Jill's Journal: The church Christmas program

I grew up in the Lutheran faith, and I’m still following that path.

At this time of year, there was one Saturday afternoon activity that was a staple throughout the month of December: Rehearsing for the church Christmas program.

At St. Paul’s, our children’s Christmas program was always presented on Christmas Eve, and Myrna. the long-time children’s choir director, led the charge. God only knows how she did it, but she always took her idea on paper and made it come to fruition in what I know look back on as “some pretty good Christmas story programs.

Last month, as our extended family gathered for my mom’s funeral, cousin Linda brought up Christmas Eve and that fact that the “Meier’s we’re always the last of the Schultz clan to arrive at our grandparent’s home.”

And we were.

Every year.

Without fail.

And they all understood.

Every year.

Without fail.

But once we arrived, Christmas was in full swing at Grandma and Grandpa Schultz’s home. And despite the addition of their sun room, where we gathered for songs and gift opening – one at a time, youngest to oldest – there was a place for everyone of us. 

Our Christmas celebrations went late into the night, and with her over-sized dining room table filled with holiday goodies from one end to the other – including Aunt Darlene’s mouth-watering cinnamon rolls – no one told you to keep your hand out of the cookie jar. It was kid’s true delight.

There’s one memory from our Christmas Eve program at church that’s forever in my memory, and that’s the processional hymn we sang every year, “O Come All Ye Faithful.” No matter what new lines or songs we had memorized over the weeks of our Saturday afternoon rehearsals, “O Come All Ye Faithful” was a staple of every program.

We sang that song in church last week. My voice trembled through those first bars of the song and a few tears lined my eyes as I thought about the years of parading down the center aisle as we came into the church. Despite my momentary emotions, I was smiling inside.

Finding Brandon’s Christmas Spirit 2.0

That’s right, we hid a second ornament, and just like the first, it took just one clue for some clever folks to find.

For those who went out on the hunt, it was tucked under the stone memorial at Aspen Park that recognizes the BV Optimist Club’s work on helping to develop the ball diamonds there 30 years ago.

I figured with the first clue that we provided that it would be an “old-timer” in the community that would have the advantage. And lo and behold, I was correct.

On Friday, our good friend Jo Murren dialed up the Brandon Valley Journal to announce that she – her husband John, sister Kathy Dellman and brother-in-law, Dan – put their minds to work to determine where they’d find the second ornament.

They went out in the dark, Jo told me, with flashlights on Thursday evening – fortunately before the near foot of snow blanketed us the next day – to pluck it from its hiding space.

Their reward is $100 in cold Christmas cash.

Jo tells me they’re putting it to good use: They’re going to buy prime rib for their holiday dinner.

I’ll be waiting for the invite – or at the very least – leftovers.

Congratulations, to this clever foursome!

And that’s a wrap on “Finding Brandon’s Christmas Spirit” for this year.