December 24, 2010 7:00 PM

Not this year!

No white Christmas for us. Our dusting of a few days ago is basically gone. But, thatsituation does not diminish the wonder of the night for me though I have to admit that those times when it actually snowed on Chrstmas Eve were truly a surreal, magical experience.

Tonight, as Silent Night goes, "All Is Calm". Being able to participate with the church choir once again is a thrill. Made moreso by the fact that Iwas not allowed to do so the past two years. When something is taken away from you, it means all the more to you if you are fortunate enough to be able to have it returned to you.

Church begins at 10:30 tonight with a half hour of choir and organ music before the actual service commences at 11:00. As I said two years ago, the real impact of the evening is the ride home afterwards with the world in a quiescent moment an experience unlike that of any other time of the year as everyone awaits Christmas Day in his or her own way - adults, children, men, women, those at home, those away, those who will be travelling during the day, etc.

My wife was telling me that her 4th grade tour group at the Currier yesterday, generaly, did not who Jesus was in any of artwork in which he was portrayed. What a shame! What has our society degenerated to when our children do not even recognize Jesus?

I know that it is no surprise to us that Christmas is now just a holiday wherein Santa Claus comes for the children and everyone gives everyone presents. But, by not exposing our children to the meaning of the day, we deprive them of actually feeling and living into what Christmas and the life of Jesus is all about.

This service tonight is the only service that I attended the past two years. Why? Because, for me, it's message transcends that of all the other services as we celebrate the fact that God has chosen to give to each of us the greatest gift of all. As a sign of our gratitude, the least that we can do is to take the time and to make the effort to acknowledge it.

Merry Christmas to you all...

Bob