A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols

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 The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has its roots in a service that began in Truro, in southwest England, on Christmas Eve 1880. The order of the service was arranged by Bishop Edward White Benson, who three years later would become the Archbishop of Canterbury. The best-known version of the service was first held at King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve 1918. That service was planned by the thirty-four year-old dean of the college, Eric Milner-White. The following year saw various revisions that brought the Festival to its current form. While the carols vary from year to year, since 1919 that service has always opened with “Once in Royal David’s City.” The service at King’s was first broadcast in 1928, and this helped to popularize it, with Lessons and Carols services eventually being celebrating all around the world. This morning we celebrate our seventh Lessons and Carols service at PPC (and our first morning one).

The nine lessons move from humankind’s Fall to the incarnation of the Word in Jesus Christ. The King’s service still uses the King James translation, but—as fond as I am of artifacts from early seventeenth-century England—we are using the New Revised Standard Version for our lessons. The congregation is encouraged to sing all of the carols, but you are also welcome to pray or meditate quietly. Feel free to sit or stand as you feel comfortable.

We are so glad that you are worshiping with us at Panorama Presbyterian this morning. I pray that, as we recall the remarkable drama of God’s breaking into our darkness to rescue us from our sin, the miracle of the incarnation would impress you anew and move you to increased wonder and gratitude.

                                                                                                                                                     The Rev. Dr. Darren Pollock