One of the things I love the most about Christmas are the beautiful Christmas programs in the churches. Especially the children's program.

Please share the programs your church had/will have, special music of the choirs. Does your church have special traditions.

Also, what have been some of the best Christmas sermons.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2004

Answers

Rev Rogers,

We had a Thanksgiving Play, which took up a lot of the young people's time. So this year we told the Christmas Story as written in Luke 2 chapter.

It is amazing to me how our young people do not know the traditional Christmas Carols. We learned them in school as well as sang this in church. When I was trying to choose songs for the youth it seems the only traditional song they knew was "Silent Night". So the Kirk Franklin song "Now Behold The Lamb" was sung, as well as "His Name is Jesus". And the primary children sang "Go Tell It On The Mountains", as they passed out candycanes.

I did something different this year. One of our young men, who has the voice of an angel, sang The Lord's Prayer, as one of the young ladies read scripture as pertained to different portions of the song. At the end He sang "The Lord's Prayer" all the way through.

As far as one of my best Christmas sermons, one year my Pastor preached, "The Night That Christ Was Born." He set the atmosphere, and explained the environment around the birth of Jesus Christ.

In Christ, Carmen

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2004

Carmen, thanks for sharing, it sounds like it was wonderful! I hope someone recorded it.

At my second church we had the children do Christmas speeches, and one of our 2 year olds said "I need the microphone to say my part" he was the only child with a microphone and he said his line which was "Hallelujah, it is jesus's birthday!" we just cracked up.

My daughter licentiate Danielle did a lyrical dance, we had a play done by the stewards that was hilarious and ended with the lighting of candles as we sung silent night.

Tomorrow my christmas eve service will be very traditional, with the reading of lots of scripture, singing and a sermon.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2004

At Mother Bethel, we had a wonderful Holiday Musical a couple of weeks ago presented by the Cathedral Choir. Some of their selections were 'Behold Your God,' 'Brazilliam Christmas Carol,' 'Betelehemu,' 'Mary Had A Baby,' 'And the Glory of the Lord,' 'He Shall Feed His Flock,' 'Praise Ye, The Lord Of Hosts' and 'Blessed Is He Who Cometh.' This was our last year with Mark Jenkins our outstanding Minister of Music. We are going to miss him.

Last week, our Sunday School had their annual presentation. It consisted of children saying their Christmas pieces as well as a play. Play participants consisted of both youth and adults. It was absolutely wonderful!

CHRISTMAS IS WONDERFUL! A SEASON OF HOPE AND JOY! TALK ABOUT A CHILD THAT DO LOVE JESUS, HERE IS ONE!!!

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2004

At AME Union, 16th & Jefferson, Phila., Pa. we did "Emmanuel, Celebrating Heaven's".

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2004

In Atlanta we are having a wonderful Christmas this year, which only began on December 25. At Midnight on December 24, I went to Peachtree Christian Church. The Pastor took his text from the Mount of Transfiguration, stating how on Christmas Christ is transfigured for us—the Logos becoming the “Living Word”, who is now preparing a place in heaven for us. As all services in the Christian Church (Diciples of Christ) to which President Lyndon Johnson belonged, This service was a service of Holy Communion as well.

At 6:00 on Christmas Morning, my church along with six other churches came together at Bethlehem United Methodist Church for the 56th Annual Christmas Service of the Southwest Choral Convention of Atlanta, Georgia, whose choir I direct. This year the choir was simply superb. They surpassed all expectations and simply out did themselves. The Associate Minister at Headland Heights UMC, where the service was held on last year, brought the Christmas Message entitled, “Joy to the World”. Each pastor of the six members churches participated in the service at Bethlehem. We had a high time in the Lord, adjoining at 7:30 a.m. for a light breakfast repast.

On Sunday morning at my church, Cobb Bethel A.M.E. Church, we once again began with a high note at Sunday School. At 11:00 a.m., the Pastor outlined an abbreviated service, which was one hour and fifteen minutes long. The Clergy families lit the Christ Candle and distributed the light of this candle to each member of the Congregation as well—symbolic of Christ giving His light to a dark and dreary world; one person at a time and calling us to pass the Light He has given to others, one on one. The Associate Minister brought the message of the day. Again, we had a most wonderful time in the Lord.

Additionally, the pastor reminded us that we had just celebrated the four Weeks of Advent in which individual families lead the Congregation in the Ceremony and Litany of Lighting the Advent Wreath and its candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

Likewise, this year we will celebrate Seasons/Holy Days not holidays. Thus, our celebration of Christmas only began on December 25 and will not end at Cobb Bethel Church until January 6 as the Church intended it to be celebrated since the Fourth Century. This of course will be followed by 6 weeks of Epiphany, Ash Wednesday Service and 6 weeks of Lent, 50 Days of Easter and 20 plus weeks (more than half a year) of Pentecost. My Annual Conference Christian Education Department will follow this schedule as well.

So this year we are well on our way to celebrating Holy Days not holidays—placing Christian Feasts where they rightfully belong in the Church, rather than the world’s one-day holiday observance of them. As Direcor of Christian Education for my Local Church I, for one, am most excited about the Celebration of our Lord which we have planned this Christian Year.

-- Anonymous, December 29, 2004