My review of the Christmas Pageant

I wanted to congratulate Pam and Shelly on an excellent Christmas Pageant this past Sunday. As a former member of the cast (I was a wiseman) and the Living Out Loud Sunday School program (I'm a teacher) I have to confess that I am slightly biased when I say that the pageant went very well.

I'm amazed by how much progress we made since our first practice in November. This was thanks to Shelly and Pam's patience and flexibility. Obviously, when you are planning for a live performance its important to remember that things will not go perfectly, plus kids always add an element of unpredictability to any activity.

The pageant followed a very clever storytelling structure. As a family of six sits down after Christmas dinner the kids begin to ask their father (Joel) about his favorite part of Christmas. When he answers that it is the sacrifice that God made, the kids prompt him to explain why. Thus, the discussion segues into the Story of Christmas. Key moments are dramatized in center stage as the family carries on their conversation.

Although the parents, especially the father character, helped to drive the family discussion, it was reassuring to hear the kids share their own knowledge. This kept the father's lines from sounding too . . . well, for a lack of a better word . . . preachy.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to help out with this year's Christmas pageant. My kids especially had a good time being sheep.