All are invited to join us for this quiet yet joyful advent worship. Our partners at St. Aiden’s will join us this year with Steve Jensen conducting.
The service of Nine Lessons and Carols started with the first bishop of Truro, England, Edward White Benson, in 1878. Its purpose, among lofty ones of course, was to draw the men away from the pubs. The very first service was held in the wooden “cathedral” that was Truro’s meeting place while the stone cathedral was about to be built. Groundbreaking occurred in 1880.
The more famous service from which many churches model their Lessons and Carols today comes from King’s College in Cambridge, England. It was first instituted in 1918 by Eric Milner-White, dean and fellow at King’s. Milner-White has served with distinction as an army chaplain in First World War, and he is the writer of the Bidding Prayer toward the beginning of the service. Its stark wording is reflective of the pain caused by war, of which he was a first-hand witness.
The first services from King’s were radio broadcasts in 1928, and subsequently television broadcast in 1954. Many of these services are tailored toward Christmas Eve, but our service this evening has a distinct emphasis on Advent, the coming of Christ.
We hope our service this evening enhances your Advent and Christmas season. May we approach Advent as a diverse and beloved as God’s people.