I just hit "send" on an email to my Alma mater's alumni magazine. Each quarter they publish short first hand stories of former students on a particular theme.This edition requested submissions fro a theme of "students-ward stories". Here's what I submitted:
Fall semester in the late 80s-early 90s was drawing to a
close but before our ward broke up to go home for the Christmas break, we had
one more Sunday to meet together. One more Sunday school lesson I had to
prepare. But this was going to be the Christmas lesson. Everyone knew the
Christmas story, so how could I make this very familiar story mean something
more to my ward-mates?
Gathering inspiration from the likes of popular talk show
divas of the day, Oprah and Sally Jessy Raphael, I went WAY out of my comfort zone
and prepared a Christmas Lesson the likes of which this ward had never seen. I
called on a dozen or so friends in the ward—family home evening brothers,
roommates, and a few other good friends who probably just felt sorry for me and
knew I needed some help. I asked each person to study the Christmas chapters in
the scriptures and be prepared for questions posed as if to a specific participant
in the story. I then prepared what I thought were thoughtfully angled questions
to ask the Innkeeper, or a shepherd, or one of the angels, or Joseph or Mary.
I started our lesson with a question to each character that belonged
in that story. What I imagined would be little lighthearted, fun,
end-of-semester lesson turned sincere and spirit-filled series of testimonies
of each of these ward members. Each took the assignment to heart. Each bore testimony of Who Jesus is, how much
He means to them, and their gratitude for Him. The Spirit bore powerful witness
that Sunday to each of us there—participants and listeners alike-- of His
birth, His life and His atoning sacrifice and what a wonder and blessing He is
to us.
