The English-Speaking Communities of Berne
St Ursula's Church (Anglican) – Bruder Klaus Church (Roman Catholic)
Online Carol Service 2021
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The English-Speaking Communities of Berne
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For those who have difficulty attending worship during this Christmas season, we offer last year's online joint carol service, updated with a fresh message, with our warmest greetings and blessings.
1O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem,
come and behold him,
born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
2God of God,
Light of Light,
lo, he abhors not the virgin's womb;
very God,
begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
3Sing choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above,
glory to God,
in the highest:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
4Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning,
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
now in flesh appearing
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
John Francis Wade
Genesis tells us of man's fall
| 8They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
10He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." 14The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." Thanks be to God. |
Adam lay ybounden,
Bounden in a bond:
Four thousand winter
Thought he not too long.
And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took,
As clerkes finden written in their book.
Nay had the apple taken been,
The apple taken been,
Nay had never our lady
Abeen heavenly queen.
Blessed be the time
That apple taken was.
Therefore we bound singen:
Deo gracias, deo gracias!
Abraham's obedience and faithfulness will bring blessing to the nations
| 15The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."
Thanks be to God. |
1In the bleak midwinter
frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow,
snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter
long ago.
2Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
nor earth sustain:
heaven and earth shall flee away
when he comes to reign:
In the bleak midwinter
a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ.
3Enough for him, whom cherubim
worship night and day,
a breastful of milk
and a mangerful of hay;
enough for him, whom Angels
fall down before,
the ox and ass and camel
which adore.
4Angels and archangels
may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air -
but his mother only,
in her maiden bliss,
worshipped the beloved
with a kiss.
5What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him -
give my heart.
Christina Georgina Rossetti
Isaiah's prophecy of the righteous reign of the coming King
| 2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined. 3You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
4For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Thanks be to God. |
1Unto us a boy is born!
King of all creation,
came he to a world forlorn,
the Lord of every nation,
the Lord of every nation.
2Cradled in a stall was he
with sleepy cows and asses:
but the very beasts could see
that he all men surpasses,
that he all men surpasses.
3Herod then with fear was filled:
'A prince,' he said, 'in Jewry!'
All the little boys he killed
at Bethl'em in his fury,
at Bethl'em in his fury.
4Now may Mary's son, who came
so long ago to love us,
lead us all with hearts aflame
unto the joys above us,
unto the joys above us.
5Omega and Alpha he!
Let the organ thunder,
while the choir with peals of glee
doth rend the air asunder,
doth rend the air asunder.
Trans: Percy Dearmer
God chooses lowly Bethlehem to see the coming of the Good Shepherd
| 2But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
3Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. 4And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace. Thanks be to God. |
1O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by:
yet in thy dark street shineth
the everlasting Light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.
2O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary;
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wondering love.
3How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming;
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him, still
the dear Christ enters in.
4O holy child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel.
Phillips Brookes
The Archangel Gabriel visits Mary
| 26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin's name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.' 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.' 34Mary said to the angel,'How can this be, since I am a virgin?' 35The angel said to her,'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.' 38Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.' Then the angel departed from her. Thanks be to God. |
1The angel Gabriel from heaven came
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame
"All hail," said he, "thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favoured lady," Gloria!
2"For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honour thee,
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold
Most highly favoured lady," Gloria!
3Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head
"To me be as it pleaseth God," she said,
"My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name."
Most highly favoured lady. Gloria!
4Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
"Most highly favoured lady," Gloria!
Sabine Baring-Gould
The birth of Jesus
| 1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Thanks be to God. |
1It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven's all-gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.
2Still through the cloven skies they come,
with peaceful wings unfurled;
and still their heavenly music floats
o'er all the weary world:
above its sad and lowly plains
they bend on hovering wing;
and ever o'er its Babel-sounds
the blessed angels sing.
3Yet with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long;
beneath the angel-strain have rolled
two thousand years of wrong;
and man, at war with man, hears not
the love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
and hear the angels sing.
4For lo, the days are hastening on,
by prophet-bards foretold,
when, with the ever-circling years,
comes round the age of gold;
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendours fling,
and the whole world give back the song
which now the angels sing.
E H Sears
The Glory of God is shown to lowly shepherds
| 8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before 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 see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.' 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!' 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.' 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. Thanks be to God. |
"When He is King we will give him the King's gifts,
Myrrh for its sweetness, and gold for a crown,
Beautiful robes", said the young girl to Joseph
Fair with her first-born on Bethlehem Down.
Bethlehem Down is full of the starlight
Winds for the spices, and stars for the gold,
Mary for sleep, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.
When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,
Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown,
He that lies now in the white arms of Mary
Sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down.
Here He has peace and a short while for dreaming,
Close-huddled oxen to keep Him from cold,
Mary for love, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.
Bruce Blunt
The Magi worship the newborn king
| 1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 2'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.'
7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, 'Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.' 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Thanks be to God. |
1Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
2Cold on his cradle the dew-drops are shining;
low lies his head with the beasts of the stall;
angels adore him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all.
3Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
vainly with gifts would his favour secure:
richer by far is the heart's adoration,
dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
4Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Reginald Heber
St John unfolds the mystery of the Incarnation
| 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. Thanks be to God. |
I wonder if you have a favourite carol? One of mine is O Little Town of Bethlehem. I am always struck by the line: 'the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.' All the hopes and fears, the yearnings, the griefs, the delights, the struggles of humanity throughout history are taken up in Christ. God in Christ enters into the heights and depths of human existence and experience.
As we gather here, we come aware of the desperate hopes, dark fears, and cruel suffering in our world today. Millions of people are still affected by the Covid pandemic; so many have lost their lives and the misery continues with no real end in sight. Large numbers in our world live in the midst of war and violence, deprivation and persecution; others, seeking to flee such suffering, end up living in misery in freezing conditions in makeshift camps, or worse in a watery grave. This is the world of which we are a part. Of course, we will also carry with us our own personal hopes and fears too, for ourselves and those close to us.
'The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.' The coming of Christ into our world which we celebrate at Christmas is not a bit of light entertainment, with shepherds, donkey and baby, but a serious business. God, in Christ, is with us, and takes on himself the hopes and fears of the world. God does this not just to be in the mess with us, but to transform our world and our lives.
When we read the gospel accounts of Jesus' birth, we see that struggle and suffering are not airbrushed out of the story: Mary has to endure a long arduous journey when heavily pregnant, only to give birth in poor and squalid circumstances. Soon afterwards, the young family have to flee the brutality of Herod and they end up as refugees in Egypt. Yet, at the same time, the coming of Christ into our world is a good news story of light and hope, glory and peace.
We find this expressed in our readings and carols. Looking ahead to the coming of the Messiah, Isaiah prophesies:
'the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light:
Those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.'
In our readings from Luke's gospel Jesus' birth is announced in a blaze of light. The angels light up the dark sky as they tell their good news to the shepherds, those poor, rough men going about their daily work. In a few moments, we will hear of the Magi, the wise men, those exotic foreigners, as they follow the light of the star to find the Christ child.
In our final lesson, this evening, from John's gospel, we are told that Jesus embodies in human form the full light of God: 'In him was life, and the life was the light of all people ... the true light which enlightens everyone was coming into the world'
The coming of Christ into our world is a story of light, and also of glory and peace. When the angels appear to the shepherds they sing 'glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth'. In Jesus, we see the 'glory of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.'
In many of our carols we sing of light, hope, glory and peace. But alongside these things, the story of Jesus' birth also speaks of joy. The angel tells the shepherds 'Do not be afraid. See, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.' The Magi, when they finally find the baby Jesus after a long and difficult journey are 'overjoyed.' Some of our carols specifically pick up on the theme of joy: 'O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant; 'Joy to the world, the Saviour comes.' But, whether they mention 'joy' or not, all our carols are songs of joy and celebration.
I have been thinking a lot about joy recently. While I was away, I picked up a little book at my friend's house about joy. The book highlights how central joy is in the Christian life. I wasn't feeling particularly joyful at the time, and sometimes I felt a bit irritated and, at points, I wanted to argue with the author of the book: what about sharing Christ's sufferings and the call to deny ourselves? But I couldn't get away from the insistent reminder of how often joy, thanksgiving and praise are mentioned in the Bible. Yes, we are called to deny ourselves and live in a self-giving way which may sometimes involve sacrifice; yes, human life is often marked by struggle and suffering; yet, we are also invited to share God's joy.
This joy is not a joy we make, or find, for ourselves; it is the joy of the Lord. The coming of God in Christ into our world is a story of love, light, hope, glory and peace; it is also a story of joy. It is striking that early on in Luke's gospel, the announcement of Jesus' birth is said to be 'good news of great joy.' At the very end of the gospel, after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension, the disciples return to Jerusalem 'with great joy.' Exactly the same Greek phrase is used. 'Great joy' marks the whole of the story of Jesus, from beginning to end. Of course, it is also a story of suffering and death, costly love and sacrifice, but joy is never far away. Jesus promises joy to his disciples: 'I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.'
Joy is a gift from God, but it is also a spiritual discipline and a fruit which will grow the more we practise and nurture it. Paul tells the Thessalonians: 'Be joyful always, pray continually, and be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.'
Being joyful in the Lord does not mean avoiding suffering, or never experiencing grief or pain, but it does mean not clinging on to our miseries, anxieties, angers and resentments, but being open to the presence of God in all circumstances.
I pray that we will all know something more of God's joy this Christmas time. Not just the brief Christmas cheer which we put away with the Christmas light and decorations, often to then face an even more gloomy January; but the deep and lasting joy of God's presence in Christ. Yes, God taking on our flesh is no light thing, it is a serious and costly business, but it is also the source of enormous joy.
God in Christ is with us in all things: 'The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.' The carol concludes 'O come to us, abide with us, O Lord Emmanuel.' May the knowledge of Emmanuel, God with us, fill our hearts and lives with 'great joy.'
Amen
Revd Helen Marshall
1Of the Father's love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
he, the Alpha and Omega,
he the source, the ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore.
2By his Word was all created
he commanded and 'twas done;
earth and sky and boundless ocean,
universe of three in one,
all that sees the moon's soft radiance,
all that breathes beneath the sun,
evermore and evermore.
3This is he whom seers in old time
chanted of with one accord;
whom the voices of the prophets
promised in their faithful word;
now he shines, the long expected;
let creation praise its Lord,
evermore and evermore!
4O ye heights of heaven adore him;
angel hosts, his praises sing;
powers, dominions, bow before him,
and extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
every voice in concert sing,
evermore and evermore!
Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil;
for thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
1Hark! the herald-angels sing
glory to the newborn King
peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
'Glory to the new-born King!'
2Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin's womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail the incarnate Deity,
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
'Glory to the new-born King!'
3Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness;
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild, he lays his glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
'Glory to the new-born King!'
Charles Wesley
| This Carol Service is sponsored by
St Ursula's Church Jubiläumsplatz 2 3005 Berne and Bruder Klaus Church, Segantinerstrasse 26a, 3006 Berne The collection at our annual Carol service is traditionally donated to the Berner Passantenhilfe, serving homeless people in and around Berne, and to Villa Maria, Kapellenstrasse 9, 3011 Berne, providing accommodation for women who need it. If you would like to give to the collection, you can pay to one of the following bank accounts: Postfinance: CH05 0900 0000 3000 4191 1 for the Passantenhilfe, and Postfinance: CH61 0900 0000 6066 6488 7, quoting "Villa Maria" for Villa Maria. Thank you! |