By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL / Staff Writer

Trinity Episcopal Church and Resurrection Catholic Church are teaming up to host a joint Service of Lessons and Carols at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Clanton.

“It’s kind of the big Christmas presentation that’s for both churches for the adult choirs,” Walter Hayden, organist for both churches, said.

Admission is free.

Hayden said the service is typically one hour long, and will be followed by a reception.

“The joint choirs of Trinity and Resurrection have been joining together for over 10 years to put on this service,” Hayden said, “and this year will debut the Trinity Bell Ringers, the hand bell choir made up of Trinity members and friends from other churches.”

The Service of Lessons and Carols is traditionally a Christmas Eve service in which nine lessons regarding the timeline of Christ in the Bible, from creation to his birth and life on earth, are read and accompanied by songs pertaining to the stories and topics presented.

Hayden said the tradition began at King’s College in Cambridge, England during World War I.

Trinity Episcopal and Resurrection Catholic priests agreed to hold the service prior to Christmas Eve, celebrating Christmas earlier with other denominations’ traditions, according to Hayden.

“Because it wouldn’t be any fun to wait until after everybody else was finished with their Christmas stuff, and then have ours,” Hayden explained.

Hayden said both churches will continue to celebrate the birth of Christ for several weeks following the event.

Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 503 Second Avenue South.