MY! HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!

When Georgia and Angela were four years old, a couple of exciting opportunities came their way, greatly because of our “coat string” relationship with Art Rorheim, the director of Awana. My brother was married to Art’s daughter, Kathlyn, and our paths crossed with the Rorheims on special occasions. Art knew that our kids were singers and when the new Sparks program was about to be launched, he asked if the twins could introduce the new Sparks theme song. The celebration, which would include the twins and other musical numbers, and a presentation of this new ministry geared towards kindergarten through second grade to many area church leaders.

The girls sang a couple of numbers. We have the tape of them singing in harmony, “I Surrender All” and “Oh, How I Love Jesus.” Then they burst out into an enthusiastic rendering of… “We are Sparks for Jesus, Sparks to light the world.” It was a night to remember.

This exciting opportunity led to an invitation a year or so later at the huge Woodfield Mall atrium, to do a Christmas presentation along with a myriad of other Sparks and to sing two specials numbers. The girls practiced hard to learn “What Can I Give Jesus?” and “Ring the Bells,” and on that eventful night, with thousands of shoppers lining the walkways and stairs, they sang their hearts out, again in their beautiful two-part harmony. (The sound system went out after two lines of their first song, and on the tape you can hear all the listeners voicing their disappointment.)

The evening was such a great milestone in our family. The whole family was there, proud of our twins, and all engaged in the festivities. The few photos we have show the girls surrounded by hundreds of little Sparks singing of the birth of the King so many years before. It was another night to remember.

A couple of years later, our junior choir, The Salt and Light Company, was asked to sing at a Crystal Lake mall at Christmastime. We were excited! Then came a letter outlining the parameters of our performance. Very clearly we were told that the choir could only sing “generic” Christmas carols. We supposed correctly that this meant no mention of the Christ of Christmas. We bucked. They reneged a bit. We sang several Christmas carols and some truly “generic” ones.

I remember we sang “Who is He in Yonder Stall?” and I remember the faces of the kids in the choir. We had told them about the declaration of the mall committee, and I think they sang their hearts out like maybe the Communists were going to take over sometime soon and this would be their last chance to sing Christmas songs!

Such degeneration would discourage me entirely but try as “they” may to suppress the Christmas story, Christmas is a phenomenon. Just watch the holiday specials such as the United States Naval Choir singing all the old tried and true Christmas carols, and the performers at the Lincoln Center sending shivers down the listeners’ spine with their renditions of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “O Holy Night.”  I’m glad Angela and Georgia had such a sweet opportunity to be part of a fantastic Christian musical Christmas celebration in such an enormous setting, surrounded by the best of holiday decorations! But things have changed…their kids probably will never have such an opportunity!