Christmas concert

We're preparing for the Christmas concert in Sunday School. I don't know how the other classes are doing, but I'm finally starting to have hope for mine. This is the third Sunday we've been rehearsing, and for the first time everyone showed up, and almost on time! Next week is the big rehearsal (with all the classes, on stage, so we can fix all the errors due to never practicing in a space the same dimensions as the stage).

My class (grades 4-6) is doing the Nativity play. The narrator is reading from Luke 2, with the angels and shepherds chiming in at the correct places. I've managed to teach the narrator how to read slowly and clearly, and how to read the words that are actually on the page with no changes, no matter how small. Everyone comes on at the right time and stands in the right places. Further, I had someone come in and help with the singing (they're all singing "What Child is This" at the end) and she got them to all start on the same note (although they have trouble with the second verse, when everyone starts at a different place, but she said we'd practice more next week with the piano).

There are, however, still some issues. The main angel can speak too fast or word-by-word; she seems to have no in between speed! We're also working on speaking LOUDLY so people can hear her word-by-word rendition. The other angels do better, and finally sound happy when they join in! The smallest angel, though, seems intent on hiding behind the rest. The shepherds are the funniest. I told them to slow down when they come in so they walk very sloooooowly (picture a wedding processional: step-stop-step-stop). They also over-act when it comes to being afraid and worshiping the baby. It's...interesting!

So we've been working on this for 3 weeks, with one week to go...and our part lasts about 10 minutes. It's a lot of work for a little bit of a play!

The thing is, as I've been telling the kids every week, it's to tell others about what happened, about the joy of Christ coming into the world. And it's to bring glory to God, not us. Now if they remember that...and I remember that...the rest won't matter.