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. The following is done at Memorial Baptist Church in Beckley WV but can be modified for any Christian congregation.
By Mark D. Harris
Roles, Supplies, and Equipment for the Christmas Eve Service of the Lights
- Pastor – Microphone, pulpit, and light
- Song Leader – Microphone, music stand, and light
- Light Monitor – Turns the church lights on and off as required in the script
- Reader 1 – Sitting in congregation with script and microphone
- Reader 2 – Sitting in congregation with script and microphone
- Reader 3 – Sitting in congregation with script and microphone
- Reader 4 – Sitting in congregation with script and microphone
- Christ candle lighter – Family to come forward and light the Advent and Christ candles after invocation
- Candle Artist 1 – Responsible for multiple candles
- Candle Artist 2 – Responsible for multiple candles
- Piano – Piano light, microphone
- Instrument 1 – Stand light, microphone
- Instrument 2 – Stand light, microphone
Encourage participants at the front of the sanctuary to dress in dark colors so as not to distract from the lights.
Supplies
- Candles – 1 large candle for Christ and one for each of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
- Advent wreath
- Candles – 12 8–10-inch tapers, 6 in each candelabra. Twelve candles represent the prophetic word to the tribes of Israel and the witness of the twelve disciples.
- Candles – 6-8 8–10-inch tapers, each in a holder of different heights on a central table, representing the differences in God’s messengers across the ages.
- Candles – fifty (50) small with paper wax shields representing the light of God in each Christian.
- Communion cups – fifty (50) small for the congregation
- Grape juice
- Bread loaves (1 small to break, 1 large already broken in pieces)
Equipment
- Candelabra – 2 with 6 candle holders each
- Candle lighter (2) and/or matches
- Candle snuffers (2)
- Bread tray (2)
- Drink tray (2) and cups (50)
- Music stand and light (2) for musicians
- Pulpit and light for pastor
- Music stand and light for song leader
Script for the Christmas Eve Service of the Lights
Setting
- All the church lights are turned on.
- Twelve candles (8–10-inch white tapers) are in two sections (6 candles each) and unlit, with one Candle Artist assigned to and positioned by each section.
- Pass out congregational candles and paper wax shields in the entry area outside the sanctuary as people come in.
- Candle lighters are prepositioned on a small central table with the other 6-8 tapers.
- First and last verses of each song with instruments accompanying. The words may be on a screen if needed (font as large as possible, black background, white letters).
Greetings – Pastor
Invocation (opening prayer) – Pastor
The lighting of the advent candles and then the Christ candle – The family walks to the front. The husband lights the hope, peace, joy, and love candles. Finally, he lights the Christ candle. Family then walks back to their seats.
Ask congregation to stand
Singing of Hymns
- O Come, O Come Emmanuel – 123 or page number in the hymnal.
- O Come, All Ye Faithful – 145 or page number in the hymnal.
- It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – 128 or page number in the hymnal..
- O Little Town of Bethlehem – 141 or page number in the hymnal.
Ask congregation to be seated
The Light Monitor turns all church lights and other lights such as Christmas Tree lights off. Readers use whatever small lights they need to read. The Advent and Christ candles remain lit.
Reader 1 – John 1:1-18
Each candle artist lights all their candles. During the readings, candle artists extinguish and light candles at their discretion. Each candle represents a man bringing God’s light into the world for a short time (his lifetime). The Advent and Christ candles remain lit. The church lights remain off.
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.
Man did not want to live in the light, and he 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 worked so hard to avoid was 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 suffered under the boot of Rome, 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. This was not the light carried by others. The Light itself was now present in the world of men. Here and there men and women rejoiced to see the light.
Singing of Hymns
The Advent and Christ candles remain lit. The church lights remain off.
Ask congregation to stand
- Away in a Manger – 157 or page number in the hymnal.
- Silent Night – 147 or page number in the hymnal.
Ask congregation to be seated
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
The Advent and Christ candles remain lit. The church lights remain off.
Ask congregation to stand
- We Three Kings of Orient Are – 166 or page number in the hymnal.
Ask congregation to be seated
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 to expose 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.
Candle Artists extinguish all candles and lights except the Advent and Christ candles. The lights needed by each reader remain. Church lights remain off.
Pause 5 seconds.
Candle Artist 1 extinguishes the Advent candles and finally the Christ candle. The church is completely dark.
Pause 5 seconds.
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, peace, joy, and love.
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 amazing thing happened. The light began to flicker and the impossible happened, Jesus rose from the dead.
Candle Artist 1 relights the Christ candle and then the other Advent candles in order (hope, peace, joy, and love).
Reader 4
The Light began to burn as never before. His 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 from within them.
Candle Artists 1 and 2 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
Freshly baked bread on a tray (2) and grape juice in communion cups in trays (2).
Communion Prayer
Pastor breaks a small loaf of bread.
We will now take communion. The 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) 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.
Once every attendee is back in their seat and sitting, the pastor reads Mark 14:22-25 and then leads communion.
After the last person has taken communion, the pastor recites John 3:16.
Candle Artists 1 and 2 start lighting congregational candles. They do this until all the congregational candles are lit.
The Light burns here in Beckley WV 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 to us by the one source – Jesus 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
The Christ and Advent candles remain lit. All other candles remain lit.
Ask congregation to stand
- Joy to the World – 125 or page number in hymnal.
- Go, Tell It on the Mountain – 138 or page number in hymnal.
Candle Artists 1 and 2 extinguish all candles except Advent and Christ candles. All congregants extinguish congregational candles.
Pastor – Closing Prayer
Candle Artists 1 and 2 extinguish Advent and Christ candles. The light monitor turns on all the lights in the church. Congregation attendees place their extinguished candles in boxes in the entry area as they exit.
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