Thoughts from The Vicarage with Carol singing and ‘O’ antiphons.
Greetings on this frosty, sunny morning and trusting you, and yours, are able to wrap up warm.
Today, Thursday is the ‘Warm Welcome’ time at The Walwyn Hall, Lambourn from midday for a couple of hours. All welcome for warmth and company.
Later today all are welcome to join in carol singing. Meet 5.30 at The Vicarage 4 Newbury Street (opposite the telephone box!). The plan is that we sing for an hour and then return to a warm drink and some rather special refreshments. Carriages at 7.30pm.
If you’d like to come and have time, please drop me a line if you can on 07749 844 600.
Earlier in Advent, I mentioned the ‘O’ antiphons and promised to share a little about them. They are used in the lovely Advent hymn ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’. We pray a different one at Evening Prayer each day before the Magnificat on the 7 days running up to Christmas Eve. In so doing, there is a deep sense of the approaching of the birth of Christ.
This Saturday (17th) the first of the sequence of 7 ‘O’ antiphons will be used at Evening Prayer. In its first centuries the church developed a custom of praying 7 great prayers, calling on Christ to come. They addressed Christ by the mysterious titles found in the Old Testament – especially in Isaiah: ‘O’ Sapientia, ‘O’ Adonai, ‘O’ Radix, ‘O’ Clavis, ‘O’ Oriens, ‘O’ Rex Gentium, ‘O’ Emmanuel. Translating the Latin we address Christ as Wisdom, God, Root, Key, Light and God with us. If ever you are interested in joining Evening Prayer and would like so to do just let me know.
The final antiphon is addressed to Emmanuel and reveals a secret message that is embedded subtly into the whole sequence – more of that next week!
Talking of the coming week – please see the Pews News attached. There’s a lot going on as we prepare for Christmas 🙂
Sunday sees our wonderful Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in Lambourn at 6pm at which there will be a retiring collection in aid of Lambourn’s Jockey Welfare. Please do come along to sing carols, hear the narrative of the Nativity and reflect in the candle light.
Tuesday will be the second carol singing outing – again all welcome at 5.30pm!
Thursday will be the dress up nativity at 3pm – for the young and the young at heart! And on Christmas Eve at 4pm we are holding a Christingle service.
It’s wonderful that after the last two years we will be able to all join together to celebrate – all are welcome and any query please do simply ask via phone, text or email!
Looking forward to seeing you, meanwhile
God bless
Julie