Celebrating our tie to God's community

The Lebanon Community Chorus ushered in the Christmas Season with a concert at the Congregational Church last night. It was like a blast from the past. Many old friends came back together for a 35th Anniversary event and they sang excerpts from some of the sacred concerts they performed over the years. The concert ended with the different members of the chorus singing solos, duets and trios on the verses of "The First Noel" and a rousing rendition of "The Hallelujah Chorus." It was great.

It was great to see the group together again with their director, Berti Hawkins. The thing I remember about my time singing with the group is how much civic pride they had. It was fun to be part of the group but it was extra special because they were always present at special events in the town. Last night was no exception. They came together to help light the Christmas tree in town.

After the concert the group went outside to join hundreds of town residents to sing and light the tree. Up and down the Green there were all kinds of special events to enjoy. Even a bit of snow and freezing rain couldn't stop the fun.

As I left the scene last night, I couldn't help but think how nice it was to be connected to a group that not only impacted the community but also had historic roots. Then it dawned on me that most of us can say the same thing about the church.

We take our churches for granted but they are at the heart of community life. They touch people and change lives. Maybe it is time to celebrate that? There is no better time to do it than Christmas when we celebrate the entrance of God into the world. So what do you say? Let's get together at church this year and kick off the Christmas season in style.

Cal