Old Fashioned Sunday School
The Inbreaking of the Reign of God: Reflections on the History of the Festal Service of Lessons and Carols and its Various Lyrical Theologies
Sundays, November 17–December 1
10:10 a.m., Child Hall
Dr. David S. Pacini, Professor Emeritus of Historical and Philosophical Theology at the Candler School of Theology, will present a three part series on the history of the Festal Service of Lessons and Carols.
The service is among the best-beloved services of the church year. Millions of people beyond the Anglican Communion listen to its annual worldwide broadcast from Kings College, Cambridge. Elegant in its simplicity, the service attests to the love of God around which its sequence of narratives and carols revolve.
Notwithstanding the service's popularity, many remain unaware of its history, numerous versions, and differing lyrical theological emphases.
In this series, we will ask what the "true meaning" of the 1918 Kings College, Cambridge service and the 1880 Truro Cathedral service is. We will continually probe the contours of "true meaning" and conclude with reflections on its significance for the 2024 iteration of the Cathedral of St. Philip's Festal Service of Lessons and Carols.
The fall election season promises to be a trying time for all of us, regardless of political disposition. The heightened energy of the campaigns causes us to feel like we need to have opinions on things we don’t really understand, to argue until the person in front of us concedes that we’re right, and to stop seeing those who don’t. The result is pervasive disconnection.
Elizabeth Oldfield, the host of the Sacred podcast and former director and now senior fellow of the think tank Theos, offers a way for us to stay connected. In her new book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, Oldfield explores how religion helps us to develop deep principles and values that help us grow in empathy and curiosity for people different from ourselves. Canon Maxwell will lead a discussion that looks more deeply at Oldfield’s insights and explore how they might play out in our lives. Copies of the book may be purchased in the Cathedral Bookstore. For questions, please contact the Rev. George Maxwell, gmaxwell@cathedralATL.org.