My spouse and I attended the Christmas Eve service at First Presbyterian this evening. Times have changed. When I first started attending First Pres 43 years ago, the Christmas Eve service would start at 10:30 pm with a half hour of instrumental music, then the traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols, concluding with the lighting of candles, one per person, and singing of the final hymn Silent Night.
We did all of that this evening exactly the same except the service started at 5:00pm and ended about 6:30pm. This change in service time has had an interesting evolution. For many years there were two Christmas Eve services, one in the early evening for families with children and one later service for adults. But in the last few years (and I admit it could have something to do with the aging population not wanting to be out late at night) more and more church members and visitors were choosing to come to the early service.
A few years ago, on a very snowy Christmas Eve, only ten hardy souls made it to the late service. So the following year it was announced that there would be only one Christmas Eve service beginning with music at 5:00pm. To the best of my knowledge no one complained.
The church was full this evening and it was certainly dark enough by the end of the service for the candle lighting to be as beautiful as always.
The hymns we sang were many of my favorites including "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," "Away in a Manger," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "Joy to the World" and, of course, "Silent Night, Holy Night." Most of these songs I have known since childhood and I must warn my very patient spouse that I may be singing them in my sleep.
Merry Christmas, everyone....
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