The Festival of Nine

Lessons and Carols

Officiant: The Very Reverend Matt Thompson

Dean of Birmingham

The Cathedral Church of St Philip, Birmingham

Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 December 2020, 5.00pm

Welcome to Birmingham Cathedral for this special service.

Face coverings Unless exempt, you are required to wear a face covering whilst

in the cathedral. There are hand sanitising stations in the north and south aisles for

your use.

Carols Please note that owing to current restrictions carols will be sung by the choir only. Thank you for your understanding.

Accessibility Large print copies of this order of service are available. An induction

loop system is provided for hearing aid users – please switch to ‘t’. Guidance as to posture is given but if you need to sit at any point, please feel able to do so.

In the event of fire or other emergency Please remain seated until advised to evacuate. This is normally through the entrance door and the door by the

disabled toilet. The assembly point is the Burnaby Monument – the large white obelisk in cathedral square.

The music for the service is sung by the Cathedral Choir

(Girls and Lower Voices)

Head of Music: David Hardie

Assistant Head of Music: Ashley Wagner

Organ Scholar: Charles Francis

The Bible Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of the

Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Music and hymns are reproduced with CCLI Licence 420397 and Calamus Licence 0662

Order of Service

At 4.57pm The Very Reverend Matt Thompson, Dean of Birmingham, welcomes the

congregation

Carol

Sung by the cathedral choir; we remain seated

O 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 streets shineth

the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years

are met in thee tonight.

O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth,

and praises sing to God the King,

and peace to all on earth; for Christ is born of Mary;

and, gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep

their watch of wondering love.

How 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.

O 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.

Text: Phillips Brooks (1835–1893) alt.

Tune: Forest Green

The Bidding Prayer

We kneel or sit

Beloved in Christ, we gather in the presence of God to celebrate the

great feast of Christmas. In this service we rejoice again in God’s loving purposes for his creation. As we trace the pattern of his

tender care, we hear of the world he created and the promise of its renewal. As his children, we may follow the story of our own

redemption, and how he met us in his son Jesus Christ, the Word

made flesh. One day that same Christ will return in glory to

complete his kingdom and gather us home.

In this strange and difficult year, as we give thanks for his coming

among us, let us pray for a world overshadowed by the pandemic; for the leaders of the nations; for scientists and researchers and all

whose skill and dedication offer a way forward; and for healthcare

professionals and frontline workers.

Let us also hold before our loving Father all in special need this

Christmastime, praying for those who are ill, anxious, lonely, or bereaved, that the light and peace of the Christ-child may bring hope

and healing to all who sit in darkness. We remember also all who have died whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom

in the Lord Jesus we are for ever one.

We commend all whom we love, or who have asked for our prayers,

to the unfailing mercy of our heavenly Father, and say together, as

Christ taught us:

All 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.

Carol

We sit

Veni, Emmanuel. O venite adoramus.

Puer natus est nobis. Alleluia. Hodie Christus natus est.

Laetantur archangeli. Gaudete! Christus est natus. Venite! Gaudete!

Alleluia!

O come, Emmanuel. O come, let us

adore him. Unto us a boy is born. Alleluia.

This day Christ is born. Let the archangels be glad. Rejoice!

Christ is born. Come! Rejoice! Alleluia!

Music: Adrian Peacock

First Lesson: The story of Creation Genesis 1.1–3, 24–31a

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep,

while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the

light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God

called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every

kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every

kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to

our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and

over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon

the earth.’ So God created humankind in his image,

in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of

the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant

yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every

beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have

given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything

that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

The tree of life my soul hath seen,

laden with fruit and always green:

the trees of nature fruitless be compared with Christ the apple tree.

His beauty doth all things excel:

by faith I know, but ne’er can tell the glory which I now can see

in Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought,

and pleasure dearly I have bought: I missed of all; but now I see

’tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I’m weary with my former toil,

here I will sit and rest awhile: under the shadow I will be,

of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive, it keeps my dying faith alive;

which makes my soul in haste to be

with Jesus Christ the apple tree.

Text: Anonymous;

Music: Elizabeth Poston (1905–87)

Second Lesson: The Fall Genesis 3.8–13, 22–24

They 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. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are

you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was

afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I

commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then

the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’

Then the LORD God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and

take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever’—therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the

ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword

flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

I wonder as I wander out under the sky, how Jesus the saviour did come for to die

for poor ord’nary people like you and like I. I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

When Mary birthed Jesus, ’twas in a cow’s stall with wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.

But high from God’s heaven a star’s light did fall, and the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,

a star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,

or all of God’s angels in heav’n for to sing, he surely could have it, ’cause he was the king.

Text: Traditional Appalachian

Music: Carl Rütti (b.1949)

Third Lesson: The promise to Abraham Genesis 22.15–18

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven,

and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, says the LORD: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I 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, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves,

because you have obeyed my voice.’

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

In the stillness of a church In the clearness of a choir where candles glow, that softly sings,

in the softness of a fall in the one-ness of a hush of fresh white snow, of angels’ wings,

in the brightness of the stars in the mildness of a night

that shine this night, by stable bare, in the calmness of a pool in the quietness of a lull

of healing light near cradle fair

There’s a patience as we wait for a new morn,

and the presence of a child

soon to be born.

Text: Katrina Shepherd;

Music: Sally Beamish (b.1956)

Fourth Lesson: The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad Isaiah 35

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,

the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God. He will come with vengeance,

with terrible recompense.

He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water;

the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,

and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it,

but it shall be for God’s people;

no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there,

nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there,

but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain joy and gladness,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

The holly and the ivy, The holly bears a prickle, when they are both full grown, as sharp as any thorn;

of all the trees that are in the wood, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, the holly bears the crown. on Christmas day in the morn.

O the rising of the sun, The holly bears a bark, the running of the deer, as bitter as any gall;

the playing of the organ, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, sweet singing in the choir. for to redeem us all.

Text: Traditional;

Music: Traditional French, arr. June Nixon

Fifth Lesson: The prophecy of the Messiah’s kingdom of peace Isaiah 11.1–9

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,

the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

Sung by the cathedral choir; we remain seated

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare him room,

and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,

and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;

let us our songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy,

repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness

and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love,

and wonders, wonders of his love.

Text: Isaac Watts (1674–1748);

Tune: Antioch

Carol

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen aus einer Wurzel zart,

wie uns die Alten sungen: Von Jesse kam die Art

und hat ein Blümlein bracht

mitten im kalten Winter, wohl zu der halben Nacht.

Das Röslein, das ich meine,

davon Jesaia sagt, ist Maria, die Reine,

die uns das Blümlein bracht

Aus Gottes ew’gem Rat hat sie ein Kind geboren

und blieb doch reine Magd.

Das Blümelein so kleine, das duftet uns so süß,

mit seinem hellen Scheine vertreibt die Finsternis:

Wahr Mensch und wahrer Gott,

hilft uns aus allem Leide, rettet von Sünd und Tod.

Behold, a branch is growing of loveliest form and grace,

as prophets sung, foreknowing; it springs from Jesse’s race

and bears one little flow’r

in midst of coldest winter, at deepest midnight hour.

Isaiah hath foretold it

in words of promise sure, and Mary’s arms enfold it,

a virgin meek and pure.

Thro’ God’s eternal will this child to her is given

at midnight calm and still.

This flow’r whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,

dispels with glorious splendour the darkness ev’rywhere.

True Man, yet very God;

from sin and death he saves us and lightens ev’ry load.

Text: Traditional;

Music: Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)

Sixth Lesson: The Annunciation to Mary Luke 1.26–38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name

was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with

you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what

sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will

conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will

be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a

virgin?’ The 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. And 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then 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.

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

Of one that is so fair and bright velut maris stella, [as the star of the sea]

brighter than the day is light, parens et puella: [both mother and maiden]

I cry to thee, thou see to me,

Lady, pray thy son for me, tam pia, [you who are so gracious]

that I may come to thee, Maria!

All this world was forlorn Eva peccatrice, [when Eve did sin]

till our Lord was y-born

de te genetrice. [from you his mother] With Ave it went away

darkest night, and comes the day salutis; [of salvation]

the well springeth out of thee, virtutis. [fount of goodness]

Lady, flower of everything,

Rosa sine spina, [Rose without a thorn]

thou bare Jesu, heaven’s King, gratia divina: [through heavenly grace]

of all thou bearst the prize, Lady, queen of paradise

electa: [you are chosen] maid mild, mother

es effecta. [you have become]

Text: English c. 1300

Music: Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)

Seventh Lesson: St Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus Matthew 1.18–23

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived

together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her

to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he

had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary

as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save

his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Text: Isaiah 9.6 from Messiah;

George Frederick Handel (1685–1759)

Eighth Lesson: The shepherds go to the manger Luke 2.8–16

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before

them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am

bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born

this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of

cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a

multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom

he favours!’

When 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.’ So they

went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

Here ends the lesson.

Carol

We stood on the hills, Lady, There was a star, Lady,

our day’s work done, shone in the night, watching the frosted meadows larger than Venus it was

that winter had won. and bright, so bright.

The evening was calm, Lady, Oh, a voice from the sky, Lady,

the air so still, it seemed to us then silence more lovely than music telling of God being born

folded the hill. in a world of men.

And so we have come, Lady, our day’s work done,

our love, our hopes, ourselves

we give to your son.

Text: Anonymous

Music: Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)

We stand

Ninth Lesson: St John unfolds the mystery of the Incarnation John 1.1–14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things

came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was

the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the

darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet

the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who

believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of

man, but of God. And 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.

Here ends the lesson.

We sit

Carol Sung by the cathedral choir

Hark! The herald-angels sing Christ, by highest heaven adored,

glory to the new-born King, Christ, the everlasting Lord, peace on earth, and mercy mild, late in time behold him come,

God and sinners reconciled. offspring of a virgin’s womb.

Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Veiled in flesh the Godhead see! join the triumph of the skies; Hail, the incarnate Deity!

with the angelic host proclaim, Pleased as man with us to dwell, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’ Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! The herald-angels sing Hark! The herald-angels sing glory to the new-born King. glory to the new-born King.

Hail, 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 we no more may die,

born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.

Hark! The herald-angels sing

glory to the new-born King.

Text: Charles Wesley (1707–88) and others;

Tune: Mendelssohn;

Descant: David Willcocks (1919–2015)

We stand

The Collect

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you make us glad with the yearly remembrance

of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ:

grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him

when he shall come to be our judge; who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

All Amen.

The Blessing

The Lord be with you

All and also with you.

The Lord bless you and watch over you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you

and be gracious to you, the Lord look kindly on you

and give you peace; and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always. All Amen.

Organ Voluntary

After the service, please make your way promptly and safely outside via the

main entrance; the choir will remain in place until everyone has left. Owing to

current restrictions, we are asked to disperse immediately. If you have a

printed order of service, please take it with you. Thank you

Everyone at Birmingham Cathedral wishes you a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year

Find out more about the life of the

Cathedral community at

www.birminghamcathedral.com