At about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, the 24th of December, in the year Two Thousand and Seventeen, many, many children and not a few frazzled parents gathered in Lower Farnham Hall to don costumes and pray for remembered blocking and lyrics as the youth of Memorial Church readied themselves for the Christmas pageant. Having spent all of Advent in Sunday School and Children's Chapel learning and rehearsing, it was now go-time. And go they did.

The appreciative crowd of 140+ was treated to the story of the Nativity as narrated by Kate Gorman and performed by as many as 20 children (the final count was beyond the capabilities of this poor reporter. Kids move fast). The children portrayed the roles of Mary and Joseph and angels and animals while singing hymns and carols to flesh out the story of the Word Incarnate. It was a beautiful service and the children did a fabulous job.

At 10:00 the nave rang with the sound of the Memorial Choir as we began the final hours before Christmas. With thirty minutes of music before the service, a candlelight rendition of "Silent Night," "Angels we have heard on high," and "Joy to the world," it was just the sort of traditional service many of us remember from our own childhood. Descants rang, and at just about the stroke of midnight the joyous hundred went "forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit."

If you were unable to attend this year, we hope that this brief recalling of the evening will help you feel like you were there, and we invite you to join us next year.