Sunday 13th December 2020: Advent Reflection: Christine Standring

As we celebrate the return of the Chancel choir to our in-person worship, I am reminded of the comment I made to several friends and their response.  My concern was that I was one of those privileged to sing and felt that members of the congregation were being ‘left out’;  however, to my surprise, everyone responded that they appreciated our efforts and that our singing helped them in their worship.  Several also said that it made it easier to concentrate on the words and to bring long-familiar hymns to new life.

So as we return to the hymns and song of the Advent Season, although we cannot raise the roof as a full congregation, we can relish our well known carols anew and take the messages into our hearts at this season of rejoicing at Christ’s coming among us. Sometimes we are drawn by the plaintive strains of Darke’s ‘In the bleak mid winter’, or the robustious music accompanying ‘Unto us a Boy is born’.  Sometimes the words lead us to pictures of the stable with ‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed’ and to see the entry of the wise men  in ‘We Three Kings of Orient are’.    We are blessed that today from the inspired pen of John Rutter, new delights unfold year by year, challenging our choirs with his intricate notes and harmonies to follow the shepherd boys ‘dancing and singing for joy that Christ the King is come.’ 

Please forgive the choir, maybe long in tooth and weak in wind and limb, but we shall with gusto rejoice that He came as Man with man to dwell - neither will the female singers feel left out as we celebrate Jesus raising the sons of earth!   With other member of the Chancel choir, I feel privileged to be part of a caring community celebrating the birth of Our Lord together.

The message is completed by sharing one of my birthday cards earlier this year.