Stories

I guess when I was growing up that I may have been a little rambunctious, probably somewhere between Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Not a little angel but also not a little devil. I will never forget a lesson my father taught me about taking responsibility for my actions. I grew up in a neighborhood with plenty of boys my age. We always got up early during the summer because there was plenty of mischief that required our attention and we certainly wanted to have plenty of time to

When asked to write about what Advent means to us, my first thought went to Christmas Eve. I cannot imagine being anywhere else on Christmas Eve other than at First Christian Church. Standing there with my husband and son on either side of me, candle in hand, listening to the beloved story of the birth of our Christ, that is Christmas! Standing there with other church members who are my 'family,' singing "Silent Night," that is Christmas! All of us with that special feeling

I had five brothers and a sister. We grew up in North Dakota during the depression and were lucky to have a shrub in the house. We had real candles on the tree. We couldn't leave the room if the candles were lit or it would set everything on fire. All we knew to do was hang a sock. When I went to check mine, there was an orange on top and that made me happy. There were a few other things in there, and a can of Dutch Cleanser in the bottom. My brother had done that. Everybody

The year 2000 was my youngest daughter's first Christmas with the family in America. She was two and a half, and I wanted it to be perfect. After the kids finally went to sleep the night before, I stayed up very late to arrange Christmas just so, as parents of small children do. After about an hour's sleep, my husband woke me up to help him with a nosebleed. The bathroom already looked like a murder scene. We couldn't get the bleeding stopped, and after a couple of hours we d

In the late 1950s, times were hard. My dad was a dairy farmer and made $25 a week, with a family of six to feed. Christmas was a special time at our house. In addition to all the special church activities, we could ask Santa for two gifts, one of which Santa would try to bring. When I was six years old in the first grade, my parents remodeled the upstairs of our farmhouse, making a large bedroom for my two sisters and a smaller room for me. I had a twin bed and a dresser, and

Christmas is a time for shopping, baking, decorating, and making plans. It is also time to anticipate events to come and reflect on Christmases past... One of my favorite memories of the holidays is that of our traditional Christmas Eve as a youngster. We didn't have to "dream" of a white Christmas when I was growing up, we lived it each year. We always spent Christmas Eve at our house with my parents and my siblings. Of course, we had already been out in one of the woods aro

"...and on earth, peace." Luke 2: 14 Dear Lord, it's me again. I could use some of the peace, Lord. Things are so hectic. There is this Christmas dinner to go to and that party and the play and concerts. (Oh, I must remember to make some goodies to take for the organ concert.) Ham is going on sale at Kroger tomorrow; I have to make sure and get there. I need to get the cheesecake made. My kids think we can't have Christmas without chocolate cheesecake. I haven't even bought

I cannot think about Advent and Christmas without remembering the music associated with this time of the church year. I also cannot think about that music without remembering the person who taught me so much about it. That person is, of course, my mother. Miss Verna, as some of you may know her, has been a church musician all of her life. Trained as an organist, pianist, vocalist, choral director, public school educator, and private lessons music teacher, she worked in each o

As I reflect on memories of Christmas past I can't help but see how the meaning of Christmas has evolved for me into an entirely different focus. I believe as we age, our ideas change considerably. What once meant so much: the presents, the excitement of children, the wonderful meals, and of course the house decorated so beautifully, don't seem to be so important as when I was younger. The once merry time for giving gifts, practicing goodwill, just for a season, seems not to

On Sunday when I went to church, I felt fine, but on Monday and Tuesday I felt like I had a virus. Wednesday arrived, and I didn't feel well, but better, and tried to do a few things around the house. I remember cooking supper which was still on the stove. My husband Claude said I had a butcher knife and meat fork on my plate as utensils. He said I was raising my hands to my mouth as if I were eating. When he spoke to me, I smiled. Realizing that something was wrong, he led m

Our cherished, century-old pipe organ was built and installed in 1926 by Henry Pilcher's Sons Organ Company . Later, the console was added by Austin Organs . Its purchase could possibly have been made in part by a grant from the Carnegie Foundation, as well as major donations from our church. Over the years, the FCC organ has been played by many memorable organists, including Elizabeth Killinger, Siota Davis, Pat Parkey, Jeannette Ladenburger, Joyce Holbrook, Bobbie Gibson, V

Lee Ann Strunk wrote this tribute to her grandmother for an FCC Advent publication years ago. This will begin a series of stories shared by FCC members. My maternal grandmother, Eugenia Shelley Gover, was a lifelong inspiration to many. She always had a smile on her face, worked as a florist for 50 years before it became fashionable for women to work outside the home, and was active in church, civic, and community activities. She was born in 1903, in a generation of change. A

Joyce Fox rose to address the congregation during the worship service last Sunday. In case you missed it, here is what she said from her written notes. Sadly, I do not have documentation of her witty asides- you had to be there. She gave me permission to post this. Joyce Dear FCC members, this was written to you . In my current battle with cancer, I've needed to remember that my God knows all the details and He reminds me that whatever the situation is- it's in His hands , a

On Tuesday, Joyce completed her course of radiation treatments. She got to ring the bell at BRMC! Joyce didn't know that a bunch of her friends from FCC would be there to witness this milestone (because we kept it a secret). The completion ceremony was followed by a group lunch, and a good time was had by all. We love you, Joyce!