December 28 

Opening:  Joy to the World & Hymn of Joy

Reading Reflection on It Came Upon a Midnight Clear & Isaiah 61:1-3 

Congregation: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

One for Israel Video- Tower of the Flock

Grace Giving: Hope of Israel 

Congregation:  Hope of Israel

Message

Closing: Manger Throne

** A Reflection on “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”

As we continue in worship this Christmas season, we come to a carol that speaks softly, yet carries a message the world still longs to hear — “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.”

This hymn was written in 1849 by Edmund Sears, a pastor in Massachusetts. Unlike many carols that tell the story of Christ’s birth directly, this one reflects on the message of the angels — the message of peace on earth and goodwill toward all. Sears wrote it during a time of deep division and unrest in his country, just before the Civil War. This hymn remind us that God’s peace does not depend on human circumstances, but on the world of Christ.  His words were born out of both faith and longing — a prayer that the peace proclaimed that first Christmas night might touch a weary and troubled world once more.

The gentle melody we sing today was written soon after by Richard Storrs Willis, a composer who had studied under the great Felix Mendelssohn. The combination of Sears’ heartfelt words and Willis’ tender tune created a carol that invites us to pause, to listen, and to reflect.

The carol draws our eyes upward to the One who rules over all, the Lord who entered our world to accomplish salvation by His perfect life, death, and resurrection. The angels’ song is not simply a story from the past; it is the gospel that calls all generations to trust in Christ alone.

Their message of peace still calls out over the noise of our modern world — a reminder that God’s love and presence are still here among us, offering comfort, hope, and healing.

As we sing, may we remember that the peace promised by God come through faith in our Savior, and that His grace sustains us in every trial, calling us to lift our eyes from the weariness of the world to the promise of God’s eternal peace through Christ our Lord.

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.[a]

He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,[b]
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

To all who mourn in Israel,[c]
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.