Many Ways to Worship at Christmas
Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas! The advent calendars are running out of chocolates, the adults are running out of days to get presents, and the kids are running around crazy because they’re out of school. Christmas Eve is Sunday, just a few days away.
None of our services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day will be like the other. Each is different.
That said, whenever you come to church this weekend, our intention, plan and hope is that you’ll feel like you’ve "been to church at Christmas." At the heart of each service you’ll find the hope and joy of Christ’s birth.
The 10:00 am service (there is no 8 am, 9 am or 11 am service this Sunday) is actually the Fourth Sunday of Advent service. Thematically, this service will start with an Advent sense of hope and expectation and move into the joyful fulfillment of the promised Savior at Christmas. Musically, Tim and Stephanie Jenkins are going to join Laura Bray for a “Christmas Coffeehouse” style of congregational worship — acoustic piano and guitar. There is no candlelight Silent Night or Joy to the World at this service. We will share Holy Communion.
The 4:00 pm service — our family service — will include an all-new Christmas pageant that our children’s choir and kids have been hard at work rehearsing. You know the story, but you’ve never seen it quite like this. No one, actually, has ever seen it quite like this. This is a world-premiere event! (Got children or grandchildren who want to be in a Christmas pageant? Bring them early and we’ll find a sheep or shepherd costume for them to don and join the fun.) In addition to our children’s choir, the traditional Christmas carols will be led by Laura Bray and Stephanie Jenkins, with Rob Rose accompanying on flute. After Holy Communion, we’ll sing Silent Night by candlelight and end with Joy to the World!
At 9:00 pm we’ll have the traditional celebration of Christmas Eve. Our St. Andrew’s choir and guest vocalist will be joined by a string quartet for an absolutely beautiful evening of music and worship. There’ll be a Christmas Eve sermon, traditional carols, Holy Communion, candlelight, Silent Night — all the things!
Nursery care is available at all services, but there is no Children’s Church. We will have activity packets and coloring books about the Christmas story to help little hands stay busy.
After all the beauty — and busyness — of Christmas Eve, we will gather again on Christmas morning at 10:00 am for Christmas Day worship. We will have carols and hymns (all the ones we couldn’t do the night before), but this service is generally small, simpler and quieter than the blow-outs from the night before. There can be a sacredness in that simplicity.
It’s going to be a wonderful weekend as we celebrate the greatest gift God has given us, his son, our savior, Jesus Christ.
If you’re traveling and won’t be with us on Sunday, go with God in safety and grace. Otherwise, I look forward to celebrating a very Merry Christmas with you.
In Christ,
Fr. Andrew
