Chapter 1: My Sister’s Christmas Gift

It was a dark a stormy night. Such as Snoopy would have taken one look at and stayed in the doghouse. Bob was at the church setting up for the candlelight service.

Oh yes. It was Christmas Eve. Kinda of made the rain even more disappointing.

“How’s it going?”

Bob looked around. “Just about done cleaning up from the Children’s Service. It looks like they really enjoyed themselves this year.”

“Weren’t you an Usher? Wouldn’t you have seen them?”

“Not this year, Pastor. This year I am only ushering the Candlelight Service. I came early to help get things ready.”

“Thanks. So many of our usual crowd are sick or vacationing this year. The help is appreciated.”

The rain sounded harder on the roof. As well as being driven into the windows by the wind.

The Pastor shook his head. “I expect we can count on the dedicated traditionists tonight. Anybody else will probably take one look at that storm and find something on you tube. If we’re lucky it might even be churchy.”

“These days a Christmas show would almost have to be Broadway level in production for that.”

“That’s sad.”

Bob shook his head. “Maybe not. Remember, the Christmas story really isn’t going to change. The songs have been around for years, some of the traditional carols even longer. It’s like reruns of reruns several times over.” I looked out over the pews. “I have to wonder how many attend these services out of inertia and have long stopped expecting to get anything from it. If a bit of showmanship brings their attention back to what the Church wants them to think important, is it really that bad?”

“That was deep. I want to say yes. After thirty years in the ministry, I’m not sure I can deny it.”

Bob’s cell phone rang. He gave it a quick peek. “It’s Dad. I better take it.”

“Go ahead. I’ll see you later.” He walked off.

Bob showed enough respect to the concept of God’s House not to take it in the sanctuary. Hey, it was how he was raised. When I reached the narthex, he hit the answer icon and the speakerphone icon. it had too. I could barely hear him over the storm. “Yes dad?”

“I need to borrow the Range Rover. They need me to come in.”

“My Range Rover? What happened to your pickup trick?”

“The transmission died.”

“Do you have to go in? The rainstorm out there sounds like something Noah might have recognized.”

“They declared a State of Emergency. The whole sheriff’s department must come in.”

“Right. It’s parked in my garage. You know where I keep my keys. Should I make my excuses and come home?”

“No. Our group of cabins are on the high end of town. We should be safe. You are at the church? I am pretty sure that area is safe too. Stay there until you are done. Your mom is already at the hospital doing her nursing stuff. Your sister Kimmy said she is coming in from the east. She should be dry as she still has that Hummer we gave her for her eighteenth. I better go.”

“Good luck. I’d say stay safe, but with that storm, I should probably say stay safe as you can.”

“I will. He hung up.”

Putting the phone away, Bob I went back to work. It took another ninety minutes, but he finished cleaning up the mess. Next he set up all the candles in the pew holders and made sure the baskets with candles were right by the doors. Also, Bob placed pocket fire extinguishers near the chairs where various staff and volunteers would be sitting. These he made sure to be out of easy viewing. He also checked the tags on the regular fire extinguishers. Lit candles were nice and helped set the atmosphere for a few of the songs. The building lit on fire would do none of those things.