Memories of Christmas Cantatas

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.