Christmas season is a time

of the year when traditions are begun, maintained, and passed on. Most

people have special memories of the Christmas holidays and almost all

of these recollections are based on continuing traditions.

For example, when I was a boy,

my family always went to Grandpa and Grandma Duckett's for Christmas

Eve. My "real" maternal grandfather was a man named Roy Luster.

He married Pashia Tunnell and fathered three daughters. He died when all

three of his girls were barely toddlers. Eventually, Pashia met and married

Charles Daniel Duckett while the girls were still small. As far as I was

concerned, Charles always was my "real" Grandpa, though he wasn't

my biological grandparent.

Blanch, the oldest girl, married

Ray Flynn and had a son, Danny. My mom, Kathleen, was next in line and

married William (Bill) Epps, Jr. and had two boys, myself and my younger

brother Wayne. Ruby was the youngest. She married John Honeycutt and they

had three kids, Johnny, Pashie, and Jeff. We all gathered at the Ducketts

each and every Christmas Eve. We ate, played, sometimes shot off bottle

rockets and firecrackers, and exchanged presents. It was a tradition.

At my house, Christmas morning

began early with being awake at 4 a.m. and having to stay in bed until

7:30 a.m. when my parents would finally open the door and permit us to

run into the living room. A flurry of package-opening ensued and a big

breakfast always followed. The rest of the day was spent playing with

our new toys. We weren't rich by any means but we always had lots

of stuff.

Later, I married Cynthia Douglas

and we had three kids of our own. From 1971 until 1980, we pretty much

kept going to Grandpa and Grandma's for Christmas Eve. Christmas

Day was spent at our house, then the Douglas home, and finally my parents'

house (or vice versa). On Dec. 26, 1980, we moved from Tennessee to Colorado

and, in June 1983, to Georgia, and our traditions changed.

For one thing, church activities

became much more important during the Christmas season. Our boys were

raised hearing the songs of the season ("O Holy Night," "Come

Thou Long Expected Jesus," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Angels

We Have Heard on High," and many more), and quickly got used to spending

Christmas Eve in worship services. Christmas Day was still a time to ravage

the presents.

The boys got older and moved

out. Jason, the oldest, married Jessica Pierce (Paula to most of her friends)

and had two children, Victoria and Isaac with a third child on the way.

John, next in line, is married to July Barnes and their household consists

of Tristan, Samuel, Jacqueline, and Payton. Both of the older sons live

in or around Senoia. James, our youngest, is in the United States Air

Force and is stationed in Texas.

Naturally, traditions have

changed once again. Now, Cindy and I sleep in on Christmas Day and await

the arrival of the kids and grandkids who will fit us into the schedule

somehow as they juggle the competing traditions of other family members.

I will build a fire in the fireplace with real oak logs and Cindy will,

at some point, prepare the Christmas breakfast that we may not eat until

3 p.m., or whenever everyone arrives.

Most years, however, we will

all, hopefully, be together on Christmas Eve. Eight years ago, our church

began a Christmas Eve Communion Service. Back then, we were a tiny congregation

meeting in a funeral home chapel and had no idea if anyone would come

to a funeral home for Christmas Eve services. I expected about eight people.

Sixty showed up. We continued the tradition, the service grew in attendance,

and, this year, we will gather in our new sanctuary at 7 p.m. on Christmas

Eve.

If the pattern runs true, about

a third to a half of the people who attend our Christmas Eve service will

not be members of our church. We advertise that "everyone is welcome"

and people seem to take us at our word. We will sing the traditional songs

of the season, read the Christmas story (the REAL one, not the "'Twas

the Night before Christmas" fable), maybe have the small children

sing a song, listen to a short sermon, and receive the Sacrament of Holy

Eucharist, or, as it is known in other churches, "Holy Communion,"

or "The Lord's Supper."

While some churches are very

restrictive on who can receive Communion, we believe that "The Lord's

Table" is His and not ours so we serve any and every baptized believer.

It's the one service of the year that we do not have a nursery so

that ALL the family can be together. If the babies cry, so be it. The

season is about a baby, after all. It would be a shame to exclude them.

Besides, the babies grow up and, down the road, recall their own traditions,

including receiving Communion each Christmas Eve.

And, as far as I am concerned,

being in church, with God's people, worshipping Him and celebrating

His love and his presence, is the one thing that is even better than being

at Grandpa and Grandma's on a Christmas Eve.

[Father David Epps is pastor

of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church (www.ctkcec.org) on Ga.

Highway 34, between Peachtree City and Newnan. Worship services are at

8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sundays. The Christmas Eve Communion Service begins

at 7 p.m. and all are welcome. He may be contacted at [email protected].]