I Survived Christmas Eve

Unity Church offers six services on Xmas Eve. I helped lead three, and attended two others. These services have evolved to fit the congregation, and it was a learning experience for me to understand the relation of tradition and change in these services. For example, the Christmas Pageant has been changed very little since it was written in the 1920's by Frederick May Eliot, a beloved minister who went on to lead the Unitarian denomination out of a time of crisis. Even many of the costumes survive from the early 1960's. The two pageants were heavily attended by members of the community and friends of the many children involved. It's little wonder that many of visitors who have only attended the pageant might have a confused idea of what Unity Church is about.
Rob told me that the 10 PM candlelighting service grew to its present size from just 25 people attending 25 years ago. The minister at the time started that service as a way to offer something besides the pageant. We still use an order of service based on that minister's format. Rob and Janne have created a Christmas Communion service at 11:30 PM. I will not be surprised if it, too, becomes a tradition and one of their legacies at Unity Church. For someone from novelty-loving churches in the West, all of this tradition is a new thing to me.
Photo by Duane Romanell