“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
(Alfred, Lord Tennyson)
Today, the 3rd of January, is the Second Sunday after Christmas Day, and for those of you who know any leaping Lords, it is the tenth day of Christmas. It is also the first Sunday of the New year.
So we hope to remember and celebrate all these things in our worship from Peebles Old this morning.
A Happy New year, then to you and yours, as you join us after the bells to sing “O Come all ye faithful”, sung today by our very own virtual choir.
2nd Sunday after Christmas
HYMN: O come, all ye faithful
PRAYER
O Holy One,
heavenly angels spoke to earthly shepherds
and eternity entered time in the child of Bethlehem.
Through the telling of the Christmas story,
let our temporal lives be caught up in the eternal
in that same child,
that we might join shepherds and all the heavenly host
in praising the coming of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen.
We bless you, Lord God
for you have visited your people
in one like us in all things but sin,
and in human fragility you have revealed
the face of divinity.
Gather into your arms all the peoples of the world,
so that in your embrace we may find blessing, peace,
and the fullness of our inheritance as your daughters and sons.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
LESSON
Luke 2; 16-20 (Read by a pupil from Eddleston Primary School)
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby,
who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they
spread the word concerning what had been told them about this
child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds
said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which
were just as they had been told.
John 1; 1-14 (Read by Marion Henthorn)
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has
been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all
mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has
not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He
came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through
him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only
as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the
world. He was in the world, and though the world was made
through him, the world did not recognise him. He came to that
which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all
who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave
the right to become children of God— children born not of
natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but
born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came
from the Father, full of grace and truth.
HYMN: God rest ye merry gentlemen
REFLECTION
PRAYER
We pray that your wonderful Gift may be manifest to us, and that we
in our turn may discover our own gifts and use them to your glory.
May this be the year when we keep our resolutions to be faithful in
our Christian lives, to let our love shine forth and to live less for
ourselves and more for others.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
We pray for all in authority, that this may be the year when they
achieve wisdom, mercy and respect for all humanity. We pray for
all who suffer indignity, deprivation, starvation, fear or loss of
freedom at the hands of others. We pray that this be the year when
people who live with war may find peace and those who suffer
oppression may find freedom. May lessons be learned by all of us
from the mistakes and misfortunes of the past year.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
We pray for our world and our nation, and all those who have
suffered, and all those who grieve, as a result of the long months of
Covid19. May this year see a global response to the vaccination
programmes so that the dire threat of this virus may be brought
under control, and the dark clouds removed from all people.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are without faith, hope or love. We pray for
those who are sick, desperate or bereaved and for those who care
for them and seek to bring them relief from their suffering. Give
them the strength and courage to carry on, and hope for the future.
We pray especially for all those known to us who are in special
need of our prayers, and we remember them now in a moment of
silence …
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Amen
HYMN: Lord for the years
BENEDICTION
May the joy of the angels,
The humility of the shepherds.
And the peace of the Christ-Child
Be God’s gift to you and to all people
This Christmas, and always.
And the Blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you always. Amen