Christmas Day Service 2025
Today’s service is led by the Revd Packiaraj Asirvatham
Introduction
My name is Packiaraj Asirvatham, I’m serving as minister of South and East Enfield Pastorate in Thames North Synod. I’m very happy to celebrate Christmas Day with you all and it’s my joy to be part of this digital worship initiative led by the Revd Andy Braunston. So greetings from all the churches in our pastorate and I’m currently standing and preaching to you from the Winchmore Hill United Reformed Church and special greetings from the congregation. Let’s pray.
Call to Worship
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Hymn See In Yonder Manger Low
Edward Caswall (1814–1878) Public Domain. Sung by the choir and people of St Ninian’s Old Parish Church, Stirling.
See! in yonder manger low, born for us on earth below;
see! the tender Lamb appears promised from eternal years.
Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn! Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’
Lo! within a manger lies He who built the starry skies,
He who, throned in height sublime sits amid the cherubim:
Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn! Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’
Sacred Infant, all Divine, what a tender love was thine,
thus to come from highest bliss down to such a world as this!
Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn! Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’
Opening Prayer
Dear God, we thank you for this Christmas day.
We gather here to remember your birth in this world
as a child to a mother.
We are here to reflect on your birth
and its relevance to us and to the world in which we are living in.
As we praise the baby Jesus
and pray and meditate upon the humble beginnings of our saviour, accept our praises and prayers.
We pray that by remembering your birth
we continue to bring joy and peace to the people;
hope and revival to the Church;
love and justice to the world. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Absolution
I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
St Luke 15:18
Let us examine ourselves in silence.
Let us humbly confess our sins to almighty God.
O God,
we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed:
we have not loved you with all our heart;
we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
Have mercy upon us, we beseech you;
cleanse us from our sins; and help us to overcome our faults;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the almighty and merciful Lord
grant unto us pardon and remission of all our sins,
time for amendment of life,
and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer for Illumination
Dear eternal teacher,
as we prepare to mediate upon your word,
we pray and ask you to help us to listen your scriptures carefully,
open our hearts to understand the biblical truths deeply
and motivate us to being open to respond to your words faithfully.
We ask these in the name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Reading Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Hymn Who Would Think That What Was Needed
John L Bell (born 1949) and Graham Maule (1958-2019) © 1987, 2002 WGRG Sung by Members of the Kettering and Corby Methodist Circuit, OneLicence No. # A-734713
Who would think that what was needed to transform and save the earth
might not be a plan or army, proud in purpose proved in worth?
Who would think despite derision, that a child might lead the way?
God surprises earth with heaven, coming here on Christmas Day.
Shepherds watch and wise men wonder, monarchs scorn and angels sing;
such a place as none would reckon hosts a holy, helpless thing;
stable beasts & by-passed strangers watch a baby laid in hay:
God surprises earth with heaven, coming here on Christmas Day.
Centuries of skill and science span the past from which we move,
yet experience questions whether, with such progress we improve.
While the human lot we ponder, lest our hopes and humour fray,
God surprises earth with heaven, coming here on Christmas Day.
Reading St Luke 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room. Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Sermon Jesus on David’s throne
We have two scripture portions for this meditation, the first one from Isaiah, a royal prophecy about the birth of the messiah. Isaiah chapters 7–11 was given during the time of King Ahaz, when Israel faced invasion under the chaotic leadership of King Ahaz who defied God, allied with unjust neighbours and indulged in many sinful activities including child sacrifice. He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his own children in the fire to save his kingship. In this context, the prophet presents a vision about a saviour child, Isaiah 9: 6-7 reads,
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
As predicted, during the reign of Zedekiah the Babylonians conquered them and destroyed the First Temple and burned down the city. This is the end of the Kingdom of Judah. So now people are under the bondage of alien government and are expecting their saviour to come to save them.
Now, the second scripture portion opens with a real incident of a child’s birth in a small village near Jerusalem, named Bethlehem. The scripture says, “she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.” (Luke 2:7). Meantime, a group of angels appeared to the shepherds in the nearby fields and saying, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2: 10-12). Jesus was born as a messiah, in the lineage of David’s throne and a saviour but in an extremely different style. He was not born in a palace surrounded by wealth and riches but in a roadside inn, he was wrapped in a cloth not in a purple and linen. Why this radical shift? How can we understand a king’s birth in a village of Bethlehem who was wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger? What difference it has been made to the kingdom of Judah? How this birth affected the kings and kingdoms? Why this simple story of a child’s birth important to all of us?
Because Jesus’s birth demonstrated that David’s throne and his kingdom can be established by God without swords, bloodshed and war to save people and bring them joy and peace. It emphasizes that a king can be born in a street side inn, a king’s birth can be celebrated by the rural shepherds, a devout couple can be a parent of a king and above all a baby can transform the history of kingship of Judah. How all these happened? “The zeal of the Lord Almighty accomplish(ed) this.”
As we celebrate Christmas today, we are called to affirm that how the Zeal of the Lord transformed the kingly history of Judah through Jesus, the eternal king by breaking the path from war to peace, from Israelites to all human beings; from fighting to healing and from killing to giving his own life. The same Zeal of the lord is leading you and me who are part of His kingdom to challenge the evils, to make peace and to walk in love and justice always. Amen.
Hymn Child in the Manger
Leanbh an áidh. Mary Macdonald (1789–1872) Public Domain Sung by Teton Skye
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.
Prophets foretold him, infant of wonder;
angels behold him on his throne;
worthy our Saviour of all our praises;
happy for ever are his own.
Prayers of Intercession
Dear Lord, as we remember the birth of the baby Jesus,
we pray for our children.
Bless all our children with your wisdom, compassion and courage
so that they would grow in you and praise you throughout their life
by being with you and following you always.
We pray for the children who are outside of the churches at large,
both rich and poor from all over the world.
God, protect all children and support us
to care them compassionately.
Silence
Dear Master, we pray for our Church
and churches around the world,
for our servants of God, the elders,
many volunteers who passionately sustain this church
through their hard work and commitment.
We pray for all the people who visit this church.
We thank you for the fellowship you have given us
and for the church service, f
or the wonderful songs and music
and the servants who helped us to reflect on your words today
on remembering your birth from your scripture.
Dear Lord continue to help our church
to be the light of the world
and the salt of the earth
as we share your life-giving love in our everyday lives.
Silence
Dear Saviour, we pray for our country,
in this time of cost-of-living crisis help us
to live with integrity and encourage us to live sensibly
by loving our neighbours.
Help us to remind that godliness with contentment is great gain.
We pray for the poor people and sick people,
people who lost their loved ones,
people waiting for their treatments,
people who cope with various pains, sorrows and loneliness.
We pray for the displaced people, destitutes and migrants.
Lord, lead them with your grace
and inspire us to continue to care for
the vulnerable and the voiceless in this challenging world.
Silence
Dear Redeemer, we pray for people across the world
who are suffering with various natural calamities and extreme weather.
We pray for the multitude of people
who have been immensely affected by various conflicts and wars,
console the bereaving people
and comfort the broken hearted
as they recover and rebuild their lives.
We especially remember the aged
and the people at the margins in this time of severe weather,
protect them and save all of us from the harm.
Silence
Let us submit all our prayer by saying the Lord’ s prayer, Our Father…
Offertory
Missionary Amy Carmichael said, “One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving”. Our Lord Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Let us share from our treasures to support God’s mission and offer ourselves to God to serve in God’s mission as a living offering.
God of compassion and generosity,
thank you for all that you have given us.
We now offer back to you something from what
we have received and our lives.
Accept and use our humble offerings for your work and to your glory. Amen
Closing Prayer
Dear God, we thank you for this Christmas day worship.
We learnt that you were born in a manger
as a king of love, justice and simplicity.
You were wrapped in cloths,
celebrated your birth with the shepherds of Bethlehem.
We reaffirm once again the Godly intervention
which proved that David’s throne and his kingdom
can be established through God’s son our Lord Jesus Christ
without swords, blood and war.
As followers of our saviour Jesus Christ,
we commit ourselves once again
to serve in God’s mission of building a reign
of love, peace and justice. Amen.
Hymn Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
Latin Carol, 14th c.; Eng. tr. John M. Neale, 1818–1866 Public Domain. Sung by the Beyond the Walls Choir and used with their kind permission.
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice;
give ye heed 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!
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice;
now ye hear of endless bliss: Jesus Christ was born for this!
God has opened heaven’s door, and we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice;
now ye need not fear the grave: Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all to gain the everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!
Blessing
Let us receive the Benediction.
May the grace of the God who was incarnate,
and the love of the crucified saviour,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all now and always.
Amen