I can't believe that Wife and I just celebrated our 10th Christmas in New York City. Ten years ago, we were newlyweds, living in a studio in Greenwich Village, enjoying our "brief excursion" in Manhattan while I finished my formal education at NYU. On Christmas Eve of 2007, we wanted to attend a Christmas Eve church service, but our church wasn't having one. Wife and I searched for a church in the City that had a Christmas Eve service, which was surprisingly difficult, but we finally found one that we wanted to attend. Attending that church's Christmas Eve service, and following the service with a walk down Fifth Avenue to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree, has become an annual tradition that we have followed for the last 10 years.
The service is very well-done, with probably in excess of 500 church-goers attending the service. It is a family event, with parents encouraged to have their children sit with them. Announcements are always made reminding us that this is a family service, and that loud children are a welcome aspect of the service's tradition. The service always includes singing Christmas carols, reading the Christmas story and a message from the pastor. Everyone is given a candle, and the service always ends with the lights in the building shutting off, the candles being lit, and the congregation singing Silent Night together.
This year, the pastor decided to do something that they haven't done in several years (at least since we have had children that were not infants) - the associate pastor who gave the message this year invited all the children to come on stage and listen while he gave the sermon. The associate pastor seems like a fine gentleman, but public speaking is not his primary responsibility and he looked a bit nervous and stiff. Enter our little girls on stage with him.
Well, let's just say that we had one child who sat like a perfect angel and listened attentively through the the whole message. I'll call this child, Child A. The other child...well...while she wasn't "bad" per se, she may cause the pastor to rethinking inviting children onto the stage with him. I'll call this child, Child B.
Child B doesn't have a shy bone in her body. She will say anything to anyone at any time. Usually, it's appreciated ("Hey, lady, I like your dress. It's so beautiful" or "Sir, your dog looks very nice. Can I pet him?" or "Thank you Mr. Police Officer for keeping us safe"). Other times it causes us some consternation ("Hey, man, you have a lot of wrinkles. Are you a grandpa?" or "Hey, Dad, something smells really bad on the elevator. I think it's that man right there").
Child B demonstrated her outgoing nature on the stage on Christmas Eve. Child B is pretty good at following instructions. If the pastor had given instructions, such as "Everyone sit down, and put your hands on your lap and don't talk while I use you as my props," I'm pretty sure Child B would have happily complied. But no such instructions were given. The pastor just started talking...to the children...and at least one of those children interpreted this as an opportunity for an interactive discussion.
As soon as the children came up, the pastor started talking, and, unfortunately, his talk involved quite a lot of rhetorical questions, which Child B insisted on answering. If you know Child B, you know that she refuses to be ignored. She'll start with her hand in the air. Then she'll jump up and down with her hand in the air. Then she'll just say what's on her mind. Then she'll say it louder. And louder. And louder. This will continue until she is acknowledged. A couple of times she had to get right up to the pastor's face before he was willing to acknowledge her.
Some questions were not rhetorical and really were directed at the children. For example, the pastor held up a manger from a nativity scene and asked the children what it was. Child B jumped to her feet and announced, "Baby Jesus' bed!" The pastor said that wasn't correct, which infuriated Child B. He was looking for the answer "a feeding trough for animals." No, Child B insisted. They are both right. So, she loudly told the Christmas story of Jesus being born and put in a manger BECAUSE IT WAS HIS BED. "Jesus was born and they put him in a manger to sleep, so it WAS SO his BED, pastor man."
The pastor told the children how wise men came from the East, and he asked them, "Does anyone know which direction is east?' Child B raised her hand and jumped to her feet again (I'll be honest, she was on her feet more than she was sitting). The pastor called on her and asked her which direction is east. Child B, without missing a beat, immediately turned to the audience and yelled, "Hey, Mom, Dad...which way is east???" The crowd roared.
Throughout the message, Wife and I desperately motioned for Child B to sit down and be quiet. When Child B could make us out in the large crowd with the bright stage lights in her eyes, she gave us a huge smile and a big thumbs up. This caused the entire congregation to roar with laughter, some to the point of tears. And Wife and I to slink lower in the pew.
And all the while, Child A sat quietly and motionless, listening intently - with a few notable exceptions of when Child A pleaded with Child B to just sit down next to her and be quiet.
So, it's been a good run attending Christmas Eve services at this church for the last 10 years. We'll see if we can show our face there next year. Or if they will let us in the doors.
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