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Part of the Apollo 8 flight plan, featuring the famous Christmas Eve reading from Genesis (starting at time code 086:06:40).

The accompanying sign reads

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Flight plan for Apollo 8 with verse from Genesis read on Christmas Eve (1968)

On loan from Capt. and Mrs. James A. Lovell, Jr.

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The page of the flight plan itself reads

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[continued from previous page] mankind focused on a single event, and perhaps with total unanimity been prayerfully with three far-away men.

After you have addressed yourself to these areas, (and I would save some of it for the second telecast on the ninth orbit,) about the only thing I can think of to match the majesty of the occasion, and the evening, is to read the opening lines of Genesis. These lines are Christian the world over in the very real sense of the word, and I think would sound the universal appeal and sense of reverence that is called for.

You would be reading them while looking up at the earth from the moon. You could switch to them by saying something like, "I would now like to read you the opening sentences of the Holy Scripture."

1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

I would close with, "Good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless you all -- all of you on the good Earth." That ends the broadcast.

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The flight plan, part of Jim Lovell's personal collection, has subsequently been transferred to the Adler Planetarium (although I have no pictures of it in its new home).