You think about it for months, then worry about it for weeks, then push yourself for days, and then it's gone. I feel sorry for those people who don't have any church connections. For them it must seem to be much ado about nothing the day after the fact.
For us, December 26 is St. Stephen's day; the first Christian martyr. To quote from the "Forward Day By Day": "Christians in the West, for the most part, have the luxury of finding their faith easy to bear; some even find it easy to ignore. Christians in the Sudan, China, East Timor, and Coptics in Egypt face intense persecution for their faith, even death. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ."
This year, with 4 services to work at in two days, the "reason for the season" was more vivid for me than it has been since Lyra was born. I remember being teary-eyed her first Christmas, because I could relate to Mary in a way I couldn't before I had a child. This year, I found those same tears springing to my eyes watching the little "sheep", the young Mary, the tall, gentle "Angel of God" (who is one of my High School students in the Christian Education class), and all the other eager and earnest actors and readers in the pageant. And God Bless all those hardworking adults who helped make it happen.
And Mrs. Priest's rendition of Befana, the Christmas Witch, at the 5 o'clock family service on Christmas Eve, was beautifully done and had the congregation, very young to very old, spellbound. She, in her quiet way, has great talent and power in telling our wonderful stories in a way that everyone understands.
But the climactic service was "Midnight Mass": the brass trio, the duet by two of our young girls, the duet shared between a cultured soprano and another of our young girls, where the soprano held in her powerful voice so that she didn't overshadow the girl's sweet sound, the piano-organ duet by our young organ scholar and our used-to-be crabby organist (and their "echo" duet later, with the youngster on the little pipe organ and the organist on the big church organ), the packed church, the beloved carols, the familiar readings, the aisle candles flickering, the sweet fragrance of the incense, and finally the joy of the eucharist. The herald brass and the triumphantful recessional with full swell on the organ and the brass resounding in the gothic arches, followed by "Silent Night, sung softly and reverently on our knees; it was all a fitting way to celebrate the birth of our Lord.
Christmas Day, after all that pomp and circumstance, a very tired young mom/priest, showed up at church, and this very tired old Lector/Acolyte and she provided yet another celebration for a small handfull of people. DB pitched in and ushered. One of our elderly ladies was joined by her family. A sometime visitor who stops in for church whenever she is in town, and a older couple who is very faithful, made up the rest of the congregation with DB. Mrs. Priest and I work like a smooth team, after spending nearly a year together. In some ways, this service was the best of all; a quiet, intimate, joyful remembrance with family.
DB and I left immediately after the clean-up for Lyra's. This beautiful daughter of ours is a wonderful hostess and homemaker. I'm not sure how she does it and can make it look so easy. She works so hard at her teaching job, how she has anything left over to provide a delicious meal for 14 people, I can not imagine. Granted, Jackson is as helpful as he can be, and her kids are wonderful...they all work together like a well-trained team. But it is Lyra who is the heart of it.
We stayed overnight, and I refueled with some "quality time" with my daughter. I need this far more often that I can get it, with our mutually busy lives. So I cherish every minute I do get.
DB and I went out to dinner when we got home, then telephoned our sons. All in all, it was one of the best Christmases I've ever had.
Life is good; thank you, Lord. Amen
9:44 PM
It's past my bedtime, but I want to see if I can get an entry posted on the temperamental Angelfire tonight. I'll try to upload a couple times, and if it doesn't work, I'm giving up on Angelfire.
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