While answers will vary on what Christmas is all about, our December Chapel services kept Trinity students well aware that Christmas cannot be reduced to what has become merely known as a series of “Happy Holidays.” Chapel worship focused on a series of Advent prophesies about love, joy, hope, and peace, signified by the lighting of the four candles on the Advent wreath.
Our Christmas Chapel of Lessons & Carols led students through the Christmas story, which started with a choral reading of Genesis 3, when God promised a Savior to reconcile the sin that entered the world through the Garden of Eden. The singing response could not be a Christmas carol, for the Lamb of God, in the form of a baby, came to this world as a sacrifice, and thus we worshiped with these lyrics:
“The Lamb, the Lamb,
O Father, where’s the sacrifice?
Faith sees, believes
God will provide the Lamb of price!
Worthy is the Lamb Whose death makes me His own!
The Lamb is reigning on His throne!”
“The Lamb, the Lamb,
One perfect final offering.
The Lamb, the Lamb,
Let earth join heav’n His praise to sing.
Worthy is the Lamb Whose death makes me His own!
The Lamb is reigning on His throne!”
Lessons from Isaiah 9:6 and Isaiah 7:14 revealed that this Savior was promised as Emmanuel, a God would be with us, and that this Savior would be a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God and a Prince of Peace, and hence we could commence with Christmas Carols as responses to the lessons from this Prophet.
At last, or as we read in the epistle to the Romans, “at the right time,” God sent his son as a baby born in Bethlehem, which was presented in the familiar Christmas narrative of Luke Chapter 2. Trinity students gathered around the stable as our songs of praise included In a Little Stable, Silent Night, and Away in a Manger. The reverence of the children gathered at the manger is captured in the accompanying photos.
Members of the Student Council and the Grace Notes Choir lead us through this story of the Gospel through these meaningful lessons and carols.
Merry CHRISTmas to all!
