Christians and Christmas lovers at Fenimore Street United Methodist Church (FSUMC) braved the frigid weather on Christmas Eve Night in singing popular Christmas Carols during an annual ritual to the community on the steps of the church at the corner of Rogers Avenue and Fenimore Street in Brooklyn.
With severe wind chill and temperatures in the 20s, die-hard members bungled up, singing lustily various carols for almost an hour.
They included “Deck The Halls,” “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Sleigh Bells Ring,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Feliz Navidad,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Away in a Manger,” “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree,” “All I Want for Christmas,” “It Came Upon The Midnight Clear,” “White Christmas,” and “Someday at Christmas.”
The caroling outside was immediately followed inside the sanctuary by a 1 ½-hour-long Candle Light Service, dubbed “A Festival of Scripture Lessons and Carols.”
During the service, congregants sang hymns and carols, read Scripture lessons, and participated in the lighting of candles.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Roger Jackson, told Caribbean Life afterward that the faith community gathered at FSUMC “to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
“The caroling was our way to reaching out to the community, and being a part of a faith community encompasses the enjoyment of singing together secular songs of love and joy that reflect the essence of this season,” he said. “The Festival of Scripture Lessons and Candlelight Service remind us of the reason for the season.
“Through word and song, God’s display of love for the world in sending his only begotten son was celebrated by all,” Rev. Jackson added. “Reading and singing about all the pronouncements leading up to and the birth of our Savior fortified our belief that the Messiah has come.”
The Caroling and Candle Light Service brought to a climax month-long celebration at the church, commemorating the birth of Jesus Church.
The Christmas Eve Night celebrations were preceded on Sunday, Dec. 22, by the “Christmas Celebration Service” during the regular Sunday Morning Worship Service and the Annual Sunday School Christmas Pageant in the afternoon.
