Outdoor Carols
Carol 1 - Calypso Carol
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See Him lying on a bed of straw
A draughty stable with an open door
Mary cradling the Babe she bore
The Prince of Glory is His name
O now carry me to Bethlehem
To see the Lord of love again
Just as poor as was the stable then
The Prince of Glory when He came
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Star of silver, sweep across the skies
Show where Jesus in the manger lies
Shepherds swiftly from your stupor rise
To see the Saviour of the world
Angels, sing again the song you sang
Sing the glory of God’s gracious plan
Sing that Bethlehem’s little Baby can
Be The Saviour of us all
Mine are riches from Your poverty
From Your innocence, eternity
Mine forgiveness by Your death for me
Child of sorrow for my joy
Reading 1 - Luke 2v1-7
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Carol 2 - O Little Town of Bethlehem
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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 men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary,
and, gathered all above
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond’ring love.
How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heav’n.
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 Immanuel!
Pass the Present
Reading 2 - Luke 2v8-12
And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’
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Pass the Present
Carol 3 - While Shepherds Watched...
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While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
an angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
"Fear not," said he for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind
"glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.
"To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
"The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all simply wrapped in swaddling clothes
and in a manger laid."
Thus spoke the angel. Suddenly
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
"All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
to those on whom his favor rests
goodwill shall never cease."
Reading 3 - Luke 1v30-33
But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; his kingdom will never end.’
Pass the Present
Carol 4 -Joy to the world
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JOY TO THE WORLD,
THE LORD IS COME!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n,
and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns!
Let men their 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.
Pass the Present
Carol 5- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
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GOD REST YOU MERRY, GENTLEMEN,
let nothing you dismay!
for Jesus Christ our saviour
was born on Christmas Day,
to save us all from Satan's power
when we had gone astray:
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
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At Bethlehem in Judah
the holy babe was born;
they laid him in a manger
on that most happy morn,
at which his mother Mary
did neither fear nor scorn:
O tidings of comfort and joy...
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Fear not, then said the angel,
let nothing cause you fright;
to you is born a saviour
in David's town tonight,
to free all those who trust in him
from Satan's power and might:
O tidings of comfort and joy...
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Now to the Lord sing praises,
all people in this place!
with Christian love and fellowship
each other now embrace,
and let this Christmas festival
all bitterness displace:
O tidings of comfort and joy...