(My Micah looking like he'd rather be at home)I would really like to post something especially nice about my children's Sunday School Christmas program. I really would. But I don't know if I can.
No, it's not that I don't think that the performances were poor, the lighting was bad, or there was loud feedback right when it was Jane's turn to sing a solo. I think it's quite a bit deeper than that. And by deeper, I don't mean that I am thinking on a higher level of intelligence than anyone else. What I am saying is that, just like the tired concept of groups calling door to door or on the phone to collect for local charities, the insistance on the subjecting an entire group of 100 hot, itchy and sleepy children to sit through and present an hour long program at Christmas time, is tired. Notice I didn't say stupid, or rediculous, or idiotic. I said tired. The concept of going to the community to ask for help by contributing food and clothes is a great idea, but have you noticed how tired people have become of the same old thing every giving season? The collection hampers are less full than they ever have been and the ones doing the collecting have to come up with newer ideas to stimulate giving every year.
Most of the kids are bored and completely tired of these programs, except the ones who are prominantly featured. The writers of these productions do their best to keep to the original text and yet bring the story home with a relevant focus. Like how the baby Jesus would like a lame soccer player as much as a star. Or how the angels had just as much personality as the wise men or shepherds. Or making Myrrh as important as Gold.
I'm not really sure what my point is. I'm ranting...you're right. When people are tired, they rant.
9 comments:
It's the Karmic Boomerang coming back..I am sure that your parents had to sit and suffer through those productions (that are somehow universally always 25 minutes longer than they need to be)and it's only fair that you repay every minute back into the cosmic time bank.
Ahh when it's your kid up on stage holding a blanket and sucking his thumb and then miraculously reciting Linus's famous quote about the shepherds verbatim... wait maybe that was Luke,
anyway if it's your kid it is always cute.
As I am prone to do I shall quote Homer, not the Greek Philosopher the other more important Homer who said,
"Yeah but what are ya gonna do?"
I have to do the same thing tomorrow night. I feel special this year though because we have reserved seating at the front because our son is in J.K. No crawling through people "excuse me, sorry, excuse me..." ahhh feels good.
I have to admit, I'm a huge suck and I'll probably cry.
Happy Belated, Brian!
we are so lucky. our church gave up on the poor kids dressed as shepherds around the time our oldest was born.
we DID have to endure the "winter celebration" at their school however. so don't think we're totally off the hook or anything.
That is exactly where the enemy, satan lucifer, whatever you want to call him, wants us. So tired and busy with "stuff" that we get annoyed with the real reason for the season. ya those programs get long, and tiresome...the old enemy has those poor want to be producers thinking it has to be bigger and better . Which is another way we are strayed from the real reason to celebrate. Don't let him decieve you.
I understand your feelings, Brian.
What had bothered me the most was that these programs should be an opportunity for the kids to grow and enjoy their spiritual community, not just an opportunity for oohs and ahhs from the congregation and visitors.
I had to decide to lump it all or get involved and change it. So... there was no "program" this year. The kids led in a different way. Yeah, it was a lot of work. But it was worth it.
-Heather
Hi Brian,
Our church doesn't do a formal kids program either and I miss it! My mom keeps bugging about when are we going to start going to a "real church" with a decent Sunday School program. Well she's not that blunt, but the implication is always there. The closest thing we got to tradition at school this year was Jolly Old St. Nicolas complete this rappers and motown divas with afros. It was fun, but not Christmas to me. I take our kids to our neighbours church program (EMC) b/c I think it's important for them to see the larger church family to which we belong. And because they give out "tutyas!" I am not living in the Bible belt so any thing extra I can do to reinforce the message of Jesus in the manger, I am there with bells on... blah blah blah blah....Happy Birthday btw.
Joanne
I think times have changed, there is just too much of too much anymore. It was a very meaningful tradition when the kids knew what they did in the programs made the adults happy and proud, but now it is just one more stop on the way to "Oh Lord, let's get this done and overwith" for the adults... so, I think the kids just see it the same way.
Or not.....maybe it's come too far from the Hot Coco, make strings of popcorn and paper snowflake days for any of us to enjoy anymore. Maybe the ads for "Buy her a BIG FAT SUV for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" has finally ruined it for us all.
If you haven't tried this yet:
http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/?banner150
Be sure and mouse-over the snowflakes... then you can see ones that have been done.
Merry Christmas to you and Joyce and Kids!
Merry Christmas Brian.
This is my last ditch itinerant gallop through the blogosphere before Satan, WHOOPS, I mean Santa, rewards all the nice kids with guns and barbies.
Of course for you it is much more than that and I just want you to know that I have never met a finer more sincere example of a true Christian man and your beautiful family is a testament to that fact.
Thanks for getting me hooked on blogging (much to the chagrin of many I am sure) but it has been a real hoot.
You're a great guy. Have a really nice holiday.
HE: For an agnostic, you sure speak of small "s" spiritual things (i.e. karma) a lot. And that's a good thing. I'm not sure where one ends and the other begins.
My beef with these programs is that the leaders tend to give the kids that don't want roles, roles. Like my son Micah. He didn't want to be a shepherd or a cow, and they had him do both. "Dad, I look like a dork." Sorry Micah, it's Christmas, and it's tradition. Everyone looks like a dork at Christmastime.
Christine: Enjoy it while you still enjoy it.
Michele: Lucky! We had three to go to this year, although one was a juniour high band concert, and that was pretty good.
Shelley: I think you missed what I was saying. I don't believe there is any great evil conspiracy to get people to set aside traditions. People simply get tired of traditions because they become tiresome. People need to become less afraid of dropping unnecessary things from their lives. Self-inflicted guilt is a wonderful way to spoil a perfectly good happy life.
Heather: It's nice when a good plan comes together. What was your idea, and is this something that you will be doing every year?
"ENJOY their spiritual community"...I like that.
Joanne: There's nothing quite like the feeling of anticipating the "tutya", is there? Even though there is nothing but peanuts and an orange near it's expiry date. It's all about the anticipation.
Winnipeg is still Bible belt, isn't it?
Lilah: "Too much of too much" I hear you loud and clear. We keep forcing these things down our kids throats until they feel anxious about their near-bursting feeling. And then we can't understand when our kids come to us with anxiety issues. Help us all!
HE: Twice on the same post...how special.
Guns and Barbies...Barbie's got a gun.
I'm not sure what this season IS for me. IS is a state of being. To be or not to be...or as the Germans put it, Sein oder nicht sein. I'm not quite sure what to be. That's a REALLY big frage. SCHWEIGEN NACKKKHHHTTT!!!!
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