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CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE

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L ,A 24, 2025

Welcome to Grace! Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Savior of the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service. Check out the GRACE WEBSITE at GraceLutheranSAZ.org WORSHIP NOTES We are very pleased that you have joined us for worship today! We pray that this time will be a blessing for you as God comes to you with his Word and promises and as you offer him your thanks and praise. The order of worship we will follow is printed in this worship folder for you to follow along and participate. LARGE PRINT worship folders are available at the entrances for those who desire them. If you prefer to sing the hymns from a hymnal, you will find the blue Christian Worship (2021) hymnals in each pew, however, you will find all of the hymns printed in this worship folder as well. Please note the special instructions regarding stanzas to be sung by the vocalist. Our service will also include the lighting of candles. Please note the instructions on page 16. Batteryoperated candles are also available for those who desire this option. There is no cost to park in our parking lot during worship services. If you receive a citation by mistake, please let our office staff know so it can be cleared.

OUR WORSHIP SERIES—CHRIST THE SAVIOR IS BORN “Silent Night” was written originally in German by Joseph Mohr, with music composed by Franz Gruber. The carol was ﬁrst performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. Legend says the church organ was broken, prompting Gruber to compose a simple guitar accompaniment. Subsequently accompanied by many instruments and translated into many languages, the text paints the picture of the incarnation. The last phrase is repeated, so in the second stanza we hear it twice: “Christ the Savior is born!” Every word of that phrase is signiﬁcant, and every line of the Christmas carol describes a bible truth. We use the beloved hymn to ponder the profound message of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Our worship will follow this path: Christmas Eve Christmas Day First Sunday after Christmas (Dec. 28) Epiphany of Our Lord (Jan. 4)

Heavenly Hosts Sing Alleluia Holy Infant So Tender and Mild Son of God Love’s Pure Light Beams from Thy Holy Face

THEME FOR THIS EVENING—HEAVENLY HOSTS SING ALLELUIA Families cherish their Christmas traditions. Year after year, they decorate the tree with the same ornaments, play the same music, bake the same Christmas cookies. Without asking, family members know when they will open presents. If you try to change your family’s Christmas traditions, you might be in trouble! When it comes to family Christmases, people generally don’t like things to change. Because our celebration of Christmas has so many unchanging traditions, we might miss the fact that the birth of Christ the Savior meant radical change for the world. Would the change be an improvement or another step in decline? The angels answer the question. They don’t sing “Watch out for impending doom!” They sing “glory” and “peace,” praising God with alleluias!

+ ORDER OF WORSHIP + Our worship this evening is an adaptation of the “Lessons and Carols” service traditionally held at King’s College, Cambridge, England on December 24th every year. “Lessons and Carols” was ﬁrst held on Christmas Eve, 1918. It was planned by Eric Milner-White, who at the age of thirty-four had just been appointed Dean of King’s College after experience as an army chaplain.

PRESERVICE MUSIC

O Come, Emmanuel Breath of Heaven Angels We Have Heard on High Angels from the Realms of Glory (Handbells) Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Handbells)

WELCOME

Please stand

EXHORTATION AND PRAYER Dear people of God, on this Christmas Eve, it is our duty and delight to hear again the message of the angels and, in heart and mind, to go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us—the Christ Child lying in a manger. Let us read and learn in Holy Scripture the story of the loving purpose of God from the first days after our fall into sin to the glorious redemption brought to us by this holy child. But first, let us pray for people all over the world who would delight with us to know the good news of Jesus Christ and who would join with us in singing his praises. Let us pray for the people of this city and for all those in our own congregation. And, because this would please our Lord, let us remember in his name the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who are sad, the lonely and the unloved, the elderly and the little children. We especially remember all those who do not know the Lord Jesus, those who do not love him, and those who by sin have grieved his heart of love. Finally, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us in heaven, who live in greater light than we, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, who died in faith, and who live before the throne of God and praise him each day in his temple. We confess that we are united with them as we are united with one another. To sum up all these petitions, let us pray as Christ himself taught us: 2

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Please be seated

HYMN—Angels from the Realms of Glory

1. ALL 2. ALL 3. Men 4. Women 5. ALL

Text (sts. 1–3): James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.; (st. 4): Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, alt. Tune: Henry T. Smart, 1813–1879. Text and tune: Public domain.

Christian Worship 347

The Effects of a Fallen Angel’s Proclamation SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 3:8–15

They heard the voice of the L God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the L God among the trees of the garden. 9

The L

God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11

God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12

The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13

The L

God said to the woman, “What have you done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14

The L

God said to the serpent:

Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.

HYMN—Creator of the Stars of Night The vocalist will sing stanza 1. Please join in singing the rest of the hymn.

Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–1866, alt. Tune: plainsong, c. 9th cent. Text and tune: Public domain.

Christian Worship 323

The Angel of the LORD’s Promise SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 22:15–18

The Angel of the L called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “I have sworn by myself, declares the L , because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the city gates of their enemies. 18In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

HYMN—Blessed Be the God of Israel

Christian Worship 954

The LORD of Armies Will Bring Salvation SCRIPTURE READING 2

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. For those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned.

For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings. He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on, into eternity. The zeal of the L of Armies will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

HYMN—Where Shepherds Lately Knelt

Christian Worship 345

The Savior Will Be Born in Bethlehem SCRIPTURE READING 2

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

Therefore the L will give them up, until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a child. Then the remaining survivors from his brothers will return to the people of Israel.

He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the L , in the majesty of the name of the L his God. They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.

This one will be their peace.

HYMN—To Shepherds as They Watched by Night The vocalist will sing stanza 2. Please join in singing the rest of the hymn.

Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Richard Massie, 1800–1887, alt. Tune: Latin, 15th cent., adapt. Michael Praetorius, 1571–1621. Text and tune: Public domain.

Micah 5:2–5

Christian Worship 335

The Angel Visits Mary SCRIPTURE READING

Luke 1:26–35, 38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” 29

But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 34

Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 38

Then Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

HYMN—What Child Is This

Christian Worship 344

Text: William C. Dix, 1837–1898, alt. Tune: English, 16th cent. Text and tune: Public domain.

The Angel Visits Joseph SCRIPTURE READING 18

Matthew 1:18–25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. 20But as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not 11

be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22

All this happened to fulﬁll what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23“Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” 24

When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, 25but he was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her ﬁrstborn son. And he named him Jesus.

HYMN—Peace Came to Earth

Christian Worship 330

Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008 © 1984 Concordia Publishing House. Tune: arr. Mark Kellner, 1959–2015, alt.; Richard Jeﬀrey, b. 1952 © 2000 MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199.

The Angels Announce the Savior’s Birth SCRIPTURE READING

Luke 2:1–20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the ﬁrst census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. 6

And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her ﬁrstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8

There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” 15

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So they hurried oﬀ and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child. 18And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

CHOIR ANTHEM—Angels We Have Heard on High Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plain, and the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strain. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heav’nly song? Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Text: French; tr. The Crown of Jesus, Part 2, 1862, alt. Public domain.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Gracious Father, when the time had fully come, you sent your Son to carry out your plan to save the world from the tyranny of sin, the threat of death, and the power of Satan. On this holy night, strengthen our faith as we ponder the depth of your divine love. Lead us to quiet awe as we remember your gracious compassion. Impress on us the poverty and pain your Son endured in our place, how he willingly set aside his power and place and assumed the weakness of an infant and the starkness of a stable. Lead us to acknowledge the sins which compelled his humiliation and the love which accepted his lowliness. Forgive us and move us to trust in his mission to save us. Take away our fears and fright and fill us with joy as we hear the message that Jesus was born for us and that he came to restore peace with you and mend the bond broken by sin. Move us to sing our carols and hymns not with passing pleasure but with the depth of praise for his extraordinary love. Let our songs and hymns reflect our faith in the redemption gained by Christ. Lead us to kneel at his manger with hearts of faith and to see there the God-man who takes away the sins of the world. Guide and guard us so that the happiness shared with family and friends does not delay or discourage our journey to his holy crib. Make the birth of Christ our highest priority and deepest pleasure. Fill us with an eager joy that moves us to share the good news with others, especially those who may have forgotten or dismissed the love of God in Christ. Give us faith-filled maturity to recognize that the best gift we can give to children is the story of Jesus who was born as a baby and died on a cross to save them for heaven. Move us to tell the good news we have seen and heard. Hear us, Lord, as we pray in silence. Silent prayer

During this hectic holiday, provide us with quiet times to remember what the birth of Jesus really means for us and all people, that he came to free us from the evil forces that separated us from your love, that he lived and died to forgive our sins, and that he rose in triumph to prepare a place where we will live with you forever. Move us to sing with hearts of faith, “Glory to God in the highest!” Amen.

OFFERING We offer our gifts to our God who has given us more than we could ever ask for and far more than we deserve—the promise of forgiveness and eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior. If you are our guest tonight and do not wish to give an offering, please do not feel compelled to do so. Online giving is also available online by scanning this QR code: Please use this time fill out the Friendship Register located in the red folder at the end of the row and pass it along. Thank you!

OFFERTORY MUSIC—I Stand Beside Your Manger Here

Worship Choir and Congregation

I stand beside your manger here, O Jesus, life from heaven. The gifts I bring as I draw near are what to me you’ve given: my spirit, courage, mind, and heart—take all I am, take ev’ry part; in mercy let it please you. Before I ever came to be, or knew of you, my Savior, you’d chosen me, been born for me, that I might have your favor. Before you formed me by your hand in grace you had already planned how I would learn to love you. Death held me in the deepest night till you, my sunshine beaming, brought joy and bliss and life and light, in love my soul redeeming. O Sun, your rays so warm and fair have made my darkness disappear— faith’s precious light is shining. Please join in singing:

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–1676, abr.; tr. Michael D. Schultz, b. 1963 © 2021 Northwestern Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199. Music: Kathy Parra © 2025 Kathy Parra. Used by permission of the composer.

LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES The pastor takes the light of the Christ candle to the ushers. They pass the light on to the congregation. Please tip only the unlighted candle to prevent wax from dripping. To light the battery-operated candles, gently twist the bulb at the top.

MUSIC DURING CANDLE LIGHTING

O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is

PRAYER Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true light. Grant that as we have known on earth the wonder of that light, we may also behold him in all his glory in the life to come; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

BLESSING May he who by his incarnation gathered things earthly and heavenly into one ﬁll us with such joy that comes with the knowledge of the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. And the blessing of God Almighty—the Father, the (+) Son, and the Holy Spirit—be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

CLOSING HYMN—Silent Night

Christian Worship 337

Text: tr. John F. Young, 1820–1885; Franz Joseph Mohr, 1792–1848. Tune: Franz Xaver Gruber, 1787–1863. Text and tune: Public domain.

POSTLUDE MUSIC

Sussex Carol

Thank you for joining us for worship this Christmas Eve. We pray that God will continue to strengthen you in your faith through his Word, during this blessed season and beyond. If you are a guest with us today and do not have a church home, we would consider it a special privilege to share God’s Word with you on a regular basis. Please take a Guest Packet at the exit to learn more about our congregation. You can also ﬁnd us online at GraceLutheranSAZ.org. We invite you to join us for these holiday worship services:

HOLIDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE Christmas Day Services Thursday, December 25 10:00 AM at Grace-Tucson 10:00 AM at Grace-Sahuarita

New Year’s Eve Worship All Site Service Wednesday, December 31 5:30 PM at Grace-Sahuarita Followed by food and fun!

THOSE ASSISTING IN WORSHIP TODAY Minister .......................................................................................................................... Pastor Ron Koehler Accompanist ............................................................................................................................... Kathy Parra Choir Director ........................................................................................................................ Paul Kassulke Piano ................................................................................................................ Jim Bakken, Naomi Kassulke Vocalists ...................................................................................................... Naomi Kassulke, Sam Kassulke Handbell Director & Clarinet.............................................................................................. Beth Kassulke Flute ........................................................................................................................................ Donna Bakken Greeters ............................................................................................................................... Jenn & DJ Miller Ushers ................................................................... Justin Harris, Sam Kassulke, Rick Street, Vic Thornton Sound and Recording Techs .......................................... Jeremy Snavely, Danny Koehler, Sam Kassulke Acknowledgements: Scripture readings are taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) © 2018 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. wartburgproject.org. Created by Christian Worship: Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House. Software distributed in partnership with Northwestern Publishing House.

One Church. Four Locations. Proclaiming the love of Jesus in Southern Arizona since 1911. Grace-Tucson and Central Office

Grace-Sahuarita

830 N. 1st Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (520)623-6633 office@gracelutheransaz.org

75 W. Sahuarita Rd, Sahuarita, AZ 85629 (520)578-3538

Pastor Ronald G. Koehler III revrgk3@gracelutheransaz.org

Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke revnpk@gracelutheransaz.org

Administrative Assistant—Debbie Koehler assistant@gracelutheransaz.org

Pastor Ryan A. Heiman

revrah@gracelutheransaz.org

Child Learning Center

(520)848-4630 receptionist@gracelutheransaz.org GraceLutheranSahuaritaCLC.com

Director—Laura Heiman

director@gracelutheransaz.org

Assistant Director—Jen Rickling jrickling@gracelutheransaz.org

Worship Coordinator—Beth Kassulke music@gracelutheransaz.org

Grace-Benson and Grace-Vail Benson

451 W. Duane St., Benson, AZ 85602

Vail

Child Learning Center Mission Teachers Caitlin Broehm, Toddlers

cbroehm@gracelutheransaz.org

Worshipping at Esmond Station Elementary 9400 S. Atterbury Wash Way, Tucson, AZ 85747

Vicki Smith, 3-Year Olds

Pastor Seth A. Scheuerlein

Theresa Pratt, Preschool

revsas@gracelutheransaz.org

tpratt@gracelutheransaz.org

Office at Civano

Chris Leathers, After School Care

10501 E. Seven Generations Way, Tucson, AZ 85747 (520)848-4631

vsmith@gracelutheransaz.org

cleathers@gracelutheransaz.org

Prayer Group—Laura Hodgson prayergroup@gracelutheransaz.org

Bible-Based Counselor—Cinda Drescher

Office Assistant—Cora Stuhr

cinda@gracelutheransaz.org (520)581-4714

office@gracelutheransaz.org

wels.net

Grace Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), a group of nearly 400,000 men, women, and children in nearly 1,300 congregations across the United States and Canada united by a common faith in Christ's saving love. We are committed to a common calling—encouraging each other in our faith and sharing God's gift of a Savior with the rest of the world.