As Christmas becomes increasingly commercialised and secular, it is refreshing to celebrate the season with traditional Christmas carols and remember the story behind the holiday. On the evening of December 4th I went to Kew Community Carols by Candlelight. It was organised by the Kew inter-church council, with churches involved including Kew Baptist, Holy Trinity Anglican, St Paul’s Anglican, Melbourne Chinese Baptist, Sacred Heart Catholic, St Joachim’s Catholic, St Anne’s Catholic and East Kew Uniting. Assistance was also given by the City of Booroondara. It was originally planned to be in the park in Petrie Square, but was changed to the Kew Baptist church building when the rain set in.
The evening opened with Chinese dancing and singing by the Melbourne Chinese Baptist Church Praise Dancers. Stalls were set up around the hall and outside selling sausages, Vietnamese food and other items. These were run by groups raising money for 'Spur Afrika', which equips children and young adults in Kenyan slums with literacy and life skills, and for 'With a Mission', which sponsors housing projects in Vietnam via local churches. The donations given at the door went to supporting the Kew High School chaplaincy, including buying textbooks and uniforms for families in financial need.
A message was brought by the Mayor of Boroondara Cr. Peter Healey. He eloquently summarised the event as “Christ coming back into Christmas.” He added, noting the downpour of rain, “thanks to Kew Baptist for providing shelter, there is something very Christmasy about providing shelter to those that need it.” Member for Kew Tim Smith was also in attendance to support the event.
The hymns sung included Come all ye Faithful, Joy to the World, Once in Royal David’s City, Silent Night, We Three Kings, Away in a Manger, the First Noel, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. The All Directions Community Choir also performed Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy and guest singer Rebecca Jess sang a beautiful rendition of O Holy Night. These were led by the Kew Baptist quartet and accompanied by the Kew and Hawthorn combined Band, including upwards of 30 brass players! The children were invited to participate by dancing along to the songs and decorating the Christmas tree out the front.
Kew Baptist associate pastor Paul Pallot gave a short Christmas speech asking, why do we celebrate Jesus’ birthday? He answered, because of the man he would become, what he did and said and his claim to be God. Whether people feel close or God or not, the Christmas story reminds us that God came among us to reconcile humanity with himself – as it is written, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). He finished inviting people to open a Bible and read about the baby that was born, the child that grew up and the man that Jesus became.
It was very well attended with upwards of 300 people coming along. One of the attendees Miranda said it was the “first carols I’ve been to and I really enjoyed it.” She added, “the music was great and I love the community coming together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.” Rory said it was a “high quality, good production” and “stayed authentic to the Christmas message.” He added, perhaps half-joking, “Santa wasn’t even mentioned.” Paul Pallot said it was “a great night to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and prepare our hearts for Christmas this year."
The Kew Community Carols is an example of people preserving the message and meaning of Christmas in an open and authentic way for people to enjoy and learn more about the story of Jesus. It was a great event for those in the local community to experience the true spirit of Christmas even if they don’t usually attend church throughout the rest of the year.
Source: BUV News