Ignore my rating
P. Mann | Los Angeles | 11/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First, pay no attention to the rating of five stars. I am not about to rate a church service as if it were for entertainment.
"This Holy Night" is the 2002 Christmas Eve service from St. Luke in Chicago, an Evangelical Lutheran church. The service consists of a good deal of music (including "Silent Night," "Go Tell It on the Mountain," and "O Come, All Ye Faithful"), Bible readings, a short sermon by Pastor David Abrahamson, and occasional commentary by Rev. Barbara Berry-Bailey to explain aspects of the service that might not be familiar to non-Lutherans or children.
The service is quite inclusive. Both the congregation and the clergy include men and women, black and white, and there are members of other Protestant denominations (the United Church of Christ, e.g.) with small roles in the service. Even the music is varied--the performance of "Go Tell It on the Mountain" is somewhat jazzy.
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