The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has been celebrated in the beautiful chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, every Christmas Eve since 1918. It has inspired similar services all over the world, including, since 2003, at PBCC.
The core of the service is nine lessons or Scripture readings, which trace the story of God’s loving purposes expressed in his pursuit of sinful humanity, in his promises to Abraham and through the prophets, and finally in the sending of his Son in human form as Jesus to be the Messiah for his people Israel and the Savior for all the world. Interspersed with these lessons we sing: first more sombre Advent carols, then joyful Christmas carols of adoration and worship. There is no childcare for this service.