Last Saturday First Lutheran Church celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which our Minister of Music likes to say is the feast with possibly the longest name ever. Also called Candlemas, because of a tradition of bringing candles to be blessed at this service, it marks the official end of the Christmas season. For those who enjoy their Christmas decorations too much to part with them on Three Kings Day, you now have an excellent reason to keep them up next year until Groundhog Day if you so desire.
The feast day this year was celebrated with a solemn and beautiful Vespers service, starring the FLC choir, stringed instruments, harpsichord, and of course our Baroque pipe organ. Readings, music, and sermon together held up the Song of Simeon as a celebration of God’s faithfulness to us in sending His only Son, Jesus, to be our promised Messiah. Following the service, congregants gathered in the undercroft for fellowship and a reception (feast!) that complemented the musical feast we had already enjoyed.
Please join us for our next Vespers service, March 23rd 2019 at 5pm, which will conclude our annual Boston Bach Birthday celebration, an entire day of free concerts celebrating J.S. Bach’s contributions to our Lutheran musical heritage.
