Revelations

I took the family to church on Sunday (I know *gasp*) for their friends' nativity play & Sunday School wind-up.
And yes, this was the church that announced my pregnancy in the daily prayers a few months back to a chorus of gasps.

So I'm sitting with friends (in the front pew, even better) and the kids are telling the story of Mary's virgin pregnancy complete with sandwich boards that read *gasp* and *wow!* and renacting the gossip that would have obviously accompanied the great biblical event and meanwhile my friend is pinching me and sniggering, while I kick her back in the ankle.

So as Mary and Joseph in their teatowels and smocks struggle their way to Bethlehem (despite the controversy) I notice that of all the kids, I don't know the little 'Mary' and I lean to my friend and ask 'Who's Mary?'
The smart arse turns to me with shocked eyes and replies, in a stage whisper: 'Well, Mary was the lady who gave birth to our Lord Jesus'
...and that was it, we spent the rest of the service sniggering like six-year-olds.

If church was always that fun (and had Christmas carols every Sunday) I might reconsider my atheism.
I especially liked the bit where, when we finished our huge pooled lunch of angel cakes and home-made quiches I ventured outside to find my son leading the game of cricket between all the parked cars.

It was a standout day of loveliness that cured my severe case of Bah Humbug-ness for a while...Merry Christmas!