Fortunately, what we are truly waiting on this Advent season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, which is absolutely worth the wait because we will never be disappointed! Every year we eagerly anticipate his birth and the promise of new life that comes with it. While we certainly fill our time with all of the busy-ness of Christmas and all of the waiting that comes with it, we are so thankful for certain events that remind us exactly what we are getting ready for this season. The Weekday School Christmas Program and the Living Nativity at our church are two special events that help us remember our focus on the Christ child and the simple joys that come with celebrating his humble birth.
Last week was the Christmas program at the Weekday school, which is a wonderful opportunity for the 2-5 year olds to sing in front of adoring parents, grandparents, and other fans and show off their cute Christmas attire and what they've been practing in Chapel for weeks. This year was completely precious, as always! Cade's class sang "Advent is a Time to Wait", "Rudolph", and "What Child is This".
First, they gathered in their class and were amazed that their friends and teachers really do wear nice clothes!
Then, they processed to the Sanctuary, where we were fortunate to sit right behind Cade's class. He switched back and forth between watching the younger kids sing and checking out the cheering section behind him.
Time to sing! The hand signals really put these songs over the top, and I love seeing the kids' "creative interpretations" of each piece!
After the program was over (all 20 minutes of it!), Cade spent some time in the pew with his adoring fans. Thanks to Oma, Nana, and Papa for coming to see him!!
The final highlight was cookies and punch in the lobby. Cade and Garrett were happy to hang out together!
Fortunately, I did not realize until a few days later that this was Cade's LAST Christmas program at the Weekday School, as he will be in kindergarten next year. We are so thankful that he has been able to attend our church school and be influenced by such caring and patient teachers!
Sunday night was our church's Living Nativity. We attended for the first time last year and it is really a spectacular event. This year had the added flair of a surprise thunderstorm, so everything (equipment, people, and animals) were brought into the Annex Sanctuary at the very last minute. Kudos to Cade's hero, Wes Taylor, for orchestrating this transition and a wonderful event!
It was really crowded inside so it was tough to get good pictures. I was glad for the crowd, though, because it meant that a lot of people came to support our youth and see their re-enactment of the Nativity.
Mary and Joseph were the first to arrive.
Then the children's angel choir sang.
Shephards brought in their sheep, goats, and a donkey.
This is when the event livened up a little! The animals were less than excited about being inside, especially since it was thundering and lightening. Things went downhill a little when one of the goats pooped on the floor and the entire angel choir said "Ewww"! But, the show continued and each person received a candle to hold while singing Silent Night. Cade was completely fascinated by his.
Then, each child laid his/her candle next to the manger. This was really precious, and the amazingly loud bleating of the goats and sheep *barely* distracted from the beauty of the moment :)
It was truly a beautiful program and a wonderful start to our Christmas celebrations. Afterwards, we splashed through giant puddles to get to another building for cookies and hot chocolate. Cade and his friend Jace had a contest to see who could make the best smile.
As you wait through this Advent season, please remember the words of this song:
Advent is a time to wait
Not quite time to celebrate
Light the candles one by one
Till the Advent time is done
Christmas day will soon be here
Time for joy and time for cheer
Happy Advent!
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