MARION — The local community and members and friends of the First Congregational Church of Marion, are invited to attend a traditional 7 p.m. Christmas Eve Service.

The service will follow the format of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols that was presented at King's College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve 1918 to offer solace to people who were distressed, exhausted, injured and, in many cases, bereaved at the end of the First World War.

The service includes nine scripture readings interspersed with Christmas carols and special music and has been offered every year since 1918.

In this pandemic year many people are experiencing some of these same realities and feelings that many were experiencing at the time the service was started at King’s College.

While World War I, despite the pain and suffering, did give people a great sense of togetherness and community, the current pandemic forces people to be isolated, distanced, and anxious.

During the service, Pastor Rich will lead the congregation in a prayer for health and peace over the whole earth and to remember the isolated as well as the lonely and unloved. Alongside the oppressed, prayers will also be said for the exploited and the abused.