MIRACLE AND MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS EVE MOVE OUTSIDE AND ON SCREEN
WHERE TO FIND CHURCH SERVICES IN THE L. A. AREA THIS YEAR
ON CHRISTMAS EVE, the English Tudor- style chapel with stained glass windows and exposed beams is usually decorated with garlands, poinsettias and little white lights as generations of families and friends gather much the same way the congregation of First United Methodist Church of Seal Beach has done each year on this night for more than a century. And for the past 20- plus years or so, my family has been among them.
Sitting close together on long wooden pews, we listened to the Christmas story, sang hymns and, after taking communion, filed into the adjacent social hall where, one by one, we lit handheld candles in the semidarkness and sang every verse of “Silent Night.”
And as the song drew to a close, we raised the slender white tapers that illuminated the circle of familiar faces and seemed to reflect the simple message of love at the heart and soul of the Christmas spirit.
This year, due to precautionary measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID- 19, the celebration will be virtual. Will it still choke me up the way it does every year? I’m not sure. However, like congregants of myriad churches all over the Southland, I will be logging in online anyway, in front of my own decorations, perhaps with my own candles, Sunday best optional.
“These are the days when we really need to know that we’re loved and cared for and that COVID is not the end- all,” said the Rev. Tia Wildermuth of First United Methodist Church of Seal Beach.
“Christmas Eve is a time to remember that God brought Christ into the world and to celebrate what that means in our lives,” said Wildermuth. “It’s always worth tuning in somewhere to hear the music, the Scriptures again, and open yourself up to the Holy Spirit. ... Amazing things happen when we open ourselves to God.”
In adherence to health and safety pandemic guidelines that caution against gathering in groups and singing in public spaces, many churches will be offering live or prerecorded online programs, while some congregations with large, outside seating areas plan to provide socially distanced, in- person programming.
In an era of unpredictability, double- check dates and times in advance and give yourself a little extra time to log in online.
Here is a short list of services being held next week in the Los Angeles area. If we missed your favorite service, tell us online at latimes. com/ style.
All Saints’, the Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills Christmas Eve holy communion will be livestreamed at 5 p. m. at allsaintsbh. org. ( 310) 275- 0123
Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels Christmas vigil Mass will be held on the cathedral plaza at 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, at 2 p. m. in English and 4 p. m. in English and Spanish, with a limited capacity of 130 people. At 6 p. m., a Mass in English and Spanish will be livestreamed from inside the cathedral and can be attended online at facebook. com/ olacathedral and olacathedral. org. ( 213) 680- 5200
Christ Cathedral Outdoor masses will be held on Christmas Eve at 3 p. m. in English, 5 p. m. in Vietnamese and 7 p. m. in Spanish at 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove. Livestreamed Mass available remotely at christ cathedralcalifornia.org. ( 714) 9712141
Danish Lutheran Church and Cultural Center of Southern California Christmas Eve services will stream live at 11 a. m. via Facebook @ The Danish Lutheran Church and danishchurchsocal.com. ( 714) 9936362
First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles Christmas Eve service will be live from 6 to 8 p. m. online at fame church LA. org. ( 323) 735- 1251
First United Methodist Church of Seal Beach The Christmas Eve candlelight service will livestream at 7 p. m. on Facebook @ First Church of Seal Beach and at firstchurchsealbeach.org. ( 562) 431- 0494
Grace Brethren Church Long Beach Christmas Eve service will be streamed live 5 to 6 p. m. at gracelb.org. ( 562) 595- 6881
Iglesia Presbiteriana Immanuel Presbyterian Church Christmas Eve services in English and Spanish will be livestreamed at 7 p. m. on Facebook @immanuelpres. ( 213) 389- 3191
Mariners Church Christmas Eve services will be held on the campus lawn at 5001 Newport Coast Drive in Ir vine at 10 a. m., noon, 2, 4, 6 and 8 p. m. Reservations are required for the 2, 4 and 6 p. m. services. marinerschurch.org, ( 949) 769- 8100
Pasadena Presbyterian Church A vir tual, prerecorded children’s pageant of the Christmas story will be shown on Facebook and YouTube channels at 4 p. m. The Christmas Eve candlelight service will be livestreamed in English, Spanish and Korean at 5 p. m. To access remote viewing links, go to ppc. net and click on the Livestreaming tab. ( 626) 793- 2191
Peninsula Community Church Christmas Eve services will be livestreamed at 3, 5 and 7 p. m.pccpv.org. ( 310) 377- 4661
Santa Clarita United Methodist Church Traditional Christmas Eve services will be live online at 4 and 7 p. m. at scumc. org and on Facebook @ Santa Clarita United Methodist Church. A Blue Christmas Eve service — for those experiencing diff icult times, recent loss or grief — will be live online at 5: 30 p. m. ( 661) 297- 3783
Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch Christmas Eve services will be streamed live every hour beginning at noon Dec. 24. live. shepherdchurch.com
St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church Christmas Eve Mass will be held at 4 p. m. in the parking lot of the church at 520 E. Orange Grove, Burbank, and shown via livestream at srbburbank.org. ( 818) 846- 3443
West Angeles Church of God in Christ At 7 p. m. on Wednesday, the Christmas candlelight service will stream live at westa. org, or facebook.com/westangelescogic, or the West Angeles Church of God in Christ YouTube channel. ( 323) 733- 8300
Westwood Hills Congregational Church The Christmas Eve service will be live online at 6: 30 p. m. at westwood ucc. org and Facebook @ WestwoodUCC. ( 310) 474- 7327