We’ve spent most of this week
bringing Christmas messages to the less-active members and investigators for
whom we have taken responsibility. We downloaded the free Tabernacle Choir
Christmas music from mormon.org/Christmas and burned it to some CDs. We have been giving the CDs away as
our gift to them this Christmas season. It is a blessing to have the means to
be able to bring the Spirit in this manner into the lives of those we meet and
teach.
Sister Johnson has prepared a
Christmas program will be presented next Sunday. It is called “Picture A Christmas” (a primary song) and utilizes
other primary Christmas songs to form its central message. She is involving as
many of the youth and young adults as she can as readers. It will be fantastic.
It always is when she does it. Her descriptions and samples follow.
My story - I have always wanted to have the opportunity to work up a Christmas program. When the children were little I member I would put together scripture and songs. Over the years I loved to sing in the choir. It made Christmas for me. Since I am the one playing the piano this year and I had problems last year playing some of the musical numbers selected, I thought it might be easier if I chose the song/program. In our branch we don't have a choir or any active Primary children, so I decided to use as many Primary songs while telling the story. Then I noticed that Pat Graham ( Valley View Stake) had written a couple of the Primary Christmas songs. The one I chose is "Picture A Christmas". Each phrase of this song is the starting point for the narrative. With the help of our Branch President who had three years of Christmas programs at his disposal, I came up with a nice narrative for each phrase. I hope and pray as people listen to the narrative that special pictures are created in their minds. The ultimate goal is to have everyone sing and understand the song, "Picture A Christmas". The words are also printed in the program and the narrative repeats each phrase so I'm hoping that by the time we get to the end they will know the song well enough to sing it as the closing song. Each phrase tells most everything about the first Christmas night. Then I have put little pictures into the program to help them visualize each phrase. I then wanted people to read the narrative who might not have ever had a chance to participate, so I have chosen the youth and young adults as readers. One young women said, "Yea, I get a part." The congregation is the choir, with special numbers song by everyone, or just by the men or then just by the women.
December
23, 2012
“Picture A Christmas”
Hymn #204 – “Silent Night”
Sung by all
Narrator
– Becky Shimanek
“Once Within A Lowly Stable”
Sung by all
Reader
– A. J. Krupinski
“Picture a stable in Judea.
Picture a sacred, silent night.”
“Stars
Were Gleaming”
Sung by all
Reader
– Elder Christensen
“And
can you hear The angles near and see the star so bright”
Reader
– Jake Shimanek
“Picture the kind and gentle Joseph”
“When Joseph Went to
Bethlehem”
Sung by Men Only
Reader
– Aurora Paquette
“Picture
the mother Mary, fair.”
“Mary’s Lullaby”
Sung by Women Only
Reader
– Tanith Paquette
Hymn #202 – “Away
in A Manger”
Verses Sung by all
Reader
– Will Stevens
“And can you see So reverently
The Shepherds kneeling
there.”
Reader
– Brian Luczak
“Picture the little baby Jesus.
Think of his life and words so dear:
Sing praise to Him,”
Hymns # 202 & 20
“Oh, Come All Ye Faithful”
“Joy To The World”
Sung by all
Reader
– Elder Trout
“Remember him,
As you picture Christmas this year”
“Picture
A Christmas”
Sung by all
Sorry, the formatting wouldn't carry over without way more years of IT certification than I have...
which is NONE.
Looking forward, ever forward…
Elder and Sister Johnson
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