All For Love's Sake

An utterly beautiful carol service at church this evening; began with a lone voice singing, others joining in, and then all making their way to the front, followed by brass instruments doing the same. Donald's clear and at times, hilarious, sermon, interspersed by carols in a wide variety of styles. Our s-i-l played the boom box (see extras) for an Irish folk number by Tex, and my co-grandmother with her rich voice this stunning new carol (final extra), only really, she sings it better! I told Chris, who directs it all, that it was stupendous, and it was.

And then, it was all repeated again, for an even more packed out church, while we fed and bathed the grandkids, and Sam cooked us all a perfect Christmas dinner (as we'll all be working on Christmas Day).

The Advent reading was Luke 1:39-45, where, after the angel leaves her, 

Without delay, Mary set out...

God sets out towards us; Mary sets out to help her pregnant cousin; we set out from our comfort zones to help our brothers and sisters. As the carol we sang tonight says so beautifully:

Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becomes poor.