Church tradition is rich with rituals and methods for teaching the timeless and precious truths of Scripture to hearers over the generations. The service of Nine Lessons and Carols reveals God’s acts throughout history for the salvation of man.  Enjoy Lessons and Carols and consider adding it to your church Christmas traditions.

By Mark D. Harris

Christians around the world celebrate Christmas in a glorious variety of ways. Handel’s brilliant oratorio Messiah reveals the story of salvation from the Fall to the Triumph of Christ in music. The Service of Lessons and Carols does the same through Bible readings, Christmas carols, and pastoral writings.

History of Lessons and Carols

Prior to the late nineteenth century, parishioners sang hymns in church but Christmas carols in members’ homes, since carols were considered more secular than hymns. As hymns grew in popularity throughout Victoria’s reign, carol-singing seeped into worship. Meanwhile, ministers worried about the riotous living and drunkenness in Cornish pubs during the Yuletide season. The Bishop of Truro, Right Rev Edward White Benson (1829-1896), and co-workers combined Christmas carols, Bible readings, and pastoral homilies into the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols.[1] The first service was done at 10 pm on Christmas Eve, 1880, in the hopes of attracting revelers into the church.  It worked…over four hundred people attended. The service grew popular after it was conducted at King’s College in Cambridge on Christmas Eve, 1918, just after the end of the First World War (1914-1918) and the influenza pandemic (1918).

Continue reading “Lessons and Carols” →

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 that 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 stand light
• Song Leader – Microphone, music stand, and light
• Light Monitor 1 – Turns the church lights on and off as required in the script
• Light Monitor 2 – Turns the Christmas tree lights on and off as required in the script. One or two people, depending upon the configuration of the lights. 
• 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 (for up to 100 attendees)

• 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 – One hundred (100) small with paper wax shields representing the light of God in each Christian.
• Communion cups – One hundred (100) small for the congregation
• Grape juice
• Bread loaves (1 small loaf to break, several large loaves already sliced or 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 (100)
• 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

1. All the church lights are turned on.
2. 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.  
3. Pass out congregational candles and paper wax shields in the entry area outside the sanctuary as people come in.
4. Candle lighters are prepositioned on a small central table with the other 6-8 tapers.
5. First and last verses of each song with instruments accompanying. When using slides on a screen to project song lyrics, use black backgrounds with white letters to avoid overstimulating attendees’ eyes. 

Greetings – Pastor

1. Welcome to the Christmas Eve Service of the Lights at ______________ (name of church)
2. There will be many times of silence and darkness during this service. These moments are both intentional and unintentional. Please use them for silent prayer and meditation. 

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 the 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 the 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 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² The same was in the beginning with God.³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.⁷ The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.⁹ That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.¹⁵ John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.¹⁶ And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.¹⁷ For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.¹⁸ No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

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 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

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 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

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, every one into his own city.⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, 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, being 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, which 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, as 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 is 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 they that 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. 

Reader 4 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

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 the congregation to stand

• Away in a Manger – 157 or page number in the hymnal.
• Silent Night – 147 or page number in the hymnal.

Ask the congregation to be seated

Reader 4 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

Luke 2:21-40

²¹ And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.²² And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;²³ (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)²⁴ And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.²⁵ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.²⁷ And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,²⁸ Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,²⁹ Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:³⁰ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,³¹ Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.³³ And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.³⁴ And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;³⁵ (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.³⁶ And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;³⁷ And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.³⁸ And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.³⁹ And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.⁴⁰ And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Reader 1 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

Simeon and Anna had awaited the coming of the light and rejoiced. For years they sought God for the light, and encouraged others to do so. King Herod tried to immediately extinguish the light. He killed all the boys in Bethlehem under the age of two. Herod tried to extinguish the Light, but an angel from God warned Joseph and he escaped to Egypt with the child Jesus and his mother Mary. 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 the congregation to stand

• We Three Kings of Orient Are – 166 or page number in the hymnal.

Ask the congregation to be seated

Reader 2 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

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 10 seconds.

Candle Artist 1 extinguishes the Advent candles and finally the Christ candle. The church is completely dark.

Pause 10 seconds.

Reader 3 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

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 1 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

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.

Reader 2 (read slowly, loudly, and enunciate)

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).

For safety as congregants walk, turn on Christmas tree and other accessory lights as needed. Please leave the main church lights off. 

Communion Prayer

Pastor breaks a small loaf of bread.

Those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will now take communion. If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, if you have not accepted His flesh and blood, do not take these elements. Instead, take Christ Himself as your Savior and Lord. 

1. Row by row starting at the front, please file to the front of the church through the middle aisle toward the communion table.
2. Take the communion elements (bread and cup) to your seats. Wait to consume the elements until everyone has received them and returned to their seats. The pastor will signal when to take communion.
3. Walk across the front towards the outer aisle on your side.
4. Return to your seats via the outer aisles.
5. Take communion in your seats. The whole body will take communion together, bread first and cup second. 

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 will proceed down the central aisle and light the candle of the person at the end of each row. The person at the end will light the candle of the person next to him, and so on. 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 the 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.