Advent 3

The third Sunday of Advent has the theme of joy. We had a joyous day, starting with our service of lessons and carols. John and grandson David sang in the choir for both services. I took a photo from my seat, though it’s not a good one. If I look closely, I can see my men in the back row, David wedged under the eave on the left and John with the red eternal candle appearing to sit on his head on the right.

I was too far back to get a good shot of the chancel, though it does show how crowded the front was. In the center was a teen-aged angel holding a toddler cherub. Mary was a 14-year-old with a live baby, her cousin I think. The wise men and shepherds were sitting on the floor, hidden by the music stands of the orchestra. Also in front were the stands for the bell choir. Despite the crowded conditions, bell ringers moved freely from the congregation and choir to their stands. Maybe the children had angelic assistance to get to the chancel. The readers were in the back, reverently reading the Scripture on which the music was based. I can see the pianist on the far left and the director with his back to us.

What do choir members do when they are off-duty? They sing, of course. There was a pot-luck dinner for the musicians and readers at a member’s home. After we ate, we were invited to the living room to sing carols and Christmas songs. Pianist Lula and director Kevin were sitting on either side of the hanging wreath. I believe Kevin teaches guitar at the college level, so he was able to accompany us on any song we chose. Several people used their phones to call up all the words. It was a fun time for all.

For punsters: As we were leaving, David put COKES on the stairs while he fetched his sweater. The hostess asked if he were getting COATS, and we said yes, and that we would COAX him to leave.