How do a pastor and his wife spend their first free Christmas Eve in 40 years? They go to church, of course! Twice. The nave of St. Bartholomew's Church was packed for the 7 o'clock service. It was a beautiful experience of worship. The music was heavenly, the air thick with incense.
After a 9 p.m. dinner, it was on to the second Christmas Eve service of the night. The design of St. Peter's Lutheran Church is as different from St. Bart's as possible. The modern, square sanctuary is located below ground level in the towering Citigroup Center, and visible from the sidewalk through clear glass windows. Although the congregation was smaller than the one we were part of earlier in the evening, the service was beautiful, the music heavenly, the air thick with incense. Then it got even thicker. During the prayers (when most of us had our eyes closed), there was an audible gasp from the congregation as the crèche caught fire from nearby candles and sent flames three feet into the air. Smoke mixed with the incense. The prayers stopped as one of the pastors grabbed a fire extinguisher and used it on the Holy Family and shepherds. The doors were opened, allowing cold, fresh air to circulate before the service continued.
We slept well before arising on Christmas morning in order to go to - church! Our final Christmas service was at St. Thomas Church, a parish famous for its Choir of Men and Boys. The music was even more spectacular, as Christ's birth was celebrated with great joy. The air was thick with incense, but free of fire and smoke.
The rest of Christmas Day was spent viewing the store windows on Fifth Avenue, eating roasted chestnuts on a bench in front of the Plaza Hotel, and making our way through the multinational, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at Rockefeller Center to see the famous tree in all its dazzling glory.
Maybe next year we'll visit the children and grandchildren.
