church
Church today was interesting. Usually we have the kids do some kind of holiday play/pagent but they weren't involved this year. It was mostly music--the choir sang Bring a Torch with duel pianos which was gorgeous and our bass sang John McCutcheon's "Christmas in the Trenches", which made me cry--and people sharing Christmas memories. The WWI story triggered a lot, including my mom's (which I'd heard before) of her church youth group putting on the Christmas Eve service every year and one year learning "Silent Night" in German to sing for the mostly German population, and the looks and tears on the faces of the people, some who still spoke German on a regular basis, still lingered in her, over forty five years later. I remembered doing the same for my grouchy great-great aunt, and how proud and touched she was that I'd learned it in German for her.
As always we have a Mitten Tree, on which we place mittens, hats and scarves to be donated to a local charity. This year they asked for socks and undies, too. That tree was covered! It always makes me feel so good, especially since we have some people in our congregation that can't really afford to give, but do anyway. Also this year we did a giving tree for a couple of local families and every single tag was taken and the tree was surrounded by wrapped packages. We're a small church--150 members, probably only 80 or so active--and the amount we gave really felt good. People may call us godless heathens and fear us moving into town (really, it's a true sentiment heard by some members), but charity isn't just for Christians, and love, hope and peace should be universal.
*looks at soapbox, kicks it away with a scowl*
Okay, gotta go bake banana bread. I got all my packages wrapped and decorated during Survivor and icebox oatmeal cookies are in the fridge hardening and lemon/blueberry bread is cooling. I only have two nights out this week so I should get the cookies and another batch of bread baked before Solstice (at which I have to have something to take) and hopefully my brother has sent on more presents for me to wrap and isn't waiting until the last minute as this coming weekend, at which nothing was happening but church on Sunday, got filled with the moving of my parents' party. *sigh* Bye bye relaxing four day weekend.
As always we have a Mitten Tree, on which we place mittens, hats and scarves to be donated to a local charity. This year they asked for socks and undies, too. That tree was covered! It always makes me feel so good, especially since we have some people in our congregation that can't really afford to give, but do anyway. Also this year we did a giving tree for a couple of local families and every single tag was taken and the tree was surrounded by wrapped packages. We're a small church--150 members, probably only 80 or so active--and the amount we gave really felt good. People may call us godless heathens and fear us moving into town (really, it's a true sentiment heard by some members), but charity isn't just for Christians, and love, hope and peace should be universal.
*looks at soapbox, kicks it away with a scowl*
Okay, gotta go bake banana bread. I got all my packages wrapped and decorated during Survivor and icebox oatmeal cookies are in the fridge hardening and lemon/blueberry bread is cooling. I only have two nights out this week so I should get the cookies and another batch of bread baked before Solstice (at which I have to have something to take) and hopefully my brother has sent on more presents for me to wrap and isn't waiting until the last minute as this coming weekend, at which nothing was happening but church on Sunday, got filled with the moving of my parents' party. *sigh* Bye bye relaxing four day weekend.