Nativities, Pageants, and Joy

Dressed as baseball players, super heros, and ballerinas, 40 or so giggling, wiggling children gathered at my feet my first Sunday, Halloween, at the Congregational Church in Exeter, UCC. Little did I know then how prophetic these costumed children would be of my first two months in Exeter. The next week as I read through the church newsletter, I discovered that this church puts on a live nativity at the beginning of December and a pageant/worship service on Christmas Eve. When I asked who was in charge of such things, I received the simple answer: "well, you, of course." Of course, I thought. The shy girl, who avoided pageants, plays and dramas like the plague as a child, will now organize and direct them.

As I made cold calls to families I had not met, asking for angels, shepherds, and kings, I could not help thinking, this must be what they meant in the job description when they wrote: "and other tasks as assigned." Yet when all crises had been averted: a lost baby Jesus found, a biting donkey given more space, and cold children filled with hot chocolate, I looked at the proud, happy face of our teenage Mary and listened to the squeals of town children dragging their parents to pet the nativity sheep and goats, and thought this was a success. When the donkey was loaded in the truck, the hay bales and stable removed, and baby Jesus stored carefully where we would not lose him again, I walked through the big, red doors of the church we now call home, accepted a generous bowl of chili from a woman in the kitchen, and sat to listen to Julie and the bell choir play their last Christmas set. I smiled as I took in the festive spirit and said a little prayer of thanks for our quirky, new church community.

Afterward, Julie I walked around this little, Norman Rockwell town of Exeter, NH, taking in the freshly lit Christmas decorations, watching children wrapped in lines around the bandstand to see Santa, and waving to the families piling into town hall to see the brightly decorated trees. Julie's mittened hand grabbed hold of my arm, we looked at each other, and big smiles crossed both of our face. That night we returned to our apartment where our own little tree, filling half our living room, stood lit and emanating Christmas cheer. We made some tea, turned our TV to the crackling, glowing yule log channel provided by Comcast this time of year, and sat snuggled on our new couch, recounting the evening's events.

With the next big project on the horizon, the Christmas pageant, I can feel my stress levels rising, as I am sure my patient wife can as well. I keep trying to remind myself, however, that come Christmas Eve when the costumes and props are all put away, I will feel much the same as I did that early December night following the live nativity: filled with a deep, peaceful awareness of the joy, the hope, the light, and the love Christ brings into this season. I will sit snuggled up with the love of my life next to our Christmas tree in our new, little place, so grateful for the ways God has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination, and prayerful for those who do not feel so blessed this Christmas season, but who are held in God's love nonetheless.

"...in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it." - John 1:4-5 (The last line of this year's pageant)