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Lessons in how to read music from the weekly bulletin.
Current Lesson, Part 15, Aug. 28, 2016 – "Brethren, We Have Met Together"
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Link to the reports from Jan 17 Annual Meeting
Daily meditations in words and music.
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Saints of the Week, Dec 25 – Jan. 1
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25
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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day |
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26
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Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr |
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27
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Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist |
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28
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The Holy Innocents |
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29
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Thomas Becket, 1170 |
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30
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Frances Joseph-Gaudet, Educator and Prison Reformer, 1934 |
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31
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[Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Bishop in the Niger Territories, 1891] |
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1
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The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ |
December 25, 2016 (full size gallery)
Dec. 31 – 6:00pm – New Year’s Eve Gala
Jan. 1 – 11:00am, Lessons and Carols
Christmas Day at St. Peter’s, Dec 25
We had 27 this morning, a warm service and a very happy gathering. And for good reason – we celebrated the Tilt’s wedding anniversary – 52 years and going strong!
The last verse of "All Come All Ye Faithful" provides a wonderful view of Christmas morning – "All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning, O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; O come, let us adore Him.."
From the sermon on voices- "Today’s Christmas readings are full of voices! Isaiah talks about the messenger who brings good news and announces salvation… And the psalmist says “Sing to the Lord a new song for the Lord has done marvelous things!”.. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God sustains all things through God’s powerful word…And then we come to the gospel according to John, with that incredible opening that begins with THE WORD.God’s voice spoke all things into being at the beginning of time, and God did this through the WORD.
"And when we remember that God’s word called each one of us into being, then we can use the unique voice that God has given us to praise God and to tell the great story of God’s salvation for each one of us and for all of creation.
"To spread the word—to speak God’s language of love, mercy, compassion and peace into the world, to add our unique voices to the Human Voicebank that is love. The world needs our voices speaking God’s language of love. Maybe our voices will help others find their voices, so that they too can speak with love to the world. "
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2. Sermon
3. Description
Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s, Dec 24
52 enjoyed a wonderful collection of Christmas carols, a dramatic retelling of the Luke Gospel story, a sermon on Father Damien and the shepherds concerning fear, the celebration of Cookie and Johnny’s anniversary and, of course, Silent Night – all within the elegantly decorated St. Peter’s nave.
1. Photos
2. Sermon
3. Description
New Year’s Eve Gala in the Parish House, Dec. 31, 6pm
This event originated around 2003 when there was no priest after Karen Woodruff left. It was a way for keeping the congregation together and for enjoying each other’s company in fellowship.
Please bring a dish to share
Here is a last year’s event:
Most noticeable this year was Andrea’s New Year’s costume with hat and stole. Also, after dinner, Ken Pogue kept a number of people in stitches with stories of his college life and beyond.
There were some repeats in food – Johnny’s venison, Bill Wick’s deadly egg nogg and the many assorted desserts. This year they included an extremely large Whitman’s samplers box and a chocolate cake. Rounding off the meal were Barbara Wisdom’s hot wings, Cookie’s bread and assortment of vegetable casseroles. Just before the meal there was a wonderful plate of salmon and cheese and crackers.
Jan 1, 2017 – 11am -A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the Christmas Eve service held in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge England and was introduced in 1918.
Kings College Cambridge holds this service every Dec. 24. The main gate to Kings College opens at 7:30am for the 3pm service. Many people get in the line by 5am for a 10 hour wait!
Here is their 2015 page with bulletin. Here is the audio and a video
It was conceived by Eric Milner-White, the Dean of the College, for Christmas Eve 1918 whose experience as an army chaplain in World War I had led him to believe that more imaginative Christmas worship was needed by the Church of England. He actually reached back to an earlier time for a service structure.
The original service was, in fact, adapted from an Order drawn up by E.W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for use in the wooden shed, which then served as his cathedral in Truro, at 10 pm on Christmas Eve 1880. AC Benson recalled: ‘My father arranged from ancient sources a little service for Christmas Eve – nine carols and nine tiny lessons, which were read by various officers of the Church, beginning with a chorister, and ending, through the different grades, with the Bishop."
The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music. The readings can vary as can the music. Traditionally, "Once in Royal David City" is the opening hymn. Beyond that the service is flexible.
An opening prayer that is used provides a focus:
"We gather here to recall the mystery of our redemption.
Though sin drew us away from God, he never stopped loving us.
The prophets told of the coming of a Messiah
who would initiate a reign of justice and peace.
This promise was fulfilled in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Let us now reflect with joy on this wondrous mystery."
Here are the 2014 readings for St. Peter’s service. The 2014 bulletin is here. Pictures from the services are here.
Lessons and Carols is usually done at the beginning of Advent as an introduction to Advent or towards the end as a summary of all that has happened.
This St. Peter’s service is the perfect culmination of your Christmas week, a joyous celebration along with thoughtful, introspective moments. Plan now to attend.
King’s College Cambridge – As you have never seet it
The famous church in England, home of Lessons and Carols, built by Henry VII is altered by projectionist, Miguel Chevalier.
To illustrate Stephen Hawking’s research about black holes, Miguel Chevalier imagines an immersive environment made up of thousands of constellations that plunge the guests into the mystery of the universe.
