Christmas Even in the city

Walking down the streets of New York City this afternoon, Preston and I were talking about how nothing looked nor felt Christmasy. We don’t blame the New Yorkers whose apartments are virtually impossible to decorate for any outside viewer. It just seemed like not enough people in the city were really paying attention to the heart of the season. That was until we got out of the residential district and saw electric menorahs including 2 at the Stock Exchange ☺. Count on the financial gurus (who everyone claims should be panicked) to have Christmas lights in a flag design and a huge Christmas tree. Overall things downtown made our spirit meters leap. We loved touring Federal Hall as well, but I still felt like Ted E. Bear from The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas, (my second favorite Christmas story, right after Elephant and Mouse). I was wandering around the big city with no hope in finding Christmas, and then it happened, just like in the book! I found Christmas right inside the cathedral of Trinity Church. (Why am I surprised that it came in the form of organ music?!) The hall was a chaotic mix of Eucharist and tourist, but as soon as the children’s choir began singing "Away in a Manger" it didn’t seem to matter. I loved it and it was killing me to not sing along. They had a nativity representation after communion and then I did join with the congregation for “Joy to the World.” Ah, the sanctuary that Christmas is. Unfortunately, that sanctuary did not include the Trinity Museum, which we tried to go in before the song ended and had some sort of priest run toward us whispering “No, No,” pushing us out. Oops. Sorry to disrupt your service, folks (we soon got out). My heart was disrupted when I found the ground zero memorial down the street was only temporary and is now inside a building and costs 10 dollars. But that’s okay, I can’t wait until tonight for my first midnight mass!