Yawning Angels and Sheep That Go Baa

One of the most joyful things for me about the Christmas season is our church's annual pageant performed by the children and youth.  Yesterday was such a pageant.  The talented kids, inspired, mentored and coached by gifted adults, told the Biblical Christmas story through Scripture, song, poetry, narration and acting.  Everyone involved did a wonderful job.  The packed church was filled with proud parents and grandparents, many of whom had digital still and video cameras in hand.  Those of us in the back pews craned our necks to make sure that we didn't miss any of the action, especially among the youngest and shortest of the pageant's stars.  There were tiny, little girls dressed as angels, complete with garland halos (at least one little angel was caught yawning during the performance).  There were little boys dressed as precious little sheep.  Each knew his line well ("baa").  Slightly taller boys adorned long black and gray beards to be shepherds and even taller boys carried gold-wrapped boxes and silver vessels as the three kings.  Mary and Joseph were reverent and the angel Gabriel was portrayed with elegance.  No single performer outshone the other.  They performed as an ensemble and together, told the Christmas story with eloquence.  I thank them for sharing their abundant talents to tell us once again that important story of Love. 

The Mouths of Babes

There is almost nothing as delightful to me at Christmastime as watching a children's concert or program.  I love the earnestness and exuberance.  This morning, the youth and children of our church presented a Christmas pageant.  Everyone was well-rehearsed, all the way down to the littlest lamb. Their high, sweet voices carried throughout the church's sanctuary as light as air.  Of course, there were some moments that were so cute that one had to chuckle, such as when the littlest of the angels had to have her halo pushed back onto her head instead of over her eyes.  There were also moments that nearly brought one to tears, including the beautiful singing of the young shepherd.  Watching this morning's program reminded the adults in the congregation that Christmas is so much more than gift buying, party going, card sending and cookie baking. It is the beautiful, timeless story of Christmas as told by the youngest among us.