Christmas Past

I suppose it is too early for Christmas memories, yet there are a few things that come to recollection from Decembers when I was younger.
I remember the cookie making--especially persimmon bars--and wrapping gifts to my dad's holiday records. I remember decorating the Christmas tree with all the ornaments, even the gaudy ones, much to my mother's chagrin, and sitting in the darkened living room on the floor in front of the wall heater with the tree lights on--what a sight!
More than these domestic memories are the memories connected with Advent and church. First there was midweek church services. I cannot recall a time when my parents did not go to midweek services during Advent.
Then there was the preparations for the Christmas concert. The school choir and the adult choir always held a concert at church in mid-December, and the program was nearly always the same. The children's choir and adult choir would alternate and congregational hymns were interspersed throughout. We began with "Prepare the Way" and Advent; we ended with "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night".
School children became part of the choir in 3rd grade. By the time I was in 2nd grade I was familiar with the songs and could not wait to sing with the older kids. Our favorite was a piece called "Tiny King". By the time I was in 8th grade I had lost count of the number of times I had sung the song, but I had moved up to the stage of accompanying the choir. It was a wonderful piece to sing, and an exceedingly fun piece to play.
Congregational members were eligible to sing with the adult choir in 8th grade as well. That year was a busy concert for me--I hardly sat down all night! I thought my last Christmas concert was my senior year of high school, but it turned out that I was able to make it home for one when I was in college, and they still let me sing.
Christmas Eve was the standard children's program. My siblings and I were involved the years we didn't go out of town on Christmas Eve. It was the typical recitation of the Christmas stories and the oldest boy and girl always got to play Mary and Joseph. I will ever remember my father saying, "Remember, speak slowly and distinctly." The children always received the traditional bags of candy and nuts and oranges on Christmas Eve.
Advent, Christmas, and December have changed for me over the years. I still go to church during Advent, but there is no longer a choir concert. I do not have to memorize passages for a Christmas Eve program or get a bag of candy afterwards. All these changes, yet one thing never does: We are still in Advent. We still wait for Christ's coming. We still prepare to celebrate Christ's birth. We still say come, Lord Jesus.