Origin: Christmas Eve 2003, Cityside. 11pm.
Theme:
Celebration of the Christmas Event
Mood:
Reflective, ambient, chilled out.
Setup:
Full blackout, 4 x 200 hour candles, fader on video player, DVD/laptop?, mirror ball, tv’s linked to video projector – all via mixer for blackouts, votive candles and sandtray, 1 x slide projector on rhs of front screen (text only), slide projectors on left and right walls (images only), stationary incense bowl in foyer, blackout windows, curtain over door, 6 ponga trees, spot on angel/star, DVD player,
Gear:
Glow sticks, fern leaves,
People:
Door:
Supper: Mulled Wine/Hot Chocolate/Christmas Cake etc:
Tech:
Readers: See below
Piano:
Musos:
Slides:
-miscellaneous Christmas images
Videos/DVDs:
-Incense loop
-Leunig DVD
-Sigur Ros — svefn-G-englar (Media Player)
Audio:
1.Prelude:
- Messiah, Handel
- Postlude: Ancient and Modern – Canticle of Sun and Moon.
Blind Boys…miscellaneous tracks
Digital Images: Art, title frame
Live Music: 8. O Come O Come 17. Jesus Le Christ 19 Hark The Herald Angels.
Running order:
- Prelude
Advent candles not lit. Low light levels,
Incense in foyer only: stationary censer.
Tall Candles.
Tracks:
Screens:
VID + tvs: Incense loop
F: Welcome…
L: Advent art
R: Advent art
2. Door: Welcome (Glow stick to each person)
10.50pm:
Screens:
VID + tvs: Sigur Ros — svefn-G-englar ex (Laptop – Media Player) (10.41)
F: black
L:…
R: …
Track: ex vid soundtrack
________________________________________________________
3. Transition: Lights: Dimmed to blackout. Candles burning.
Screens:
VID + tvs: black
F: black
L: black
R: black
4. Call to Worship: 11pm in darkness
Track: No 10. ‘Accompagnato (For behold, darkness shall cover the earth)’
No 11. ‘Air(The people that walk in darkness)’ (6.00)
#9 ex Handel’s Messiah, Sir Colin Davis and London Symphony Orchestra. (ex Brenda)
Screens:
VID+tvs: black
F: lyrics x 2
L: black
R: black
- Advent Candle Lighting: Responsive Reading: ‘Let there be light’ (Read off screen) ex Cloth for Cradle p31-34 modified. Words on slides.
Readers/Lighters x 5.
Screens:
VID+tvs:
F: words x7
L: art
R: art
:All screens black for 5 seconds.
6. Welcome and intro — Screens lead… (toilets, exits, supper, relax…)
Screens:
VID+tvs: Christmas in the Dark: The Light shines?
F: black
L: art – Madonna and Child
R: art – angel and baby
7. Scripture Reading #1: Luke 1/26-38. p115 Message. ‘A Virgin conceives’. RDR:
Screens:
F: black
VID+tvs: image
L: art — Annunciation
R: art — Annunciation
At end of Scripture reading hold for 5 seconds…then…
8. Song: ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’. Piano: Adee.
Screens:
VID+tvs: black
F: lyrics x4
L: n/c
R: n/c
9. Scripture Reading #2: Luke 2/1-7 p118/9 Message. ‘The Birth of Jesus’ . RDR: Isa Rive
Screens:
VID+tvs: black
F: black
L: art
R: art – mother and child
At end of Scripture reading hold for 5 seconds…then
10. Solo: ‘The Voice of Love’ by Brenda Liddiard.
Screens:
VID+tvs:
F: black
L: n/c
R: n/c
11. Scripture Reading #3: Luke 2/8-22 p119 Message ‘An Event for Everyone’ RDR: Arthur.
Screens:
VID + tvs :
F: black
L: art
R: art
At end of Scripture reading hold for 5 seconds…then
11a. Carol: ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’.
Screens:
VID + tvs :
F: lyrics x 4
L: n/c
R: n/c
12. Scripture Reading #4: Matt 2/1-12, p? Message ‘Scholars from the East’ RDR:
Screens:
VID + tvs :
F: black
L: art
R: art
13. Prayers for Others:
Link: Jesus is described as the light of the world, yet his birth prompted King Herod to murder 1000’s of newborn babies in an attempt to get rid of Jesus. Light and darkness. You can’t have one without having the other it seems. The Christian Church continues to name Jesus as the light of our world. Yet much darkness remains. Conflict, war, breakdown of relationships, poverty, suffering, injustice, ….Perhaps your personal world has it’s dark spots too. We will take time to remember and to name this darkness. I invite you to name out loud any situation or circumstance, specific or general, that is darkness to you…
(Progressive extinguishing of lights and candles — by B and M — as people callout /name the darkness in our/their worlds. Some pre arranged voices. Voices continue in darkness. Eg. Violence in Israel, a friends deep depression, war in Iraq….
Screens:
VID+tvs: black
F: black
L: black
R: black
14. Track: ‘Down’, by Bindi Blacher ex Peace Not War (www.peace-not-war.org)
Screens:
VID + tvs : black
F: lyrics x 7 …then Black
L: black
R: black
- Scripture Readings: Various voices torches) re light (see below). Light candle at end of each reading – fast ie readers don’t wait for candle to be lit.
RDRS:
16. Link: Yes, Jesus is the light of the world. Christ is able to bring light and hope and change into the circumstances of our life and of the world we live in, but most often God relies on us to take the light of Christ into our worlds. God has no other plan than to use you and me to be light bearers in our relationships and encounters with people.
- Breaking of Glow Sticks. Invite people to break glowstick and bring it forward and hang on any of the pongas as a symbol of their prayer for light to shine into darkness somewhere.
Song behind activity: Taize chant ‘Jesus Your Light is Shining Within Me’. Solo voice/small group joined by punters. Relight other candles etc around space.
Screens:
VID + tvs :
F: lyrics x 1
L: art
R: art
Silence (F: black)
18. Prayer: Night Prayer ex New Zealand Anglican Prayer Book. RDR:
Screens:
VID+tvs:
F: words x 5
L: art
R: art
19. Song: ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. Piano:
Screens:
VID+tvs:
F: lyrics x 2 (small font)
L: art
R: art
21. Link: As you leave you will be offered a second glow stick to take home. We invite you to light it on New Years Eve as a symbol of your intention to live your life more fully in the light of Christ, to live more deliberately as the light of Christ in the world, in the new year. A reminder that we are called to be light in our world. Please join us for mulled wine, hot chocolate and Christmas cake after the service.
22. Responsive Reading/Benediction: Light looked down ex Cloth for Cradle p.82
RDR:
Walk among people and sprinkle stars as say Benediction.
Screens:
VID+tvs:
F: words x1 then to Black.
L: art
R: art
As people leave they are offered a second glow stick with small piece of silver fern attached.
23. Postlude: Track: ‘Canticle of the Sun and Moon’ ex Ancient and Modern #1
+ Blind Boys
+ Sackville Allstars
Screens:
VID + tv’s: Leunig DVD tracks 35, 36, 37, 50, 7?, 8?
F: Stay to supper…
L: art
R: art
- Supper: Mulled Wine, Christmas Cake, Hot Chocolate.
Notes
- DOWN
written by Bindi Blacher
performed by Bindi Blacher, Andy Rasheed, Dennis Kipridis, Jeb Cardwell
produced by Jim Redgate from the album “Down” © 1999 Bindi Blacher
bindi@picknowl.com.au
15. Scripture Sentences
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you (Isaiah 60/1)
Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. (Isaiah 60/20)
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Matthew 4/16)
The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1/5)
(Jesus), the true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (John 1/9)
Jesus cried out. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. (John 12/46)
Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8/12)
17. Jesus le Christ (Taize)
Jesus, your light is shining within us.
Let not my doubts and my darkness speak to me.
Jesus your light is shining within us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.
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