Church News - Christmas 2009 at Mayfield Salisbury
Date: Thursday, 7 January 2010
CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Every year the Christmas services are a time of joy and happiness as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child, but this year they were particularly memorable at Mayfield Salisbury as it was not only our first Christmas in our newly renovated sanctuary, but was also a ‘white’ Christmas!
The celebrations started with the Christingle Service on 23rd December when a large number of families trudged through the snow to join us. As the lights were dimmed and the Christingles lit, the faces of children and adults alike lit up with wonder and delight as they carried their candles in the darkened church.
On Christmas Eve the Watchnight Service again saw many visitors kicking the snow off their boots and entering the darkened sanctuary now lit by hundreds of candles, on arches in the aisles, on window sills, round pillars and on candelabra, those in the apse causing the stars on the ceiling to glisten and sparkle. The whole atmosphere was one of warmth and welcome. The beautiful singing of the choir added enormously to this feeling of wonderment and Scott McKenna’s address, available on this site under ‘Sermons’ and titled ‘Adam and the Riddell family’, was most thought provoking. ‘What does it mean to speak of a child in a manger?’
Christmas morning itself saw another very joyful service with a wonderful mixed age range, for there were grannies and great-grannies there as well as many children. The sanctuary again looked very festive with its Christmas tree and arches of candles. Who will forget the children being invited up to the front and enjoying telling us all what they had received for Christmas, and the mirth that some of their answers caused! Coffee and mince pies were served afterwards by the splendid team (see below)
and this was much appreciated, especially by those for whom Christmas did not mean a happy family gathering for whatever reason.
On Sunday morning 27th December, with thick snow still hampering travel, there was a traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. The choir again contributed greatly to the beauty of the worship and the differing voices of the nine readers, from many different sections of the church family, brought a freshness to the familiar texts. In the evening there was a celebration of Holy Communion: a quite meditative service of silence, prayer, and scripture, which brought a reflective and peaceful end to a memorable time of Christmas celebration.
The celebrations started with the Christingle Service on 23rd December when a large number of families trudged through the snow to join us. As the lights were dimmed and the Christingles lit, the faces of children and adults alike lit up with wonder and delight as they carried their candles in the darkened church.
On Christmas Eve the Watchnight Service again saw many visitors kicking the snow off their boots and entering the darkened sanctuary now lit by hundreds of candles, on arches in the aisles, on window sills, round pillars and on candelabra, those in the apse causing the stars on the ceiling to glisten and sparkle. The whole atmosphere was one of warmth and welcome. The beautiful singing of the choir added enormously to this feeling of wonderment and Scott McKenna’s address, available on this site under ‘Sermons’ and titled ‘Adam and the Riddell family’, was most thought provoking. ‘What does it mean to speak of a child in a manger?’
Christmas morning itself saw another very joyful service with a wonderful mixed age range, for there were grannies and great-grannies there as well as many children. The sanctuary again looked very festive with its Christmas tree and arches of candles. Who will forget the children being invited up to the front and enjoying telling us all what they had received for Christmas, and the mirth that some of their answers caused! Coffee and mince pies were served afterwards by the splendid team (see below)
and this was much appreciated, especially by those for whom Christmas did not mean a happy family gathering for whatever reason.On Sunday morning 27th December, with thick snow still hampering travel, there was a traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. The choir again contributed greatly to the beauty of the worship and the differing voices of the nine readers, from many different sections of the church family, brought a freshness to the familiar texts. In the evening there was a celebration of Holy Communion: a quite meditative service of silence, prayer, and scripture, which brought a reflective and peaceful end to a memorable time of Christmas celebration.
