The children’s Christmas Pageant at The Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest celebrates the pure joy of the holiday season.
Rev. Luke Back, rector of The Church of the Holy Spirit, said over 50 children participated this year in the pageant, which took place during the 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Rite II), on Sunday, December 14.
According to Reverend Back, dozens of angels wearing feathered wings and tinseled halos, shooting stars flying up and down the church aisles with jubilation streamers and golden crowns, herds of donkeys, calves and lambs led in by a troop of shepherds, and vividly costumed magi accompanied by kids in camel costumes.
“In the end, the Holy Family is surrounded by a tableau full of creative incarnate energy, coordinated with beautiful music provided by our choir, and readings from the Gospel, all of this bringing the Christmas story to life,” Reverend Back said.
Meredith Back, pageant director, introduced the present form of the Christmas pageant at CHS seven years ago, based on St. Francis’ simple nativity, with the production being offered as part of Sunday’s service in place of the sermon.
Back says, “We want the experience to be fun and flexible for the kids, so we follow their lead regarding the roles they would like to play.
“Some years, in addition to our traditional roles, we might have a Koala bear or a turtle; this year we had a dinosaur and an octopus — you just never know what you are going to get — but everyone is welcome to participate,” Back said.
James Dean of Lake Forest attended Sunday with family.
“Kids begin their spiritual journey by learning stories from the Bible. Today’s pageant tells a story of love, hope and renewal, from this our children learn about the true meaning of Christmas,” Dean said.
Back says, in the end, the pageant aims for energetic reverence and childlike joy.
The pageant team, under Back’s direction, includes the senior director of children’s ministry, Debbie Stockert, youth ministry leader Courtney Heck, and St. Gregory’s Cherub Choir director, Keri Godon, along with countless volunteers who support the planning, costumes, sign-in, set-up, and communication for the production.
Carmen Mendoza of Lake Bluff says her granddaughter was excited to perform in Sunday’s pageant.
“Today, my granddaughter’s performance reminds me that in this church we have found a home, a place of joy and safety,” Mendoza said.
Parishioner, Lynne Atherton of Waukegan, also attended.
“The church belongs to our children, and we want it to be a place where they can access joy,” Atherton said.
Reverend Back says the parish children and youth play all the parts in the pageant, for this is the time of year when ‘a little child shall lead them,’ as a prophet of old has said.
James DeWald of Lake Forest attended with his family.
“I think we see God in our children, in their purity of love and community, we find simplicity, unweighted by the world around us,” DeWald said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
