Dear Cornerstone family,
One of the staples of the Christmas season at Cornerstone is our annual Service of Lessons and Carols. For those new to our midst or unfamiliar with the history behind this glorious service, the service began in 1918 at King’s College Cambridge led by Eric Milner-White. The opening service was received with such great acclaim that it became an annual tradition at King’s College and beloved by millions throughout the world.
The BBC first broadcast the service in 1928 and, with the exception of 1930, the service has been broadcast every year since. The broadcast extended oversees in the mid 1930s, and its popularity quickly spread worldwide. It was even broadcast during World War II when the stained-glass windows of the cathedral and the heat source were removed from the building for security reasons. During those dark and tumultuous days for the world, the service of Lessons and Carols provided a gospel reminder of hope and peace.
As the popularity of the service grew, churches around the globe began to adapt the service for their own corporate use. Since our founding in 2011, Cornerstone has conducted a Lessons and Carols service each year. There are aspects of the service that remain the same, such as certain Scripture readings and carols, but there are always new pieces of orchestration and music, too. If you’ve never been to a Lessons and Carols service, the power is in the main theme of the Scriptural lessons and carols—what Dean Milner-White called, “the development of the loving purposes of God through the windows and words of the Bible.”
Before Midweek at Cornerstone ended back in November, I lingered outside the sanctuary door one Wednesday night while the choir practiced for this year’s Lessons and Carols service. Trust me when I say—we are in for a treat. Greg Wilbur, the choir, and the musicians have worked hard to make tonight’s service a special evening of worship. In order to accommodate schedules and attendance, there are two opportunities to enjoy tonight’s service. You can come at 5:00 or 7:00 p.m. Nursery for children up to age three will be available at the 5:00 p.m. service. We urge you to invite your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to attend. There will be plenty of room!
Let’s together travel the pages of Scripture in readings and songs, coursing our way from the Garden of Eden to the manger in Bethlehem, tracing the hand of God in the salvation of the world.
I look forward to seeing you tonight!
Your servant,
