Each year as Saint Michael’s sends out the email to parents for children to take part in the annual Christmas pageant, my daughter Lindsay says “I would like to be an angel, or a reader, or the star, or a speaking part, but definitely not a shepherd.”  I think it might be something about the drawn on beard or drab brown sparkle free clothes……but that’s just a guess. Each year she finds herself to be an angel.

Each year I get the email and say to myself, “I would like to sit in a pew that’s been saved for me, preferably all the way up front, relax, take pictures and soak it all in”.  Yet each year I find myself herding small children to the bathroom, or dressing children in costumes, or putting on makeup, or standing in the middle of the mayhem….wondering who is sitting in the pews ready to enjoy the performance.

This year my daughter Lindsay suggested that I might want to try being in the Pageant, to see it from another perspective. I signed up to be an Arch Angel and was given the best bunch of Heavenly Hosts to guide throughout the Pageant. I watched as they prepared through numerous rehearsals up until Christmas Eve when I could see how excited they were to give their best performance, smile their brightest, sing the loudest and bring Christmas joy to all who attended. I found myself so caught up in their excitement that I experienced a new joy in the Pageant this year through the eyes of my child. How wonderful it was to be able to celebrate the birth of Our Savior together and give this Pageant as a small Christmas gift to all of the parents, grandparents and parishioners of Saint Michaels!
~ Kaki Lankau