As we enter the holy season of Advent, we return once again to traditions that invite us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Among these is the beloved service of Advent Lessons and Carols—a time when scripture, choral music, hymns, and anthems join together to draw us into the mystery of expectation and hope. Unlike Christmas celebrations, this service is intentionally centered on watchfulness, longing, and preparation for the birth of the Christ Child.
The format of Lessons and Carols has its roots in England. In 1934, Eric Milner-White, Dean of York and the creator of the famous Christmas Eve service at King’s College, Cambridge, introduced A Procession with Carols on Advent Sunday. He described the purpose of this new service as recovering the vivid anticipation of earlier liturgies:
“In the old English liturgies, the Advent Offices made a preparation for the coming of our Lord to this earth far more vivid and eager than those of our present Prayer Book. So an Advent Carol Service, if without precedent, is not without suitability, if it helps to express ‘the desire of all nations and ages.’”
That sense of eager longing remains at the heart of the service today. The scriptures proclaim the promise of Christ’s coming; the music offers both beauty and reflection; and the candlelight invites us into stillness and prayer. This year’s service will weave together both traditional favorites and more recent musical offerings. Among the carols are Peter Warlock’s haunting Bethlehem Down and Thomas Campion’s serene Never weather-beaten sail, alongside familiar hymns of the season. The service culminates in the great hymn Lo! he comes, with clouds descending—a resounding expression of anticipation for Christ’s return in glory.
We warmly invite you to join us for this year’s candlelit service of Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 14 at 5:00 p.m. May it deepen your sense of God’s love and presence, and may it be for you a holy beginning to the Advent season.