Episcopal News Service reports that the Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will preach at the Christmas Eve service to be broadcast on CBS. The service will air from General Theological Seminary:
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) spent last week putting the finishing touches on an hour long television program, Christmas in Chelsea Square, that will air over CBS stations nationwide on December 24th at 11:35 pm (EST). The 194-year-old seminary was selected by the network last summer to produce the annual television special. The central portion of the program features a traditional Christmas service of lessons and carols for which the homilist is the Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop and Primate, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori.
Also featured are excerpts from a reading of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem that begins, “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” as well as a brief segment that introduces viewers to the Seminary’s history and present day mission. General is known for the beauty of its Episcopal liturgy and music as well as its idyllic campus located in the Chelsea district of New York City on property donated by Moore and known as Chelsea Square. Nearly all the network’s affiliates will broadcast the annual Christmas special.
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Well, I’m home this Christmas Eve, and I’ve seen it.
In one sentence: “Hey, everybody, Episcopalians are slobs just like everybody else, we’re just smugger about it.”
It is possible for recorders to sound in tune, I promise!
(At least they sorta did Anglican Chant in public.)
I’m presuming (hoping-against-hope) having the choir arranged around the altar was the producers’ idea…
Our +Kate was fine, I guess….
I suppose I should take comfort in the sense that CBS didn’t know what they wanted to do, either.
Thanks to Jim and Bruce for their gentle admonitions to stop fussing about the broadcast schedule. I still have a VCR so I have set it to record (since we will be in church at the time) but I’m glad to see that the service will be on YouTube beginning on the 27th. (We had a heads-up on this broadcast service because a member of our parish is a GTS student — though I didn’t see her in the preview!)
Great question. Thanks.
If you were writing the Presiding Bishop’s sermon for her, what would you want her to say? – at this particular point of the church year, at this particular point of national and global history?
Thanks for your comments, Jim. A team of students, staff, and faculty actually made all the decisions about the CBS special in consultation with the network. Their format in the past had focused on beautiful music and scripture readings. We tried to stay within these guidelines but in a way that was distinctly Anglican/Episcopal. There’s a preview on our website now (www.gts.edu) along with info about how to view it after Christmas. Bruce Parker (VP GTS)