By Staff
"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" I certainly agree-Christmas is filled with sights, sounds, smells and wonderment. It's a time when all of us can become children again -even in our advanced years -and experience the enchantment of sparkling trees, giant snow men (and women), jolly fat men dressed in red velvet accented with white (fake) fur, presents, jingle bells, strolling carolers and Christmas programs. Lots of Christmas programs!
I recall the year when (BC -before children) we decorated our tree with gold balls and red cardinals.
Charlie, our Siamese cat, decided to attack the birds, one by one. One by one, the "dead" cardinals were plucked from the tree, pulled apart and deposited at our bedroom door.
During his last assault upon the birds, the tree fell and needles sprayed all over the floor.
We "buried" the birds and bought another tree. This time we wired it to the wall and omitted all bird ornaments!
Programs – ah, wonderful programs! I recall a program when the kindergarten children at church were reciting a group poem about the Christmas star.
Each child carried a letter that spelled "O STAR." Backstage the little ones reversed their order and came out on stage, proudly spelling, "O RATS."
And then, one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories was told by my old friend, Dr. Don Mulvihill. He recalled the time at his Presbyterian Church when a "bathrobe" production of the Christmas story was presented on Christmas Eve.
"Bathrobe" productions always dressed shepherds, wise men and St. Joseph in old bathrobes. In this particular production, a young boy was assigned the role of the innkeeper. The lad was most distressed that his assignment was to turn Joseph and Mary away. During every rehearsal he balked at saying, "There is no room in the inn." On the night of the presentation, he positioned himself behind the door to the inn. Joseph and Mary trudged to the inn; Joseph knocked on the door. After a dramatic pause, the innkeeper opened the door. Joseph pled, "Please, kind sir, do you have room for us? My wife is with child and she is almost ready to deliver." With a sorrowful sigh the innkeeper confessed, "I'm so sorry, sir. I have no room in my inn. But would you like to come in for cocktails and happy hour?" That brought the audience to unleashed laughter and the production ended.
And then there was the time when I was on staff at First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo. The Christmas Eve service was a "high church" affair; we had rehearsed for weeks. In the middle of the lavish service the children's choir was angelically singing "Away in a Manger," when one of the little boys decided to stick the electric candle up his nose. Wow! It actually glowed!
Christmas brings out the best in us – even the best of our mistakes and humor. And somehow I believe that Christmas is more real when we allow ourselves to be ourselves, even with all our blunders and fumbles. "Dead cardinals." "O RATS." "Cocktails and happy hour." "Shiny noses." It's all part of the spirit of Christmas. I think the Christ Child approves.