Dear Cornerstone family,
One of the staples of the Christmas season at Cornerstone is our annual Service of Lessons & Carols. For those new to our midst or unfamiliar with the history of this service, it 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.
The popularity of the service grew quickly after the BBC broadcast the service in 1928. The BBC has broadcast the service on Christmas Eve every year since 1928 with the exception of 1930. The broadcast extended oversees in the mid 1930’s 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, the service of Lessons & 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. If you’ve never attended a Lessons & Carols service before, the power is in the simplicity of the Scriptural witness in word and song. It’s what Dean Milner-White called, “the development of the loving purposes of God through the windows and words of the Bible.”
As we approach this special service, let me encourage you to let the Word carry you from the Garden of Eden to the babe in the manger in Bethlehem. For as you trace the hand of God in the salvation of the world, you are tracing the path of God’s love for his people, even you. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16).
Now, from the sublime to the mundane, let me make one final note. The church offices will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then, from December 26 to January 1, the staff will enjoy some much needed “flex time.” We will be in and out of the office for meetings and tasks, but much of our work during that window of time will be carried out remotely. Please contact our Office Administrator, Whitney Ruff (admin@cstonepres.org), if there are any specific ways we can serve you during this time.
Your servant,
