Christmas Day

I walked into the children's Christmas Eve service just as the children were leading the congregation in the last hymn. It was the first Christmas Eve service I have missed, ever.

I did attend Christmas Day services, however, and my hurt feelings about missing Christmas Eve were alleviated because The Rev. used a devotion service of nine reading and nine carols. The nine readings were the traditional Christmas recitations that so many of us know...

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken over the entire Roman world..."

"And an angel appeared to Joseph and said..."

"But Mary treasured up all of these thing and pondered them in her heart..."

You get the picture.

Anyway, some of the children who were in the program the night before dug deep and delivered the congregational recitation with the same gusto and fervor as the previous night. I am sure they did it just for me, and I had to cover my face with my service bulletin because one of the little ones behind me was getting so into it and compounded it by an inability to pronounce the sound of the letter r.

"But Mawy tweasuwed up awl these things and pawndewed dem in hew hawt."

"And and angel of the LAWD appeawed to dem and they were SOWR afwaid."

God Bless them every one.