Gifts

The deep snow last Sunday forced the cancellation of the Children's Christmas Pageant at our church. The children had worked hard to memorize their lines and manage the props, and the producer and musicians (three recorders, clarinet, piano and organ) had rehearsed right along with them, as had the parents, of course. And then, there were the costumes -- sheep, donkeys, Angels, stars, Joseph, Mary -- and the Three Wise Men, the Three Kings; that was where I came in, as one of the three kings.


Being one of the Three Kings did not require much rehearsing -- follow the "Star" as she processed up the long center aisle, singing the first verse from memory, and bearing a gift. Then in turn, singing my verse as we presented our gifts to the baby in the cradle:

Gold- a gift for a king
Incense- a gift for a priest
Myrrh- a burial ointment for one who would die

The gifts are prophetic, particularly the last one (my verse) about Myrrh:

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume

Breathes of life of gathering gloom

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying

Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

With so much work and interest in the Pageant, it has been rescheduled as one of our five Church Services on Christmas Eve -- the Children's Service at 3:00pm. My costume a gorgeous royal blue sateen with golden stars in the design of the fabric, a crown and a painted wooden cigar box for the gift of Myrrh.

The practice of gift giving at this time of the year goes back to the time of the Romans. For Christians, the custom of giving gifts is traced back to the fourth century and Saint Nicholas of Myra, in present day Turkey. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, may also have been responsible for the custom of hanging stocking on the mantle of the fireplace. It seems that to assist a poor family, he placed gold coins in a stocking and threw them down the family's chimney.

Gifts are so plentiful in our society today, that "re-gifting" is becoming a practice and gift cards alleviate the stress and angst of what to give someone who has everything. Last night, our son and his family came over and we had dinner and exchanged gifts. Our Grandson, Jason, who is in Kindergarten, made a 2010 calendar as a gift with a picture of him in a symbol for the month on twelve different pages: Jason as a snowman for December; Jason on the beach with sunburned feet in July; Jason looking out the window of a school bus in September. I think we will enjoy that calendar for many more months than just the twelve months of 2010.

"Love is a gift. You can't buy it, you can't find it; someone has to give it to you."

~Kurt Langner