Jesus Christ is the light of the world, Reverend Geoffrey Chapman said as he opened the candle-lit Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at St. Matthew’s Church in the Glebe. A light no darkness can extinguish, the congregation responded. The Anglican church, filled to capacity, was illuminated by row upon row of the faithful standing with lit candles on the evening of December 21, as Advent gave way to Christmas. The acolytes processed down the main aisle with the celebrant and the choristers, and they ensured that each candle was lit. The processional hymn, “Once in Royal David’s City,” encapsulated the mystery of the Incarnation, one that is impossible to fully grasp with the human mind: “He came down to earth from Heaven, who is God and Lord of all, And his shelter was a stable, And his cradle was a stall; With the poor and mean and lowly, Lives on earth our Saviour holy.”
This Anglican tradition of Lessons and Carols, also called a King’s College service, takes us through salvation history. Appropriately, the first readings were from Genesis 3 and 22, with the introduction of original sin and the fall of man, followed by God’s blessing upon Abraham, the father of three great faiths. It is, however, the third lesson, from Isaiah 9: 2-7 that is at the heart of the celebration: the light that breaks through the darkness, God coming into the world in a most unexpected form:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The nine lessons, or Scripture readings, were read by a variety of men and women involved in a range of ministries at St. Matthew’s, including wardens, members of the Altar Guild, children’s liturgy coordinators and the rector himself, the Rev. Chapman. The choristers were directed by Barbara Hallam-Price, the community’s interim Director of Music. She was joined by guest organist Tom Annand. At one point, the choristers sang from the church’s centre aisle, offering a very robust, rich choral experience to the congregation. The hymns included The First Nowell, O Come All Ye Faithful and O Little Town of Bethlehem. The hymns were undoubtedly all familiar to the faithful, while some of the carols sung by the choir may have been new. Among this writer’s favourites was “There Is No Rose,” with the verse: “There is no rose of such virtue As is the rose that bare Jesu; There is no rose of such virtue As is the rose that bare Jesu; For in this rose contained was Heaven and earth in little space.”
In his prayer, Rev. Chapman lifted up those who are forced to flee their home due to upheaval, as well as the oppressed — a timely reminder, given the experience of the Holy Family and Jesus’ later ministry on the margins.
As the liturgy came to a close and we walked into the cold night, the rows of Edwardian homes in the Glebe were illuminated with Christmas lights. Among the lasting contributions of Anglicanism is this tradition of Scripture readings, hymns and carols, and prayers to prepare us for the Christmas season. We’re fortunate in Ottawa to have several churches, including St. Matthew’s, that bring this tradition to life.
Christopher Adam
Born in Montreal, Christopher Adam has called Ottawa home for the past twenty years. He received his MA from Carleton University, with a thesis focusing on twentieth century European church history, and a PhD in History from the University of Ottawa. Over the years, he has published widely and works in the faith-based charitable sector in Ottawa.