Carols and Candlelight Guide

Thank you for joining us at this year’s Carols and Candlelight outdoor service. We are so happy that you’re here! Please use this Guide to follow along with each Bible reading. We’ve also provided lyrics for each carol that we’ll be singing this evening. 

Near the end of the event, children in the crowd will be invited to light their candles under the gazebo. They, in turn, will light the candles of the other attendees. After lighting their candles, children and youth are welcome to join our music team up front as they lead us in singing “Silent Night.

If you prefer to view this Guide as a PDF, then click the button below. There’s also a link for a PDF of the Song Sheet. You are welcome to take your candle home, or you may drop off your candle at any of the tables to be reused at next year’s Carols and Candlelight.

​Thanks again for joining us tonight. We hope you have a blessed evening!

Rev. Kristofer Roof
Peace Tree Church - Lead Pastor

Click for Guide

Click for Song Sheet

Carols and Candlelight 2018

Opening Prayer

1st Carol
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”​

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.

O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of thy people be;
Before thee rulers silent fall;
All people on thy mercy call.

(Refrain)

O come, Desire of nations bind
All peoples in one heart and mind.
From dust thou brought us forth to life;
Deliver us from earthly strife.

(Refrain)


1st Lesson
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, favored 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 favor 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 forever, 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.


2nd Carol
“O Little Town of Bethlehem”

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.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to all on earth!

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!


2nd Lesson
Matthew 1:20 - 23

...An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] 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 fulfill 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.”


3rd Carol
“O Come, All Ye Faithful”

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.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

(Refrain)


3rd Lesson
Luke 2:1 - 7

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. 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. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And 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.


4th Carol
“What Child Is This”

What child is this who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?

(Refrain)
This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.

Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.

(Refrain)


4th Lesson
Luke 2:8 - 14

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 Savior, 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 favors!”


5th Carol
“Away in the Manger”

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.


5th Lesson
Luke 2:15 - 20

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.When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.


6th Carol
“Angels We Have Heard on High”

Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.

(Refrain)
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?

(Refrain)

See him in a manger laid, whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise.

(Refrain)


6th Lesson
Matthew 2:1 - 8

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “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.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then 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.”


7th Carol
“The First Noel”

The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

(Refrain)
Noel, Noel,
Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They look-ed up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

(Refrain)

And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.

(Refrain)


7th Lesson
Matthew 2:9 - 11

When 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. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On 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.


8th Carol
“We Three Kings”

We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

(Refrain)
O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.

(Refrain)

Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies.

(Refrain)


8th Lesson
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.


9th Carol
“Silent Night, Holy Night”

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!

Closing Prayer

Departing Carol
“Joy to the World”

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 Savior reigns! Let all 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.

​Peace Tree is a new church in the Collierville/Memphis area, and we believe that Church Can Happen Anywhere. We gather throughout the week as a network of House Groups which meet in people's homes, college campuses, and restaurants. These groups are located in East Memphis, Southaven, Germantown, and Collierville. 

On Sundays, we come together for a weekly Large Group worship celebration inside the Malco Forest Hill Cinema in Germantown. The doors open at 9:30 a.m. for free coffee & donuts, and the service begins at 10:00 a.m. We offer a nursery staffed by trained & background checked workers as well as a children's time at 10:30 a.m. called Peace Tree Kids. 

Email us at [email protected] to learn more about Peace Tree's weekly House Groups, our Sunday morning Large Group celebrations, and our other community events. You can always connect with us 24/7 on our website (www.peacetreeumc.org) or by searching for us on social media (@PeaceTreeUMC). 

Thank you for joining us during our 4th Annual Carols & Candlelight. God bless you, and Merry Christmas!