Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

1 Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,

Born to set Thy people free.

From our fears and sins release us;

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s Strength and Consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear Desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

2 Born Thy people to deliver,

Born a Child and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit,

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all-sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming

1 Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming

From tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse's lineage coming

As men of old have sung.

It came, a Flow'ret bright,

Amid the cold of winter

When half-spent was the night.

2 Isaiah 'twas foretold it,

The Rose I have in mind:

With Mary we behold it,

The virgin mother kind.

To show God's love aright

She bore to men a Savior

When half-spent was the night.

3 This Flow'r, whose fragrance tender

With sweetness fills the air,

Dispels with glorious splendor

The darkness everywhere.

True man, yet very God,

From sin and death He saves us

And lightens every load.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

1 O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

2 O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight. [Refrain]

3 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high

And order all things, far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge show

And cause us in her ways to go. [Refrain]

4 O come Desire of nations, bind

All peoples in one heart and mind.

Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease;

Fill the whole world with heaven's peace. [Refrain]

O Come, All Ye Faithful

1 O come, all ye faithful,

joyful, and triumphant;

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem!

Come and behold Him -

born the King of angels!

Refrain:

O come, let us adore Him!

O come, let us adore Him!

O come, let us adore Him -

Christ the Lord.

2 Sing, choirs of angels;

sing in exultation;

O Sing, all ye bright hosts of heav'n above,

Glory to God, all glory in the highest! [Refrain]

3 Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,

born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be glory giv'n:

Word of the Father,

now in flesh appearing! [Refrain]

Most holy and merciful Father,

    we acknowledge and confess in your presence our sinful nature

    which is quick to do evil and slow to do good,

    and all our shortcomings and offenses against you.

You alone know how often we have sinned,

    in wandering from your ways,

    in wasting your gifts,

    in forgetting your love.

We are ashamed and sorry for all things

    in which we have displeased you.

Teach us to know our errors,

    cleanse us from our secret faults, and forgive our sins

    for the sake of your dear Son, our Savior.

O most holy and loving Father,

    send your Holy Spirit into our hearts

    that we may live in your light

    and walk in your ways

    as we follow your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Portion of the Chalcedonian Creed

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent,

teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood;

Truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body;

   consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead,

    and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood;

   in all things like unto us, without sin;

Begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead,

  and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation,

born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood;

One and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten,

   to be acknowledged in two natures,

inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, and inseparably.