Christmas “Miracle” I
Sunday, Dec. 20th, I sat at my desk at 8:00 a.m. and phoned several church leaders with what seemed like an obvious question, in light of the blizzard that dumped 12” of snow the previous night: should we postpone the Christmas Play? Was it safe or prudent to expect people, especially those who live in distant locations, to travel in such weather? The consensus was unanimous to go ahead with the day as planned. Certainly not everybody would be able to get here, we assumed, but whoever did not make it would be filled in for by other actors or by the director.
Everyone - every single cast member, down to the last sheep and cow - made it (on a day when many Lutheran churches cancelled services altogether). Every word of the script, taken directly from the Bible, was proclaimed, sometimes loudly, sometimes timidly, always faithfully (and we heard it all, thanks to David Dumais’ additions to our sound system). 131(!) people were in church, including the Rikalas driving in from the Bronx, and Katherine Anderson’s parents who drove down from Woodstock that morning.
We had a magnificent day of worship - the gospel was proclaimed in director Kathleen Axen’s script, the angels and stars danced in the Spirit (guided by Jennifer Medina’s choreography), the songs and hymns rang out (Mary Fasano’s music direction was instrumental), each child looked grand in Mary Sue Lindley’s costumes. Emma Vizzini supported everything behind the scenes.
Following worship, coffee hour lasted an hour-and-a-half. Children of all ages talked about their favorite moment, as actor or audience. The table raising money for ELCA Global Barnyard took in more than $1000!
Each day as your pastor is a blessing. Some shine especially brightly. I hope this modest Christmas “miracle” story brings a bit of light to all who read it.
Christmas “Miracle” II
Just as we were about to go to print, we received a note from Fred Pils, a longtime member who has been largely house-bound for several years. He writes: “I am now living in Washington, Missouri. I am good, but my leg is not. I miss St. John-St. Matthew-Emanuel, and I miss Brooklyn. Here is a check for the Capital Campaign celebrating 150 years. God bless and love, Fred W. Pils.” Mr. Pils’ single check increased our campaign total by almost 10%! If you would like to send Mr. Pils a note to let him know his generous gift is appreciated, and he is in our prayers, call the office, and I’ll be happy to give you his address.
Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Blessed New Year!
- Pastor Parsons
