Christmas Eve services often resemble smaller versions of normal worship services, including announcements, songs or carols, and a short sermon or devotional. Many use candles at the end. The Service of the Lights provides a script for a different kind of Christmas Eve service, one which has been well received over the years. This has been adapted from a service written by Reverend Richard Harding.
By Mark D. Harris
Roles, Supplies, and Equipment for the Christmas Eve Service of the Lights
Roles
| Role | Name | Notes |
| Pastor | Microphone | |
| Song leader | Microphone | |
| Reader 1 | Sitting in congregation with paper script and microphone | |
| Reader 2 | Sitting in congregation with paper script and microphone | |
| Reader 3 | Sitting in congregation with paper script and microphone | |
| Reader 4 | Sitting in congregation with paper script and microphone | |
| Christ candle lighter | Family to come forward and light Christ candle after invocation | |
| Candlelighter 1 | Each candle lighter is responsible for multiple candles | |
| Candlelighter 2 | Each candle lighter is responsible for multiple candles | |
| Piano | Dress in dark colors, piano light, microphone | |
| Instrument 1 | Dress in dark colors, using a stand light, microphone | |
| Instrument 2 | Dress in dark colors, using a stand light, microphone |
Supplies and Equipment
| Supplies | Equipment |
| Candles (1 large for Christ) | Candle holders (1 large for Christ Candle) |
| Candles (12 medium for candlelighters) | Candle lighter (2) and/or matches |
| Tea lights and/or votives for extra candles | Candle snuffers (2) |
| Candles and cups (50 small for congregation) | Bread tray (2) |
| Grape juice | Drink tray (2) and cups (50) |
| Bread loaves (1 small to break, 1 large already broken in pieces) | Music stand and light (2) |
Script for the Christmas Eve Service of the Lights
All the church lights are turned on. Candles unlit. Pass out congregational candles in the entry area.
Greetings – Pastor
Invocation – Pastor
Lighting of the Christ candle (Young family walks to front, husband lights the Christ candle with a candle lighter)
Singing of Hymns (multiple verses of each song, song leader leading, instruments accompanying)
- Come, O Come Emmanuel – page number in hymnal.
- Come, All Ye Faithful – page number in hymnal.
- It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – page number in hymnal.
- O Little Town of Bethlehem – page number in hymnal.
All church lights turned off except reader lights as needed.
Reader 1 (John 1:1-18)
Each candle lighter lights all their candles. During the readings, candle lighters extinguish and light candles at their discretion.
Reader 2
Jesus Christ is the Light of God. Throughout the ages men have tried to extinguish the Light. They did this because the Light reminded them of their own sin. Faced with the knowledge that they were less than they should be, they would stamp upon the Light and strike out against it. God, the source of the Light, sent men into the world to proclaim the Light. Men like Enoch, Elijah, and Ezekiel boldly spoke of the goodness of God and His work to save man. Although these prophets were sometimes accepted, they were more often treated poorly and even beaten and killed.
Mankind did not want to live in the light and chose the darkness whenever he could. Men would sneak off into the darkness whenever the Light appeared and once in the darkness they would plot against the Light. Men designed all manner of lies to use against the Light.
How many carriers of the Light were killed by the men plotting in the darkness is impossible to say, but the darkness often seemed to overcome the light. The light would sometimes flash and burn growing in intensity, but soon the men of the darkness would extinguish it. Mankind continued to long for that missing something in their lives but never seemed to realize that the light they work so hard to avoid is the very thing for which they longed.
Reader 3 (Luke 2:1-20)
Reader 4
Here and there men raised up prayers to God to send the light but whenever it seemed that their prayers were answered the light soon went out. Throughout history the light would appear and grow a little and then go out. It seemed to most that the world was a place of despondency where darkness and evil ruled. The Gods that men worshiped only seemed to contribute to the darkness.
There was one place where the light seemed to flicker more often than others. In Israel the light seemed to be more welcome than it was in other countries but even here it only seemed to flicker a little more in the intense darkness.
Then while this little country was occupied and while hope for the strengthening of the light had all but been forgotten the light entered the world as a baby born of a woman. The light was here in its purest form. Not the light carried by others but the light itself was now present in the world of men and here and there men and women rejoiced to see the light.
Singing of Hymns (led by song leader, first verse only, as the church will be dark)
- Away in a Manger – page number in hymnal.
- Silent Night – page number in hymnal.
Reader 1 – (Luke 2:21-40)
Reader 2
Simeon and Anna had awaited the coming of the light and rejoiced. Others tried to immediately extinguish the light. Herod the king killed all the boy babies in Bethlehem under the age of two. He tried to extinguish the Light, but an angel from God warned Joseph and he escaped to Egypt with the child and his mother. The Light returned to Israel. He taught, He healed the sick, He cast out demons, and He did good wherever He went.
Singing of Hymns (led by song leader, first verse only, as the church will be dark)
- We three kings of Orient are – page number in hymnal.
Reader 2
Most of the people tried to ignore the Light, hoping that if they closed their eyes the Light would fade and go away. The Light, however, grew brighter and brighter. Soon it was so bright that no one could ignore it. The leaders of the people tried to extinguish the Light by rejecting Jesus. They failed. The Light began to attract followers who were willing to stand with Him. They were humble men who left their occupations as fishermen and tax collectors to follow the Light. The Light began to burn so brightly that it exposed men’s faults and shortcomings. As the Light intensified the opposition grew. The leaders did not want the Light exposing their wickedness, so they plotted to extinguish the Light forever. Even one of His closest followers joined the plot to kill Him. The forces of darkness along with the forces of mankind took the Light and nailed Him to a tree. They left Him there to die.
Extinguish all candles and lights except reader lights.
Candle lighter 1 extinguishes Christ candle.
Pause
Reader 3
His followers deserted him and cried over their own weakness and loss. They had deserted the Light and now they would spend eternity in darkness. The earth quaked and the sun went dark. The Light was gone, and so was hope, love, promise, and faith.
For three long days the Light was gone. The forces of darkness congratulated themselves for now the darkness had won. It was complete.
On the first day of the week the most amassing thing happened. The light began to flicker and the impossible happened, Jesus rose from the dead.
Candle lighter 1 relights the Christ candle.
Reader 4
The light began to burn as never before. The followers were accepted by the light even though they had deserted Him. He did not desert them. At first, they saw Him here and there. His followers watched as He returned to His Father in heaven. They followed his instructions to go to Jerusalem and wait. After some days the Spirit of the living God fell on them in a mighty way. They discovered that now they each had the light shining out from within them.
Candle lighters relight all their other candles.
The light multiplied with miraculous speed. Now the darkness was on the defensive. The darkness was fleeing the coming of the light. The battle continues down to our day. The darkness has only a few places where the light has not penetrated it. Men and women filled with the light have carried it to every nation on earth.
Pastor – Communion – Mark 14:22-25
Fresh baked bread on tray (2) and grape juice in communion cups in trays (2).
Communion Prayer
Pastor breaks small loaf of bread.
We will now take communion. Pastor gives instructions to congregants.
- Row by row starting at the front, please file to the front of the church through the middle aisle.
- Approach the communion table.
- Take communion (bread first, juice second) at the front table or after returning to seats.
- Walk across the front towards the outer aisle on your side.
- Return to your seats via the outer aisles.
- Take communion in your seats if not done at the front table per pastoral and/or congregational preference.
After last person has taken communion, read John 3:16
Start lighting congregational candles. Do this until all congregational candles are lit.
The light burns here in (Town of church), and it burns throughout the world. There is no place that we can go to escape it. The light has come and continues to come to men and women to confront them with the love of almighty God.
Today we continue in the fight but there can be no question as to who the winner will be. The Light has shined in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. The Light shines from within us. The candles we see here this evening have all come from one source. We carry the Light given us by the one source Jesus the Christ. He is the light of the world. In Him, we are the light of the world. Darkness has been defeated by Christ on the cross.
If you have not given yourself to the Light, I challenge you to give yourself to the light of the world. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. What is your answer?
Singing of Hymns (led by song leader, multiple verses)
- Joy to the World – page number in hymnal.
- Go tell it on the mountain – page number in hymnal.
Extinguish congregational candles. Turn on all the lights in the church.
Pastor – Closing Prayer
Congregation attendees place their extinguished candles in boxes in the entry area as they exit.
