Children's Christmas Program in Tarentum

On Sunday, Dec. 4, Central Presbyterian Church of Tarentum held its annual Children's Christmas Program with a Tureen Dinner. This was the wrap-up for the final unit of Grand Central Station, our midweek Christian education experience for elementary school age children.

During the week before the program volunteers had painted decorations for the walls to set the stage for the simple Christmas Pagaent the children would do.

Each of these graphics were taken from tiny images, a quarter inch high, at the bottom of some of the pages in the Bible Ventures Centers curriculum materials we had used.

They were enlarged on the photocopier, then placed on an opaque projector so that the designs could be traced and painted on much larger pieces of paper on the walls.

We placed the Nativity scene front and center.

And we reused a star made a number of years ago, now hanging in the middle of the room.

There were 45 children and adults who arrived for the Tureen Dinner. (For those of you who are not from Western Pennsylvania, a "Tureen Dinner" is what you might know as a "covered dish supper" or a "pot-luck supper". Interestingly enough, there was no tureen present that night.)

As the first part of the Christmas pagaent, all of the children became angels to fly around the room and bring the good news to the shepherds.

After changing into costumes, the children reappeared around the manger as kings, shepherds, sheep, and angels.

After the pagaent was over the children from Grand Central Station gave their families decorated stockings that each had a Christmas prayer inside.

Then, we sang a number of Christmas carols. Verne "Beaner" Bergstrom accompanied us on the piano for a number of them.

Eventually we had a visit from Santa Claus, who brought along some candy for each of the children.

File under : Central Presbyterian Church, Christmas, Tarentum

Tarentum Borough Christmas/Holiday Tree

Following Tarentum's Holiday Parade on December 3, a number of residents gathered at the corner of East Sixth Avenue and Corbet Street to decorate the Borough Christmas/Holiday Tree with ornaments donated by local businesses. It was a smaller group than had watched the parade earlier that afternoon, but everyone was able to get along well without quibbling about the name of the tree.

Bill Tillman brought song sheets to lead the group in singing. When we finished singing the secular holiday carols on the sheets, a number of us began singing traditional religious Christmas carols from memory.

File under : Christmas, Tarentum, pictorial

Retailers take Christ out of commercialization

Ah, the annual battle over the "true meaning of Christmas".

I'm grateful to Matt Sober whose column in the Valley News Dispatch this Wednesday tackled the issue. With the title "Retailers take Christ out of commercialization" the column tackles the greeting controversy at Wal-Mart, the store that appears to be arousing someone's ire by wishing their customers "Happy Holidays or "Season's Greetings" instead of "Merry Christmas."

Sober closes his pointedly humorous column:

Christmas isn't about superficial stuff like midnight Mass, or good will toward men, or letting God's spirit fill your heart.

It's about anger. It's about paranoia. It's about being offended.
And now, my friends, it's about boycotts.
That's right. I say we don't spend another dime in these stores until they start acknowledging Dec. 25 for what it is — the reason they're able to finish in the black after operating in the red the rest of the year. Once these companies see a difference in the bottom line, you can bet they'll replace the watered-down holiday greetings with what we've all been waiting so desperately to hear.

"Merry Christmas from your friends at Wal-Mart."
And then we'll all be happy, right?
Because nothing captures the spirit of the season quite like a gratuitous "Merry Christmas" from a billion-dollar discount retailer.

In the greeting wars earlier this week, a letter to the editor of the VND on Sunday carried a "sad, angry, and confused" warning from a Cheswick reader who threatened such acts of "civil disobedience" as subjecting store clerks to "a pleasant and firm Merry Christmas reply."

And a very Merry Christmas to you, too.

Meanwhile on the Holiday/Christmas tree front in the culture wars, from the West Coast, Mark D. Roberts has been blogging carefully and thoughtfully about the perspectives of each side.

And closer to home, last week local blogger W offered some helpful insight into the lost perspective we too easily accept:

As a Christian, I feel a little more compelled to argue for people to be treated equally and told the truth by the elected officials than to fight over whether it's called a "holiday tree" or a "Christmas tree."

Bingo.

File under : Christianity, Christmas, commercialization, justice, peace

It wasn't like this last summer

"It wasn't like this last summer," was the comment from my neighbor Pete while we were clearing off our cars this morning.

The first major snowfall of the season was an adventure last night for me. I had attended an event in Pittsburgh last night and got out to discover there was already snow falling and accumulating. So I made my way home slowly during the height of the storm.

File under : Lower Burrell

A new batch of Glimpses

This week we received the new shipment of Christian History Institute's Glimpses, which we distribute as monthly bulletin inserts on Communion Sundays. Following up on the commitment I made earlier this year, I have reviewed each of the inserts. I learned something from each of them, and feel confident that they will edify the congregation over the next six months.

The inserts this month are:

193. C.S. Lewis: Chronicles of an Apologist
Just in time to be highly relevant to the release of Narnia in theaters around the country.

194. Sojourner: Witness of Truth
This is a good piece on a major figure in the abolition movement. I learned from this article that slavery had been legal in New York State until an emancipation decree in 1827.

195. Patrick: The Making of a Missionary
This is one of my favorite saints. I often get a response of shock from people when I tell them that Patrick was not Irish.

196. Emma Whittemore and Door of Hope
The inspiring story of one of the key leaders in the Salvation Army and the International Union of Gospel Missions.

197. George Whitefield: The Controversial Evangelist
The story of the great showman preacher of the 18th century.

198. Fanny Crosby: America's Hymn Queen
Even if you are not a fan of Fanny Crosby hymns, it is valuable to know her story.

Technorati : Central, Tarentum, history

McChurch plans to be closed on Christmas Sunday

What's new? Fast food restaurants have been closing on family holidays for years. Why shouldn't McChurch follow suit?

"If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don't go to church, how likely is it that they'll be going to church on Christmas morning?" asks a spokesperson for the Willow Creek Community Church.

If the target and mission of the church is as simple as these churches state it, who is it really who is being worshiped on the Sunday mornings they choose to stay open?

I'm with Tod Bolsinger who says that "worship on Christmas Day seems, well, right."

And it will be right even if there is not a crowd.

File under : worship

Holiday parade in Tarentum, December 3, 2005

Tarentum had a great holiday parade on Saturday, December 3, 2005. Even the preparations were colorful and festive.

Balloons at Central Perk

Elves arriving by car trailing balloons

The parade looped through West Tarentum before coming under the bridge into East Tarentum and proceeding up Fifth Avenue. At Corbet Street the parade went down to First Ave., where it ended.

Color Guard from Marine Corps League Allegheny Valley Detachment #827

Andy Burch

Tarentum Children's Chorus

Brownie Troop 533

Girl Scout elves and snow women

Eureka Fire/Rescue

New Kensington Top Hats

Elves, Santas, and balloons

Representative Frank Dermody, 33rd Legislative District

458th Engineer Battalion, New Kensington

Allegheny County Sheriff

Ringer's Pet Dog Training

Summit Hose

Salvation Army Disaster Services

Lower Burrell VFD #3

East Deer EMS

Deer Lakes High School Drill Team

Deer Lakes High School Marching Band

Deer Lakes High School Marching Band on Corbet Street

Highland Hose delivers Santa Claus

There was a good representation of groups in the community, and an exciting time was had by all.

Thanks to Patty Burch for providing some of the photos in this collection.

File under : Tarentum, parade, pictorial