Junior Church Service: 19 December
This is best viewed in Landscape orientation
You will appreciate the sound better if you use earphones or an external loudspeaker, whatever type of device you view on.
Better still, view it on your Smart TV, if you can.
We continue with our services in paper-based and web-based formats whilst our church building is made safe to use.
Keep up-to-date and find out how you can help on: www.nurc.info
Until our own building in back in use, we will generally be worshipping in person in the Hall of Elm Ridge Methodist Church, Carmel Road.
A Junior Church service without our children?
The logistics of transporting our younger children is proving insurmountable whilst our hospitals are stretched. However, our Junior Church leaders can try and bring some order to the adults present!
This service content was released for publication AFTER it had been delivered in person, in order to maintain the element of surprise. (there are always a few surprises in a regular Junior Church Service after all!)
Zoe was live here, rather than from home!
Opening Words:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given
and the government shall be upon his shoulders;
his name shall be Wonderful, Counsellor, the Might God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Are we ready to receive our king? - joyfully we sing 'Joy to the world'
Carol: Joy to the world
tune: Antioch, with intro.
1. 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 sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
2. Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks hills and plains
Repeat their sounding Joy
Repeat their sounding joy
Repeat, repeaat their sounding joy
3. No more let thorns infest the ground
Or sins and sorrows grow
Wherever pain and death are found
He makes His blessing flow
He makes His blessing flow
He makes, He makes His blessing flow
4. 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, and wonders of His love
Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748)
Let us pray
Dear God,
back then, at the first Christmas:
You knew about the shepherds, working late at night
You knew about the travelers following the light
You knew about the crowds with their hopes and fears
You knew about the stable and poor Mary's tears
So right now, because of Christmas:
You know about outsiders, who feel they don't belong
You know about the stranger who speaks another tongue
You know about the exile who's forced to leave her home
You know about the foreigner who feels so much alone
You know about the poor whom nobody will know
You know about the puzzled who feel they've far to go
You bring them close in Jesus, each specially loved by him
You turn things inside out and bring outsiders in.
Amen
Reading: Luke 2: 1 - 20
2 And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the City of David which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David)
5 to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, who was great with child.
6 And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!"
15 And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Unwrapping Christmas 1 - Angels
A heavenly host and choral delight
A brightness in the darkest night
they sang in chorus - 'Be not afraid
go find the baby in a manger laid'
The gift of Love from God above
God's Christmas gift of perfect love
Unwrapping Christmas 2 - Shepherds
Above the town on a field cold and bare
Just sheep, sheep, and more sheep up there
Guarded and fed by the lowest of the low
But in for a shock were they you know
The gift of love from God above
God's Christmas gift of perfect love
Carol: While shepherds watched their flocks by night
tune: Winchester Old, with full verse intro.
1. While shepherds watched their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
2. "Fear not", said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind"
3. "To you, in David's town this day
Is born of David's line
The Saviour who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign"
4. "The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands
And in a manger laid"
5. Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song
6. "All glory be to God on high
And on the earth be peace
Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease"
Luke 2: 8-14, para. N. Tate (1652 - 1715)
Unwrapping Christmas 3 - Star
It showed the way from east to west
It guided the men, the best of the best
Not above a palace or mansion so grand
But above a stable on a piece of waste land
The gift of Love from God above
God's Christmas gift of perfect love.
Unwrapping Christmas 4 - Wise Men
The wisest of the wise on a journey afar
Led by their maps and a bright shining star
By foot by, by camel they made their way
To the lowly place where the baby lay
The gift of Love from God above
God's Christmas gift of perfect love.
Carol: See him lying on a bed of straw
tune: Calypso Carol, with intro.
1. See Him lying on a bed of straw
A draughty stable with an open door
Mary cradling the babe she bore
The Prince of glory is his name
CHORUS:
Oh now carry me to Bethlehem
To see the Lord appear to men
Just as poor as was the stable then
The Prince of Glory when he came
2. Star of silver sweep across the sky
Show where Jesus in the manger lies
Shepherds swiftly from your stupor rise
To see the saviour of the world
CHORUS
3. Angels sing again the song you sang
Bring God's glory to the heart of man
Sing that Bethlem's little baby can
Be salvation to the soul
CHORUS
4. Mine are riches form thy poverty
From thine innocents, eternity
Mine forgiveness by thy death for me
Child of sorrow, for my joy
CHORUS
Michael Perry (b. 1942)
Unwrapping Christmas 5 - Mary & Joseph
A couple from Galilee had travelled down
But not a single room could be found in town
A shed out the back and a trough for a bed
A simple place to lay their head
The gift of Love from God above
God's Christmas gift of perfect love.
The Gift of Christmas
- God's love
A child born for us on Christmas day
A child laid in a bed of hay
The Saviour of the world was born
God's son in human form
The gift of Love from God above
God's Christmas gift of perfect love.
The Gift of Christmas - Christmas Unwrapped
It all began many, many, years ago when God made earth and man to grow
He guided and taught us to show us the way but despite all of this we went astray
Faithful men like Noah, Daniel and more, prophets and angels but man still broke the law
And so, 2000 years ago God sent His son to earth below
Born as a child in a manger bare, tended and cared for by a maiden fair.
Visited by shepherds the lowest of the low
Visited by the wisest travellers you know
A host of angels, a bright shining star guiding these visitors from near and far
An unlikely palace for the King of Kings, surrounded by cattle and all living things
An aura of love encircled them there, love from above wonderful, redeeming, and full of care
God's gift to the world of perfect love given freely and sent from above
Yet even 2000 years on we still forget and get it wrong
So, as we celebrate on Christmas morn let's remember the child that for us was born
Let's seek out the star and follow His way
Let's look for His angels every day
Let's open our hearts and minds to see the Christ Child, the Holy Nativity
In the hustle and bustle of Christmas celebration let's not forget the gift of salvation
A Christmas gift, a child born in hay a Christmas gift unwrapped on Christmas day.
Dot Thomson 2021
Let's join the shepherds as they hurry down to Bethlehem, the wise men as they journey led by the star and come and join the celebration.
Carol: Come and join the celebration
tune: Celebrations, with intro.
Chorus:
Come and join the celebration
It's a very special day
Come and share our jubilation
There's a new King born today
1. See the shepherds hurry down to Bethlehem
Gaze in wonder at the Son of God
who lay before them
Chorus
2. Wise men journey, led to worship by a star,
Kneel in homage, bringing precious gifts
from lands afar so
Chorus
3. God is with us round the world the message bring
He is with us, welcome all the bells
On earth are pealing
Chorus
Valerie Collison (b. 1933)
Blessing
May the excitement of the shepherds
The perseverance of the kings
The Joy of the angels
And God's gift of love through the baby Jesus
Be yours this Christmas season and throughout the coming year.
We are invited to a joint service with Elm Ridge at 10:30 a.m. on Christmas Day.
There will be no in-person service on next Sunday (26th) but there will be a service of Lessons and Carols on our YouTube channel.
Don't forget the live streamed hymns on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. from Zöe (via the 'Northgate URC Darlington' Facebook page)
These are available to view later as well. (via YouTube, for those without Facebook, and also Facebook)
The streamings are a great success - well done, Zöe!
The recorded streamings are now, thanks to Harry Marshall, available to all on YouTube - search for 'Northgate URC Darlington'.
Ask Harry to invite you to the Northgate Facebook Group 
and you will get a notification of the live stream.
- Or you can just search for 'Northgate URC Darlington' in Facebook.
The URC denominational church audio Services (podcasts) at https://devotions.urc.org.uk/ are excellent, with well-delivered prayers and readings using a selection of voices and well-presented hymns.
Do give these a try - they are excellent.
(Just start the sound playing and scroll down to the written words)
Why not put the time aside for Zoe at 10:45, our preacher's service after that and follow up with the podcast - you will feel as if you had been IN church, as well as WITH church.