Today is our annual Sunday School Christmas program. This evening, our Sunday School children and youth, dressed in their Christmas splendor will share the gospel with an affirming group of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, older and younger siblings and many of our church family. They will be wearing nativity costumes as they say their parts. Some of the costumes will be ill-fitting. Shepherds will use their crooks as hockey sticks or light sabers (my personal favorite). The Wise Men's crowns will slip down around their eyes and the angels are certain to trip over their hems as they make their entrance. In short, perfection!
One of the many perks of my ministry is the Christmas Program. This can be a touchy subject among Sunday School teachers and Children's Ministries personnel. All Christmas programs carry with them the unpredictability of working with children who, when in front of a large group of people, will often surprise you. The first year I served at my current church, we had three beautifully dressed little preschool girls who presented us with our first "full contact Christmas program" as they rolled around on the floor after a disagreement. Some children freeze with a "deer in the headlights" look when they realize that there are lots of people sitting in the sanctuary. I always feel their terror as I break out into a sweat and pray that God would provide a miracle, or maybe a fire, to create a diversion and let them exit gracefully.
One of the biggest challenges is a "live" microphone. Kids are attracted to microphones like bees to flowers. They blow into them and, even burp into them. Amplification of these noises spurs them on to more of the same.
Getting the children to speak loudly and slowly can also be a challenge. The same sixth grade boy who screams on the playground for 30 minutes at a time can barely be heard when singing a Christmas song in front of seventy people. Other children, in hopes of finally being able to put their Christmas program behind them for another year, speed through their lines so quickly that it could be "Unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord" or "Come this way and I'll show you a shiny new Ford".
Yet, I look forward to this event every year. No matter what happens during that hour, nothing can dampen the power of the Gospel. The traditional nativity, with 1st and second grade Mary and Joseph, Wise Men with foil wrapped gifts and Shepherds with bathrobes, still brings a tear to my eye. I love their interpretation of the sacred scripture. I love their nervous energy before the program and the looks of relief as notes of the last song fade. I think it's terrific that the Men's Club hands out treat bags with peanuts, candy and fruit after the program and "high-five" the kids as they leave the sanctuary. It's a scene that has played out for years and years, and will continue long after I am gone.
Tomorrow, I will be a little bit sad as I put away the manger for another year and pack away the gifts of the Magi. My mind will replay the program through a glossy filter, forgetting the last minute costume fittings and nervous preschoolers. But I will remember that unto all of us was born that day a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Christmas Preparations
I've been a bit late getting my Christmas preparations done this year. It seemed to have snuck up on me - I was spring cleaning, packing for the Labor Day Retreat, digging out my Halloween decorations, waking up for theBlack Friday shopping frenzy and then it was December. Just that quick! Of course, the retail outlets have had Christmas decorations out since before Halloween, but I'm just getting into the swing of things.
A couple of weeks ago, I said a prayer, took a deep breath and descended into my creepy basement to retrieve the enormous box my Christmas tree resides in and the six rubbermate totes that hold my Christmas decorations. My house is very, very old and my basement is made of stones. The stairway is a bit scant and Lucy, my dog, won't venture down the stars. Now Monster, my Siamese, that's another story. She spends most of her life waiting for the door to the basement to be left open so she can prowl in the crawl space for hours. She emerges covered in cobwebs and happy as a lark. I, however, don't care much for walking into spider webs and avoid going downstairs whenever possible. After fifteen minutes of lifting, climbing and carrying, my decorations are in the laundry room awaiting assembly. Part One - complete!
A few years ago, I bought a seven foot prelit Christmas tree on Black Friday. This was a huge step up from the five foot big-box special I had been using. The assembly is a snap as the branches are on hinges and fold down with ease. I spent half an hour fluffing, scrutinizing, checking for holes and finding an extension cord. I plugged in the tree and .... only half the lights came on. Oh, man. I check for extra fuses and set about trying to pry the cover off and change fuses smaller than a grain of rice. My sister-in-law happened to call about this time and I expressed my unhappiness with this prelit tree. Hesitantly, my sister-in-law asked me if I had all the strings of lights plugged into each other. Well... After another several minutes of rounding up seventeen little strings with plug-ins, all the lights on my tree are lit. Part Two - complete!
On to the decorations. I really like garland. We always had that on the tree when I was little and it brings back memories of Christmases past. Unwrapping the ornaments took me down another nostalgic trail. My tree is topped with a crown of thorns to help keep the focus on Christ and an angel.
I bought a new tree skirt on clearance last year and, after spending 15 minutes freeing it from it's packaging, laid it under the tree. It's made out of a nylon-type of fabric and has red glitter adorning it. Monster took an instant liking to this tree skirt and has spent many happy hours wrapped up in the fabric glaring out at the world since the tree has been up. Every so often she will leave her hiding spot to jump out at the dog as Lucy ambles by admiring herself in the shiny bulbs. Now Lucy won't go near the tree. I guess there is a silver lining to every cloud.
The rest of the house is also given a liberal dose of Christmas spirit. I don't have a great eye for decorating, but I enjoy seeing all of my pretty Christmas hung, even for just a month. Several years ago, shortly after I joined the staff at the church, I bought a nativity scene made for little hands. It's made of a virtually indestructible rubber and children can play with the figures and rearrange the manger scene for hours.
At the end of the decorating evening, I turned off the living room lamps and enjoyed the Christmas tree lights. This is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. The quiet, serene moments to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas - a baby in a manger. Those long winter evenings curled under a blanket watching a Christmas movie makes you thankful you don't live in a place where you need the air conditioning to get through Christmas dinner. I take advantage of these moments as often as I can. Soon enough it'll be Epiphany and the tree will be packed up and schlepped back downstairs for another year. Until then, with the dog at my feet and the cat under the tree, I'll prepare my heart for Christmas.
A couple of weeks ago, I said a prayer, took a deep breath and descended into my creepy basement to retrieve the enormous box my Christmas tree resides in and the six rubbermate totes that hold my Christmas decorations. My house is very, very old and my basement is made of stones. The stairway is a bit scant and Lucy, my dog, won't venture down the stars. Now Monster, my Siamese, that's another story. She spends most of her life waiting for the door to the basement to be left open so she can prowl in the crawl space for hours. She emerges covered in cobwebs and happy as a lark. I, however, don't care much for walking into spider webs and avoid going downstairs whenever possible. After fifteen minutes of lifting, climbing and carrying, my decorations are in the laundry room awaiting assembly. Part One - complete!
A few years ago, I bought a seven foot prelit Christmas tree on Black Friday. This was a huge step up from the five foot big-box special I had been using. The assembly is a snap as the branches are on hinges and fold down with ease. I spent half an hour fluffing, scrutinizing, checking for holes and finding an extension cord. I plugged in the tree and .... only half the lights came on. Oh, man. I check for extra fuses and set about trying to pry the cover off and change fuses smaller than a grain of rice. My sister-in-law happened to call about this time and I expressed my unhappiness with this prelit tree. Hesitantly, my sister-in-law asked me if I had all the strings of lights plugged into each other. Well... After another several minutes of rounding up seventeen little strings with plug-ins, all the lights on my tree are lit. Part Two - complete!
On to the decorations. I really like garland. We always had that on the tree when I was little and it brings back memories of Christmases past. Unwrapping the ornaments took me down another nostalgic trail. My tree is topped with a crown of thorns to help keep the focus on Christ and an angel.
I bought a new tree skirt on clearance last year and, after spending 15 minutes freeing it from it's packaging, laid it under the tree. It's made out of a nylon-type of fabric and has red glitter adorning it. Monster took an instant liking to this tree skirt and has spent many happy hours wrapped up in the fabric glaring out at the world since the tree has been up. Every so often she will leave her hiding spot to jump out at the dog as Lucy ambles by admiring herself in the shiny bulbs. Now Lucy won't go near the tree. I guess there is a silver lining to every cloud.
The rest of the house is also given a liberal dose of Christmas spirit. I don't have a great eye for decorating, but I enjoy seeing all of my pretty Christmas hung, even for just a month. Several years ago, shortly after I joined the staff at the church, I bought a nativity scene made for little hands. It's made of a virtually indestructible rubber and children can play with the figures and rearrange the manger scene for hours.
At the end of the decorating evening, I turned off the living room lamps and enjoyed the Christmas tree lights. This is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. The quiet, serene moments to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas - a baby in a manger. Those long winter evenings curled under a blanket watching a Christmas movie makes you thankful you don't live in a place where you need the air conditioning to get through Christmas dinner. I take advantage of these moments as often as I can. Soon enough it'll be Epiphany and the tree will be packed up and schlepped back downstairs for another year. Until then, with the dog at my feet and the cat under the tree, I'll prepare my heart for Christmas.
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