Dear siblings in Christ,
One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Madeleine L’Engle, who wrote of Advent:
This is the irrational season
when love blooms bright and wild.
Had Mary been filled with reason
there’d have been no room for the child.
Given the demands this time of year, it does not feel rational to believe that there could ever be enough time, money, or love to go around. Our lives feel full, and we are tired. Yet what we believe and proclaim as those who follow Jesus is that ours is a God who cares enough to be born among us and be a part of the solution. That kind of love is not only irrational, it is transformational.
This Christmas Eve (Saturday, Dec. 24), COS is offering a variety of worship opportunities to celebrate the birth of Christ.
At 4 pm we’ll begin with a Christmas Pageant, including a spoken bilingual (Mandarin and English) Holy Eucharist. This worship service will last an hour or less and will highlight our children. This service is for families with young children as well as anyone who would like to spend time on Christmas Eve with families and young children. It will be live-streamed.
At 7:30 pm we will celebrate our Festive Holy Eucharist with organ, and cello, and other instruments as well as our beloved COS choirs and handbell choir. With a look and feel of the joyous Christmas Eve celebrations many of us remember from childhood, this worship service will last about an hour and a half. The language will shift between English and Mandarin. This service is ideal for anyone wishing to have the full Christmas Eve experience at COS. It will be live-streamed.
At 11:00 pm we will hold a Festive Holy Eucharist, in English. The most traditional of the Christmas Eve services, we will hear organ, choir, and cello (and additional instruments) as we celebrate the arrival of Christmas morning. This service is ideal for those who prefer the traditional Christmas Eve experience. This service will not be live-streamed.
We also invite you to a spoken Christmas Day service at 10 am on Sunday, December 25. This service will be simple but festive!
As in other years, we are prayerfully asking for your financial contribution toward the music for Christmas Eve. We would like to make this Christmas Eve as memorable as possible, so your generosity would be greatly appreciated. All donations will be put toward the many hands that will facilitate this celebration.
Let me be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas! We here at COS are better because you are a part of this community.
Faithfully,
Jeff+
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