The location: My childhood Lutheran church in central Indiana
The characters: My sister and I, and all the other students in our school from K-8
The occasion: Our yearly Christmas program
Every year, for my entire grade school experience, our school would gather in the sanctuary to practice our Christmas program. Don't worry - we didn't come to the rehearsal unprepared. . .in our individual classrooms, for weeks beforehand, we had been learning and memorizing our parts. Each class was to "choral read" (that phrase was always strange to me as a child) a portion of the Luke narrative (see below - we always used the KJV translation), and also sing various Christmas and Advent hymns. Everything was memorized in my recollection: large chunks of Luke 2 and several stanzas of all the hymns.
In my memory, the program was wonderful. The entire school sat in the first many rows of the church, and the parents, grandparents, and other congregants sat behind us. While the older kids spoke from the lectern, we all sat patiently in our seats. Until -- it was our class's turn to speak. When that special moment came, we all stood, turned around and faced the adults, and chorally recited our portion of the Luke 2 story. When we finished, we sat down and the program continued. Interspersed throughout the program were hymn stanzas. One in particular stands out in my mind - From Heaven Above to Earth I Come . . .we sang alternating stanzas from each side of the church.
When I was younger, the older kids were to be revered; looked up to. They had extra speaking parts from the lectern at the front, and generally seemed to have the program well in hand. As I got older, those special jobs fell to my class. I remember having some lines from the lectern in about 7th grade, and specifically putting on Vaseline lip gloss so my lips would shine while I was reading (perhaps a little too self-focused that year!). Another year, I remember sitting in the pew, waiting with my class for our turn to speak during rehearsal, and playing with a little shark tooth necklace I had. I must have been told to put it away and disobeyed, because my teacher took it away from me until after the practice. After the program every year, we would go to our classroom to pick up our coats and belongings, and often, our teachers would give us a little Christmas gift. Those moments, post-program, in our classroom are vivid in my memory -- everyone was so excited for Christmas!
The annual Christmas Program created so many memories for me. A sense of belonging, excitement, sparkling lips, fancy dresses (with hose and heels as I got older) and a feeling of pride in our telling of the Christmas Story. But what is most etched in my mind is the actual words we spoke. Because we memorized everything year after year, I can recite, almost verbatim, the KJV Luke 2 story. I also know many, many hymn verses by heart as well.
My youngest daughter and I have an Advent countdown chain on the refrigerator. It is a telling of the Christmas story. Each day, she reads the verse on the chain link to me. As we began, I was delighted to hear her read the KJV verses aloud. I quickly join in each day, with phrases such as "went out a decree from Caesar Augustus" and "his espoused wife" and "sore afraid", each snippet of the story taking me back to those early days of hearing the story over and over.
I am so thankful for the foundation that annual Christmas Program gave to me and all my classmates. I imagine many of them can recall the sacred story of Christ's birth as well, largely in part to our learning it in our Lutheran grade school. And, in turn, I am ever grateful that my own children are being given this foundation as well -- both at home and at school.
"Glory to God in the highest, and earth peace, goodwill toward men."
Luke 2: 1-19 KJV
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
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