Are You Ready?

November is coming to a close and December is waiting in the shadows. The month passed in a flurry of mostly nice weather and just one light coating of snow here. Not many are complaining about that. The eve of Advent is upon us and there is much still to be thankful for. The Greatest Gift of All Time will be celebrated all month in many different ways. What Christmas traditions do you have?

From my preteen years to middle age, the annual presentation of Handel's Messiah in Marshalltown, Iowa, was our family's official start to the Christmas season, on the first Sunday in December. For decades my father participated in the community chorus presentation of the story of Christ in song. Even if you aren't familiar with the Messiah in full, most people recognize the "Hallelujah Chorus" when it is played.

The music of the Messiah fills my heart with the true meaning of the season. This year Marshalltown is holding the concert on Sunday, December 3, at 3 p.m. in the First Methodist Church on Main Street. What a wonderful tradition to begin or to continue. The program is free with only a free-will donation to help keep the tradition going in the future.

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you," (Isaiah 12:4-6 NIV).

With hearts full of thanksgiving, let us begin the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Amen.