Advent Evensong Service Wednesday, December 11th, 2002

On Wednesday evening December 11th about 60 people attended the Advent Evensong service in the St. Joan of Arc Church. The theme of the service was “My Soul in Stillness Waits”

As a regular Gym service attendee it’s always a treat to attend a service in the Church for a change! I was not disappointed. The Church was beautifully lit with the Advent wreath (which is on the Altar during the Advent season’s Sunday Gym services), 2 iron stands with candles, and votive candles in each of the stained glass windows. The overhead lights were dimmed during the service. The SJA Choir Schola processed into the Church with each member carrying a lighted candle. They left their candles on the altar table as they passed it to take their seats on the dais. The entire effect was relaxing-which I needed after a long day at work!

The entire service was about one hour and consisted of Reflections by Ron Joki and Julie Madden with sung responses by the Schola and attendees. May Lane Bernado added to the peaceful mood with dance accompaniment to the music and words. I especially enjoyed May’s dance during the incense ritual. The incense ritual was called “My Prayers Rise Like Incense Before You”. May began the ritual by lying down in front of the altar table and slowly rising to pick up the fragrant incense bowl. Then, she danced around the room with the bowl, spreading the incense before us, around us, in us.

In a break with tradition, the Advent wreath was already lit and two of the four candles were extinguished by May while Julie read “Advent Candles” by Peronne Marie Thibert. I like to think the extinguished candles represent the hope they can be lit later by our belief in the coming of the Savior.

During the Community Prayer portion of the service, attendees were invited to speak out their prayer requests.

As with the regular Sunday services, we held hands and recited the Lord’s Prayer and had the usual energetic Joan of Arc Sharing of Peace. Hugs all around.

Janice LaDuke was baptized at St. Joan of Arc but her parents left St. Joan's in the early 70's and went to a "less radical" Catholic church instead. She's very glad to have found her way back to St. Joan's in 1994!! Janice is a librarian by profession and has been working in the library of a healthcare consulting firm since 1997. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to all kinds of music and working on her home near Como Lake in St. Paul. Janice is also Echo Thoren's assistant every Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. service.

When the service was over, the Schola processed out of the Church, picking up their lit candles as they passed the altar. They paused by the doorway and blew them out before they left the church. A table with refreshments was provided in the hallway after the service.

In addition to the 16 member Schola under the direction of Anna Vagle, Joe Chouinard, on piano, and Kristin Woolever, on flute, provided the beautiful instrumental accompaniment.

If you are seeking an evening of peaceful reflection during the hectic Holiday season, make it a point to attend the Evensong next year or next Wednesday’s (Dec. 18th) Advent service at 7 p.m.

Kudos to the Schola and the Prayer Partners for a wonderful evening!