Letters
from 13 December to 19 December 2004
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Customs, chronology, and Christmas
I READ WITH INTEREST the correspondence on the subject of Christmas decorations versus Advent.
Further to Michel Cousins comment, we had the privilege of living in Rome
during the Jubileum and celebrated Advent and Christmas there. In Italy
it is still common to decorate the family tree on Christmas eve; much was
then made of the arrival of the Magi at Epiphany. The decorations, however,
are often not taken down until Candlemas in February.
The festive season
in Italy is therefore about the same length as elsewhere but just occupies
different dates. In England some people believe it is unlucky to leave
the decorations up after Twelfth Night -- but then we celebrate Mother's
day during Lent.
I enjoy Advent very
much, and also all the glitz of the secular decorations in the dark cold
English month of December. It makes it a special time of year, whatever
the reason, and almost every Infant School
in the country puts on a Nativity play with all the magic of the first
Christmas.
So I think your
editorial
last week is right: meanness of spirit removes most of the joy
from our world. I also think that
the site is a wonderful resource. We
travel a lot and can always find somewhere to worship, thanks to you!
Grace Blake
Royal Garrison Church of All Saints, Aldershot, England
Guildford, England
14 December 2004
Lamenting lessons
past
IF
THERE IS ONE THING that I
know I am going to miss on Christmas Day at the service of Holy Communion
in my little country church it will be the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel
for that day, as in the [1662] Book of Common Prayer.
Despite that our
congregation still worships in that tradition, clergy tend to substitute
those set readings for others they see as being more suited to their sermon
-- or those they believe will be more readily understood by us. After a lifetime
(over 60 years) of the BCP Christmas Day I understand those set readings
very well, thank you.
Furthermore is there
a more majestic Collect than that for Christmas Day, a more dramatic beginning
to an Epistle than that as set 'God, who at sundry times...' or a more comforting
Gospel reading than the St John assurance that 'In the beginning was the
Word...'
And even when all
three are read badly, particularly 'In the beginning WAS the Word, and
the Word WAS with God and the Word WAS God...' they still impress with
their directness, drama, and poetry.
But the new clergy
know so much more than we do. Out with old, in with the new -- every year. Change and decay
in all around. I see!
Trevor Grant Cowell
Christ Church, Illawarra, Longford, Tasmania
Perth, Tasmania, Australia.
platcha1@optusnet.com.au
16 December 2004
Earlier
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We launched our 'Letters
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