One of the glories of the Advent experience at Epworth is our annual service of Advent Lessons and Carols. This candlelight service which was held on Sunday, December 8th, included scripture lessons and hymns that lead us from the Old Testament prophets to the birth of Christ.
This service is one way in which we follow the example of the people of Israel, as commanded in Joshua 4:6-7:
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
Much of what sustained the people of Israel as a people over the centuries can be traced to the fact that they gathered annually to recount, together and aloud, the stories of God’s deliverances of their forefathers. The public, oral recounting constituted them as a people.
In a similar way, we constitute ourselves as a congregation of the people of God, when we meet together and publicly, orally, recount the stories of God’s deliverance of and provision for his people. We make that history ours, and we become part of it.
There are two Lessons and Carols services: Advent Lessons and Carols and Christmas Lessons and Carols. The original service was for Christmas Eve and originated at Truro Cathedral in 1880. In schools and colleges, however, a service was needed for use before the term ended and students departed for the holidays. Therefore, Advent Lessons and Carols was developed at King’s College, Cambridge. This is this service which we do at Epworth.
Our service had many visitors, most invited by Epworthies. The service was followed by a time of fellowship, enjoying the homemade desserts brought by many Epworth families.
