Memories of Christmas Cantatas
Sunday, July 5, 2009

Part of the beauty and warmth of Christmas to me is attending the annual cantata
at church. I have to admit that I am not a frequent church goer in recent years,
but I am a very spiritual person.

Some of my fondest memories are of this event and I attend one every year.
Sometimes, I go to one at another church.

In my early years, the programs were all musical, featuring a variety of
Christmas carols or hymns about the birth of Christ. These Sunday evening
performances and later Sunday afternoons, were so filled with the Christmas
spirit. I have always wished that I had a wonderful voice, but I was left out in
that department. I still enjoy singing and Christmas songs are among my
favorites.

The magic of the program was made complete by hearing the message of the journey
to Bethlehem and the miracle of the birth of the Christ child to Mary and
Joseph. Something in me always sparked at hearing this wonderful story year
after year.

In more recently years the cantata has been expanded to include the acting out
of the Christmas story. I love this even more. One year, I attended three
different performances of this at area churches. It is a story that is so filled
with wonder and promise.

I remember one year when my daughter, Tracie, and I attended the program at
another church because one of her friend's husband was in the production and
their new born baby was the Christ child. We went to a Sunday afternoon program
and happened to have one of my young nieces and nephews at the house that day.
We took them along and young Caden was so enthralled with the story that he
leaned up on the pew in front of us and rested his chin there throughout the
production. The two of them are just several months apart in age and couldn't
have been more than four or five. I have never seen them sit still and so quiet
for that long. It was a wonderful thing to witness as they experienced this live
story for the first time.

Another Christmas must for me is to visit a live nativity each year at one of
our local churches. There is just something about this outdoor event that brings
chills to me. One year, I was coming home from shopping in Dallas on a Saturday
night and pulled off to get gas in a town along the way. There was a sign about
a live nativity that night. So, my sisters, DD and I followed the signs and sat
in a long line to drive by to witness this event. It was worth the wait and a
perfect ending to our long day.

I love the holidays and enjoy the decor and fun of Santa as much as everyone,
but the true magic of the season comes from this wonderful story of the birth of
our Saviour, Jesus. After all, Jesus, IS the reason for the season.

URL:
http://printersdevil72.blogspot.com/2009/07/memories-of-christmas-cantatas.html