Emmanuel Episcopal Church Offers Message of Hope on Sunday 12/9

Emmanuel Episcopal Church will offer a Festival of Lessons and Carols for Advent on Sunday, December 9 at 10:00 a.m. Combining scripture readings with choral anthems and congregational carols, the service recalls story of the creation, human waywardness, the prophets’ calls for justice and peace, and the Annunciation of the conception of Jesus to Mary. At the heart of the service is the message of hope

This Advent season marks the centenary of the first Festival of Lessons and Carols, held on Christmas Eve at King’s College in Cambridge, England in 1918. Coming less than two months after the Armistice that ended the fighting of World War I, it drew upon 19th century Christmas services to unite a population desperate for the message hope following the ravages of war.

Since then, Lessons and Carols has become a cherished Advent and Christmas tradition in the Church of England, the Episcopal Church in the United States, and across Christian denominations. Emmanuel Episcopal Church has held services of Lessons and Carols since at least 1954.

This year’s emphasizes the congregational singing with several traditional and contemporary carols. In addition, parishioner and Reading Memorial High School student Rachel Shurland will offer a mezzo-soprano solo of G. F. Handel’s “Angels Ever Bright and Fair.” The Parish Choir, under the direction of Michael Salvatore, will sing an arrangement of “Myn Lyking,” a 15th century carol of the Virgin Mary, composed by Sir Richard Runciman Terry. Michael Salvatore’s organ prelude at the start of the service will be the J. S. Bach cantata Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme. There is no sermon with Lessons and Carols, allowing the readings and music to convey the messages of justice, peace, and hope.

Professionally staffed nursery care and Church School for children and youth will be offered at 10:00 a.m. Sunday’s service will be followed by a reception in the Hausrath Memorial Parish Hall, hosted by members of the congregation. All are invited.

“The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a celebration of the richness of the Christian tradition in Scripture and song. Through it, we hear the story of people of faith—going back thousands of years—united in their longing for the redemption of God,” said the Rev. Dr. Matthew P. Cadwell, rector of Emmanuel Church. “It is all the more powerful this year, the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, when we reflect on both the hope for peace and its elusiveness in human life. With our nation and the world torn by division, this beautiful occasion affords us the opportunity to reorient ourselves and focus on God’s promises for the human family. We hope that all who attend are both comforted and inspired, just as those who first experienced the service at King’s College a century ago found their hearts lifted by the powerful story of God coming to dwell with us.”

Emmanuel Episcopal Church is located at 5 Bryant Street (corner of Main and Bryant Streets), adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Common. The parish is an inclusive community embracing people of all races, ages, backgrounds, and orientations. For more information, contact the church office by phone at 781-245-1374 or email info@emmanuelwakefield.org. The church’s web address is www.emmanuelwakefield.org.