27 December 2008
I wavered quite a bit
on what to do this Sunday. I finally went with the Lutheran Church Orders, which seem invariably to observe the Sunday after Christmas and take scant recognition of Holy Innocents. But I forgot to inform the ladies who do the altar, or the organist who prepares the music for the cantors. The cantors' music is easily fixed by just doing what's in the bulletin, but our paraments tonight were red. Fitting, I supposed. We do use the collect for Holy Innocents after the Collect for Christmas I, and they figure largely in the Prayer of the Church as well. The best of both, I suppose. Simeon, Anna, the Holy Innocents, and THE Holy Innocent (who alone truly is) who escaped to be the Life for all His people - His appointment with death would come later, though Simeon foresaw that too.
Is it wrong to simply revisit our Lord's Nativity this Sunday? That's what I'm doing, including repeating Christmas Day sermon. Never done this before. I originally planned on using the propers for Holy Innocents. However, we had such low attendance due to snowy weather (please refrain from any comments about us wimpy Seattle-ites), that I thought some folks might like to have a chance to have Christmas worship if they missed out.
ReplyDeleteActually, I was suprised at how many churches in our community cancelled their Christmas Eve and Day services. We even had some folks show up from a neighboring Lutheran congregation saying that they had not had services for the last two Sundays. Sure, the roads were slick, but they were navigable, unless you lived on some serious hills.
Makes sense to me - especially under those circumstances. I'll bet your people will be very grateful for not missing the Christmas Day feast!
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