Strabane, Carlisle Kilbride Milgrove and St James United Church) at Carlisle United Church Pre- register at secretary@carlisleuc.ca or 905-689-8630 for your time s lot


We are so pleased that we are able to offer in person worship. In line with the New Ontario Provincial guidelines, we will require all persons attending worship must provide proof of Double vaccination. We will continue to practice social distancing and masks must be worn. We again would ask if you are not feeling well that you stay at home knowing that our healing prayers are with you.   

  

 
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