Christmas Eve service
Margaret Leary
I attend St. Mark's on Capitol Hill here in Washington, D.C. We had an
especially beautiful "midnight" service last night. (I love the
practical Episcopalians--of course, the service actually started at
10:30!) One element of the liturgy was a relighting of each person's
candle after the reception of Communion, and singing "Silent Night" in
the darkened church.
Margaret Leary
Stefano
At Christ Church Cathedral in Houston we also sang Silent Night while
kneeling in the darkened Church, with the Bishop of Texas kneeling before
the altar. We don't use individual candles, I suppose because the interior
of the Cathedral is mostly wood (and was nearly destroyed in a fire in
1935).
Margaret Leary wrote in message <34A30968...@mindspring.com>...
Edward Britt
Brothers and Sisters, we meet in an elementary school and our Christmas eve
service was also wonderful. Praise to our Heavenly Father for the precious
gift of Jesus!
grace and peace.
Ed
Allen, Texas
Stefano wrote in message <67vkh6$ac5$1...@server2.wans.net>...
James Battista
Margaret Leary (mle...@mindspring.com) wrote:
: I attend St. Mark's on Capitol Hill here in Washington, D.C. We had an
: especially beautiful "midnight" service last night. (I love the
: practical Episcopalians--of course, the service actually started at
: 10:30!) One element of the liturgy was a relighting of each person's
: candle after the reception of Communion, and singing "Silent Night" in
: the darkened church.
I like the Christmas Eve service (1st or 2d Eucharist of Christmas?)
as much as anyone else (except perhaps my wife, and some of her
friends...), BUT...
Is there anyone else out there that's grown really tired of candles?
I've found them to be immensely distracting in that I spend the whole
time they're lit trying not to drip wax on my pants (and failing)
rather than worshipping God.
Good to get the carols, though!
pax,
Jim
James S. Coleman Battista
PhD candidate, Dept of Political Science, Duke Univ.
james.b...@duke.edu
king of the impossible
Chip
James Battista wrote in message <681f63$erg$1...@news.duke.edu>...
>Is there anyone else out there that's grown really tired of candles?
>I've found them to be immensely distracting in that I spend the whole
>time they're lit trying not to drip wax on my pants (and failing)
>rather than worshipping God.
I personally love the candles. Christmas eve is the only time we use
"personal" candles in our church. Four years ago I came up with, I think, a
good idea for your "dripping wax dilemma." I went out to a near-by Sam's
Club, bought a case of inexpensive small, waxed paper cups (the kind some
people use in the bathroom) and now when we hand out the candles we also
give them one of these cups (each has a + slit in the bottom.) The candle
is slid up through the slot...and bingo.....instant paper bobeche (sp).!!!!!
The wax drops into the cup and not all over the fingers of those who are
holding them.....and they can be reused for many, many years.
A very poor diagram of what I am talking about:
--|---
| |
\ | | /
\ | | /
\ | | /
\ | | /
\---- | |----/
| |
| |
molahS,
Chip
Robert R. Chapman, Jr.
James Battista wrote:
>
> Margaret Leary (mle...@mindspring.com) wrote:
> : I attend St. Mark's on Capitol Hill here in Washington, D.C. We had an
> : especially beautiful "midnight" service last night. (I love the
> : practical Episcopalians--of course, the service actually started at
> : 10:30!) One element of the liturgy was a relighting of each person's
> : candle after the reception of Communion, and singing "Silent Night" in
> : the darkened church.
>
> I like the Christmas Eve service (1st or 2d Eucharist of Christmas?)
> as much as anyone else (except perhaps my wife, and some of her
> friends...), BUT...
>
> I've found them to be immensely distracting in that I spend the whole
> time they're lit trying not to drip wax on my pants (and failing)
> rather than worshipping God.
>
>
> pax,
>
> Jim
>
> James S. Coleman Battista
> PhD candidate, Dept of Political Science, Duke Univ.
> james.b...@duke.edu
> king of the impossible
Personally, I dislike any unnatural tugging on the heartstrings. (As a
"retired" organist, I won't talk about the "tricks" organists use to
start the waterworks. Just be wary any time you hear the organist use
the tremelo stop.) This sort of thing is not necessary.
For example, this year I visited St. Stephen's Parish in Seattle for
10:30 mass (a.k.a. midnight mass). This is an active parish with a
well-funded program. During the "standard" music program (although very
well done) before the mass actually began, I started to get misty-eyed
during the singing of "The First Nowell." No candles. The lights were
on. The service hadn't even began yet!
Meanwhile, they pulled the "Silent Night" routine with candles after
communion. Actually, it was "too cute" for me, with the forced
emotions. If you want Stille Nacht for a post communion (ablutions)
hymnn, fine! Why turn off the lights? Why pass out candles? The hymn
will "do it" all by itself. Instead, what I am left with is a feeling
someone is trying to manipulate me.
Note that I am not against "feelings" in the service. What I am for is
honest emotions, honestly created, and honestly felt. Leave the lights
on!
Incidently, there is one time I feel the candles work. If a
congregation has an Easter Vigil that begins in the morning darkness
(around 5:00 am Seattle Time), the hand-held candles work very well.
You leave all the electric lights extinguished until "Alleluia! Christ
is risen," blow-out the hand held candles, uncover the altar and light
the candles, turn on the organ, and sing the Gloria in excelsis. This
does not seem manipulative. Having experienced this, it is not at all
manipulative.
Some "staging" works; some doesn't. What can I say?
Nunc dimittis.
Bob
--
Robert R. Chapman, Jr.
Lynnwood, Washington USA
cha...@ibm.net
Those who do not think about their own sins make up for it by
thinking incessantly about the sins of others.
--C. S. Lewis (God in the Dock, "Miserable Offenders," p. 124)
Andrea McKee
The symbolism of the candles is a lot of the magic of Christmas Eve. The
symbolism of the light of the world coming into our midst in this darkest time
aside, just watching as the light is passed from each of us to the other is a
beautiful sign in itself that each of us can help to bring the light to each
other. If your light goes out, as many of ours do during the course of a year,
come get it relit! And if you see someone whose flame has died, who is
struggling and searching, relight their candle for them. Each flame on it's own
shines in the darkness. But if we all hold those candles up, how bright the
whole world becomes!
Chip wrote:
> James Battista wrote in message <681f63$erg$1...@news.duke.edu>...
> >Is there anyone else out there that's grown really tired of candles?
> >I've found them to be immensely distracting in that I spend the whole
> >time they're lit trying not to drip wax on my pants (and failing)
> >rather than worshipping God.
>
James Battista
Chip (ch...@epix.net) wrote:
: James Battista wrote in message <681f63$erg$1...@news.duke.edu>...
: >Is there anyone else out there that's grown really tired of candles?
: >I've found them to be immensely distracting in that I spend the whole
: >time they're lit trying not to drip wax on my pants (and failing)
: >rather than worshipping God.
: I personally love the candles. Christmas eve is the only time we use
: "personal" candles in our church.
Oh. We also use them on the Easter Vigil and maybe on 1 other occasion too.
: Four years ago I came up with, I think, a
: good idea for your "dripping wax dilemma." I went out to a near-by Sam's
: Club, bought a case of inexpensive small, waxed paper cups (the kind some
: people use in the bathroom) and now when we hand out the candles we also
: give them one of these cups (each has a + slit in the bottom.) The candle
: is slid up through the slot...and bingo.....instant paper bobeche (sp).!!!!!
: The wax drops into the cup and not all over the fingers of those who are
: holding them.....and they can be reused for many, many years.
Yeah, we have something like that. They just fail to work very well.
Sdenney
We did the same at my church, All Souls in Berkeley.
- Stephen Denney
sde...@aol.com
>
>I attend St. Mark's on Capitol Hill here in Washington, D.C. We had an
>especially beautiful "midnight" service last night. (I love the
>practical Episcopalians--of course, the service actually started at
>10:30!) One element of the liturgy was a relighting of each person's
>candle after the reception of Communion, and singing "Silent Night" in
>the darkened church.
>
>Margaret Leary
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Charley Wingate
I referred to the "Silent Night"/candles thing as the Ancient Protestant
Christmas Candle Ritual. I have never belonged to a congregation-- even
when I was a Presbyterian-- that didn't do it. I suppose now that I am
acolyte master in my parish, that I've "matured" to the point of hardly
caring about it other than making sure my charges are ready for it (I
remember all too well the year they *weren't* ready).
The ones that really amuse me are the C&E types who think they will
avoid the Easter Sunday crush by going to the vigil instead. Little do
they know what they're in for.... We've never set anyone on fire yet
(although we've come close). At my old parish the Paschal candle was
held in its candlestand by this nset of brass plates, so that whoever
had to carry it had to carry the whole five operation at once, basically
lifting with one hand and keeping it from tipping with the other. One
year, when I was carrying it, the foot of the thing caught on a step and
I almost fell over.
I never had these problems when I was a Presby.
C. Wingate
Margaret Leary
Mr. Wingate,
What do you mean by C & E?
Margaret Leary
Lew Whitaker
Christmas and Easter, of course...those people we only see twice a year :))
lhw
Margaret Leary wrote in message <34A81BB8...@mindspring.com>...
Robert R. Chapman, Jr.
Why don't you encourage your parish to use these candles at appropriate
times, such as "Candelmas" (Feast of the Purification, 2 February), and
the Easter Vigil?
Many people dislike the "appeal to emotion" these candles become at
Christmas eve--an appeal that is not necessary.
Nunc dimittis.
Bob
Andrea McKee wrote:
>
> The symbolism of the candles is a lot of the magic of Christmas Eve. The
> symbolism of the light of the world coming into our midst in this darkest time
> aside, just watching as the light is passed from each of us to the other is a
> beautiful sign in itself that each of us can help to bring the light to each
> other. If your light goes out, as many of ours do during the course of a year,
> come get it relit! And if you see someone whose flame has died, who is
> struggling and searching, relight their candle for them. Each flame on it's own
> shines in the darkness. But if we all hold those candles up, how bright the
> whole world becomes!
>
> Chip wrote:
>
> > James Battista wrote in message <681f63$erg$1...@news.duke.edu>...
> > >Is there anyone else out there that's grown really tired of candles?
> > >I've found them to be immensely distracting in that I spend the whole
> > >time they're lit trying not to drip wax on my pants (and failing)
> > >rather than worshipping God.
> >
> > I personally love the candles. Christmas eve is the only time we use
> > "personal" candles in our church. Four years ago I came up with, I think, a
> > good idea for your "dripping wax dilemma." I went out to a near-by Sam's
> > Club, bought a case of inexpensive small, waxed paper cups (the kind some
> > people use in the bathroom) and now when we hand out the candles we also
> > give them one of these cups (each has a + slit in the bottom.) The candle
> > is slid up through the slot...and bingo.....instant paper bobeche (sp).!!!!!
> > The wax drops into the cup and not all over the fingers of those who are
> > holding them.....and they can be reused for many, many years.
> >
> > A very poor diagram of what I am talking about:
> >
> > --|---
> > | |
> > \ | | /
> > \ | | /
> > \ | | /
> > \ | | /
> > \---- | |----/
> > | |
> > | |
> >
> > molahS,
> > Chip
--
Robert R. Chapman, Jr.
Margaret Leary wrote:
>
> Mr. Wingate,
>
> What do you mean by C & E?
>
> Margaret Leary
Christmas and Easter.
I refer to them as submarine Christians: they surface at Christmas and
Easter.
Nunc dimittis.
Bob