Day 247
Living nativity
scene at Zoar Church on Christmas
Eve and the bag of
peanuts & orange after church
Zoar
Church at New Hanover provided religion to our brood when they were little.
The
church building is constructed of cut limestone and sandstone blocks laid some
150+ years ago by local craftsmen; we attended services there for several
years.
Miss
Pat headed the Sunday School operation as her Dad was the church pastor; Lady
Candice taught classes on a volunteer basis; under the staff, kids got a good
religious background.
The
“church” made every religious holiday a unique celebration-event. At Easter,
one of the members had a flower nursery, so she provided bright-colored spring
pansies for the Sunday School children. Pretty “tame” stuff for modern
“sophisticated” youth, but, these kids appreciated the effort of the church to
highlight any event; they revered the “gifts”.
At
Christmas, the Sunday School conscripted the children members for “actor” rolls
in the annual Christmas-play. Mary,
Joseph, angels, shepherds and a replica of the Innocent-Infant duly displayed in a rustic “country” manger
re-enacted that first Christmas Eve to attendees delight. Each year, the faces
of the thespians changed as classes progressed; always delightful!
After
the holiday eve service, the children retired to the Sunday School Hall where
ole Santa gave each child a brown paper lunch sack filled with “goodies”: an
orange, apple, peanuts and candy kisses; these “treats” were loved by the
kid-o’s; a cherished life-time memory.
Lady
Candy’s sainted Father really took special delight in the Christmas-bag gift at
Zoar church; when he had been a kid, his Maeystown church had done the same
thing for the children;
I
feel that I grew up Poor and wear
that fact as a “Badge-of-honor”, but, truth be told, that gentleman’s
generation knew “real” poverty; they were “worthy” people to be celebrated.
It
really is the little things of life that add honor to reality---Simple is always…best!
Amen!
Ah! Cookie Jar Sweet “Treats” Memories!
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