christchurch2007

The cast of this year's Christ Church Christmas Pageant did a wonderful job of telling the story of Jesus' birth. The pageant was held on Sunday, December 17, 2006 at 4 PM (Advent III). Thank you!

And now, here is an account from The Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton of her parish's pageant this year. Elizabeth is the rector of the Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street, Chatham, NJ 07928. Sounds like a great community!

The 'Not-Yet-Ready-For-Prime-Time' Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Amidst all the clamor and squalor, of wars and rumors of wars in the world
and in the Church, of congregations disaffecting from The Episcopal Church,
preferring to be under the stern direction and ironclad governance of the
Archbishop of Nigeria, life goes on anyway in the community of faith.

Meanwhile, in Chatham, NJ, over 250 people enjoyed . . . .

. . .The 'Not-Yet-Ready-for-Prime-Time' Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Ask any pastor with the courage to give an honest answer: The coordination of
the Annual Christmas Pageant is a task best assigned to curates, the newly
ordained and/or members of the congregation with an indomitable spirit,
invincible determination and the unmitigated chutzpah known primarily (although not
exclusively) by the young and inexperienced.

“Organized chaos” is a term too mild to be applicable.

Sunday's pageant at St. Paul's, however, was not like your ordinary Christmas
Pageant. It's more like a tableau by Rembrandt.

There is only one speaking part: The Narrator – which is shared by three
children. There are, however, lots and lots and LOTS of parts for kids to play:
Angels, Stars, Sheep, Cows, Donkeys, Camels and Horses; Roosters, Chickens, and
Ducks. This year we even had a Frog and a puppet Mouse who kept squeaking
whenever one of the narrators spoke.

There are, of course, Shepherds in striped bath robes, three Wise Men with
long beards of cotton held on by an elastic around their heads, Mary, all
wrapped up in a blue sheet, Joseph, looking suspiciously like one of the Shepherds,
and the Infant Jesus, this year, played by an infant girl I recently baptized.

(Well, we do know why there's a pink candle in the Advent wreath – because
Mary really wanted a girl!)

At the appointed time announced by the Narrator, the appropriate characters
come forward and take their place in the tableau in front of the altar. That's
it. All they have to do is make an entrance on cue.

It's brilliant, really. No lines to memorize. No undue stress during the
already stressful holiday season. Just a few rehearsals and lots of coaching from
the sidelines and you're home free.

Well, that is if the cow doesn't bellow because the horse stepped on her foot
and one of the angels doesn't announce in a very loud whisper that she has to
go potty – RIGHT NOW!

The play is accompanied by the Youth Choir and a hearty band of Church
Minstrels: five violists and one cello, a French horn, a bassoon, three flutists,
four clarinets, one trombone, one trumpet, one tenor sax and, of course, a
piano.

The sound is not exactly heavenly, except upon the ears of the parents and
very proud grandparents who have the uncanny ability to hear only their child's
instrument, anyway.

I'm sad to note that there were no guitars this year. I sort of liked last
year's version of ‘Silent Night.’ It was performed by several young adolescent
men with extraordinarily high levels of testosterone, matched only by the
length of their hair that mostly covered their eyes.

They strummed away, guitar resting on a hip thrust out just so.

‘Posers,’ the girls called them.

It was ‘Silent Night’ as it has never before been played. With attitude.
Tons of attitude. Just the way I suspect the Teen Jesus would have loved it.

Second only to this experience is the Children's Sermon at Christmas Eve,
wherein the pastor sits on the chancel steps, surrounded by children who would
much rather be at home, shaking and jiggling the Christmas presents to guess the
contents, or snitching one more piece of candy off the plate left out for
company.

One of my clergy friends described this experience as akin to diving into a
bucket of live bait.

Last year, the children helped me put the creche together, identifying the
different characters as I told the Nativity story. They correctly guessed the
names of two of the three wise men, Melchior and Balthazar, but got stumped on
the third.

Just as I was about to reveal the name, one of the children excitedly raised
his hand. “I know, I know!” he said.

“It was Eisenhower!”

You have to give the young child credit. It does go better than ‘Caspar.’

Organized chaos.

I imagine that's exactly what the First Noel was like.

An indomitable spirit, invincible determination and the unmitigated chutzpah
known primarily (although not exclusively) by the young and inexperienced.

Feeling awkward and vulnerable but surrounded by those who love you
unconditionally and are rooting for you to do well.

Making your entrance on cue.

Everyone having a part to play – no matter how small – in the unfolding
drama of God's incarnation.

Listening for the holy amidst the cacophony of human life.

Come to think of it, life doesn't get much better than that! For that matter,
neither does church.

May your Christmas be filled with unexpected but long-awaited joy and delight!

Blessings,
the Rev'd Elizabeth Kaeton

The Episcopal Church of St. Paul
200 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928