Music for Christmas 2022

Things are evolving with regards to music at Church of the Redeemer. It isn’t “new normal,” but it is the music that we are doing this year for Christmas. Expect some things the same as before, but some things different.

Honored to be playing

It was not my plan to be on the organ bench this year. Yet, here I am, being honored to play again regularly after more than a 30-year break. In fact, I have barely touched an organ since cancer surgery on my left leg in 2003.

This hasn’t been exactly like riding a bicycle again, but I am dusting off old skills. Thanks for letting me have another fling on the bench.

Christmas services

Here is what to expect right now at our Christmas services at Church of the Redeemer.

Christmas Eve Pageant Service at 4:30 pm

This has not been a service with a with a lot of music in the past. Since Fr. Jed wanted a service focusing on the drop-in children’s pageant—and to keep it simple—there won’t be music at this service in 2022

However, something is being added at a later service, in case you want a service with Christmas music that doesn’t keep you out late at night. Keep reading!

Christmas Eve service with incense at 8:45 pm and 9:00 pm

Carols start at 8:45 pm with the service at 9:00 pm.

Carols in the past have traditionally been a half hour. They included solo or choir pieces in addition to Christmas hymns. We won’t have a choir or soloists this year. This means we’ll start singing Christmas hymns at 8:45 pm. There will probably be a short prelude before the service starts at 9:00 pm, depending on whether we are running late.

Christmas Day service without incense at 10: 15 am and 10:30 am

Carols start at 10:15 am with the service at 10:30am.

The Christmas morning service has music this year, unlike previous years. You can celebrate Christ’s birth with daylight and with music. Maybe we can say that the people have seen a great light?

This service may be a good option in you want your children to attend a “regular” service with music in addition to the pageant on Christmas Eve. The evening service with music is past their bedtimes, making it a bit much for one day.

If nothing else, it is Sunday morning. Let’s have music like we do other Sunday mornings.

Happy nativity of Jesus

No matter when you attend this year, I hope you will be able to joyfully sing about our Savior’s birth.

—Bob Chapman
Organist ex officio

Christmas, or Christ’s Mass

Christmas (in old English, Cristes maesse) is a festival celebrated on December 25, commemorating the Incarnation of the Word of God in the birth of Jesus Christ. In the Book of Common Prayer, it is also called The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the United States it is also a popular secular holiday.

In the Book of Common Prayer, Christmas Day is one of the seven principal feasts. The Christmas season lasts twelve days, from Christmas Day until January 5, the day before the Epiphany. The season includes Christmas Day, the First Sunday after Christmas Day, the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and may include the Second Sunday after Christmas Day. In many parishes, the main liturgical celebrations of Christmas take place on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve pageant service in 2018

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6210 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.