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By Nicole Seiferth

The poinsettias, the ushers, and the choirs were all resplendent in red; the pews were full of congregation members and visitors in their holiday best, and the church resounded with such joyful music as "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Ding! Dong! Merrily on High."

Christmas at Trinity Church? Yes, it was and it will be - but it wasn't Christmas Eve. On December 4, Trinity Church was transformed from the season of Advent to that of Christmas for a special service of Lessons and Carols, a traditional Anglican Christmas liturgy. The service was filmed in partnership with the National Council of Churches USA to be shown via broadcast on ABC affiliate stations around the country on Christmas Eve.

Trinity's staff and congregation are no strangers to large, festive services or to taping those services. The 11:15am Sunday service and other special liturgies throughout the year are webcast for live and on-demand viewing at trinitywallstreet.org. But creating a Christmas service in the middle of another season - Advent - and accommodating the production needs for a television broadcast were a challenging undertaking.

"Merry Christmas!" said the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, rector, in his homily. "Jesus reminds us that the spiritual life is for those with ears to hear and eyes to see. We can see God in the twinkling lights, in the music, and the merriment."

Planning for the service began months beforehand. Lights for the production lit up the interior of the church and, from the outside, the large stained glass window behind the altar. Five cameras were brought in several days before and the Trinity Museum was transformed into a control room from which the director and assistant directors called shots to cameramen and sound engineers.

The service itself featured more than 100 singers, including the Trinity Choir, the Family Choir, and the Trinity Youth Chorus, and more than 60 congregational volunteers who were readers, ushers, acolytes, and servers.

Following the service, the production crew and congregation volunteers began dismantling both filming equipment and the Christmas greens that filled the church. By 10pm, it was Advent in Trinity Church once more.

Find out where you can watch the service in your area here.

Nicole Seiferth is assistant editor for website and parish publications

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