Posted on by David Steers

Christmas Reflections

Over the period of Advent in the run up to Christmas at Dunmurry we have uploaded three videos generally reflecting on Advent and Christmas carols, their origin and use, as well as the Christmas story itself. You can see them all by clicking on the videos below.

Christmas Reflections: The Christmas Story

Christmas Reflections
The Christmas Story

First Dunmurry (NS) Presbyterian Church

Told by Sue Steers FRSA
Organ: Allen Yarr
Trumpet: Jack Steers

Carols:
Hark! the herald angels sing
O Little town of Bethlehem
O Come, all ye faithful
It came upon the midnight clear

Click on the video above to see the Christmas Reflections

Two Christmas Carols: Deck the hall (1784) & Ding, dong merrily on high (1924)

Two Christmas Carols

Click on the link above to see this short exploration of two well-known carols:
Deck the hall with boughs of holly (first published 1784)
Ding, dong merrily on high (first published in 1924)

Filmed at First Dunmurry (NS) Presbyterian Church and at the Continental Market, Belfast

Trumpet played by Jack Steers

Advent Reflections: ‘Hark the glad sound!’ by Rev Philip Doddridge 1702-1751

A Short Reflection for Advent

Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes
writtten by Rev Philip Doddridge DD (1702-1751)

Trumpet: Jack Steers

Click on the link above to see the video

Posted on by David Steers

Advent Reflections

First Dunmurry (NS) Presbyterian Church

Reflections for Advent

The Rev Philip Doddridge DD (1702-1751) was one of the most significant dissenting ministers in the first half of the eighteenth century. Among other things he was the author of the Advent carol ‘Hark the glad sound! The Saviour comes’. This short reflection by Rev Dr David Steers, minister of the First Presbyterian (Non-Subscribing) Church, Dunmurry, looks at Philip Doddridge and his hymn in the context of Advent. Jack Steers plays the hymn on the trumpet.

Illustration of Philip Doddridge, engraving by George Vertue after Andrea Soldi, National Portrait Gallery. Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Posted on by David Steers

We are all the work of thy hand

Yet, O Lord, thou art our Father;
    we are the clay, and thou art our potter;
    we are all the work of thy hand.

Isaiah ch.64 v.8

Our service for the Second Sunday in Advent comes from First Presbyterian (Non-Subscribing) Church, Downpatrick and has as its reading Isaiah ch.64 v.1-9. In that passage God is likened to a potter and through interaction with our Creator we can be remade. This image of the potter at work at the wheel is a very powerful one in the Bible, it is suggestive of the ongoing process of creation of which we are a part.

The video can be seen here:

The organist is John Strain, playing the organ at Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, who plays Lo! He comes with clouds descending (Mission Praise 424) and Hark the glad sound! The saviour comes (Hymns of Faith and Freedom 107).

Posted on by David Steers

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope

Our service for the first Sunday in Advent comes from Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. Advent begins this year with Northern Ireland once again back in lockdown, this time for two weeks. As before we are not allowed to have public worship in our churches, but as we have done throughout the pandemic we have an online service on our YouTube channel every Sunday.

The service for Advent can be seen here:

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.

Isaiah ch.9 v.2

Today’s reading is from Jeremiah ch.33 v.14-16 and is read by Haydn Howell. Church organist John Strain plays the hymns Come, thou long-expected Jesus (‘Hymns of Faith and Freedom’ 110) and How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him (‘Hymns of Faith and Freedom’ 111). John also plays Promised Lord and Christ is he and Make way, make way.

The closing scenes of the video includes film of some Whooper Swans in a field in the shadow of the Mountains of Mourne. Newly arrived from Iceland they spend the winter here and currently share their field with some Greylag Geese:

We thank Thee for the stars wherewith Thou hast spangled the raiment of darkness, giving beauty to the world when the sun withdraws its light. All this magnificence is but a little sparklet that has fallen from Thy presence, Thou Central Fire and Radiant Light of all! These are but reflections of Thy wisdom, Thy power, and Thy glory!

A prayer by Theodore Parker (1810-1860)