Rivers
Christmas: Lynn Chancel & Towers Mission Holds Service Of Carol, Lessons
As part of Anglican rites and in the spirit of celebrating this year’s Christmas, Our Lady Lynn Chancel & Towers, Mission, Port Harcourt, Rivers State has held a service of Carol and nine lessons to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ
The carol Service and nine lessons was held at the church headquarters in Woji Town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State last Saturday.
The Lynn Channel & Towers choir thrilled the congregation with heart-filled songs which added colours to the event and was attended by Anglican clerics, church members, and other religious bodies.
Delivering his sermon entitled, ‘Emmanuel, God With Us’, Ven Eche Godwin of the Anglican Communion described Christmas as a season to celebrate and appreciate God for bringing salvation to mankind through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Eche who is the the Head of Department, Religious Studies, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumulomeni, Port Harcourt took his Bible readings from the book of Matthew 1.23 and Galatians 4.4-5 opined that Christmas season is a period when humanity appreciates what God has done, saying that God came to humanity through flesh and was born of woman to dwell among human.
The Anglican preacher and scholar however said people have missed the importance and virtue of Christmas, adding that people including Christians have turned the celebration of Christmas to a social festivity instead of making Christ the centre of the celebration. They failed to ponder on the true meaning and the essence of the season rather they see Christmas as a time for business boom, a time to socialise and show our popularity and affluence” “he stated
Eche listed six lessons of Christmas which include God’s offer of forgiveness through Christ, shephardness of Christ and protection, peace and leadership control among other things, adding that with God, there is no impossibilities.
Earlier in an interview, the President of our Lady Lynn Chancel & Towers Mission, Port Harcourt, Ven Fyneface Ndubishi Akah said we are glad to be part of the celebration to enter with jubilant hearts into a period that opened with solemnity of Advent season because it pleased God to grant us such opportunity to celebrate the season.
According to him, Christmas season is a time that reminded us of the journey of God’s forgiveness and offers humanity the opportunity to reclaim the opportunity lost at Eden through sin, saying that the celebration begins at the Christmas, which is the symbol of Christ birth.
“Christmas celebrates newness, salvation, forgiveness and any form of celebration that does not promote to praise and glorify Christ during the celebration, may attract doom” he stated.
Our correspondent reports that members of the congregation was appointed to read the nine lessons of the service, while special prayers were offered for the governor and government of the states, federal government, leaders and members of the society
By: Akujobi Amadi