We did not hold Christmas Eve services in our small church. Instead, members of our congregation were encouraged to attend Christmas Eve services in other churches around the community. A few years ago, as I read through the church listings for times and places for Christmas Eve services, I came across the following notice:
“_______ Church will hold two Christmas Eve services on December 24 in the sanctuary.
5:00 P.M. ——-Children’s Christmas Pageant
9:00 P.M. ——-Candle Light Service and Chorale
(Note: Be aware that due to the number of small children present, the 5:00 P.M. service may be noisy and chaotic. If you are looking for quiet contemplation, you may want to choose the 9:00 P.M. service.)”
I burst out laughing when I read the note. Oh yes! What wonderful wild Christmas pageants we had at the church in the town where our sons grew up!
As a Sunday school teacher for the four and five-year-olds, I was responsible for the “animals” that would gather at the manger. Six little lambs and a couple of equally small donkeys may seem manageable to an outsider, but then what did I know when I agreed to take on this seemingly small task?
One year, another equally naïve mother and I were asked to not only shepherd the sheep, but make their costumes as well. We decided to keep them simple to make, and easy to wear. Secured by hairpins and clips, one long narrow strip of black felt would drape over the top of the head; the tapered ends dangling on either side would be the ears. We then glued a handful of cotton balls to the strip on top of the head to produce the woolly look. Surely these would last long enough for the little lambs to crawl around and “b-a-a-a” at the appropriate time without the encumbrance of more costuming.
What we had not counted on, however, was the discovery by the little lambs that their cotton balls came off easily and, when tossed, could be counted on to annoy Joseph and the Inn Keeper.
That was also the year that one of my little lambs somersaulted into Mary during the singing of Silent Night. And, as I remember, that may have been one of the tamer years!
Anyway, there was no question as to which of the two services I preferred. When I imagine the first Christmas, with the noisy crowds of people and animals, pushing and jostling into one another, pressing into that little town of Bethlehem, I don’t picture a “silent night” at all. In fact, the cry of a baby during a Christmas Eve service is not a disruptive sound, but music to my ears. After all, wasn’t that how the first Christmas began?