In Naples, Maine, there is a small, local grocery store called Tony's Foodland. Actually, it has recently been renamed the Umbrella Factory for reasons I do not know.  Each year, the owners throw a Christmas party, including free pizza,sundaes, and soda; characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and of course Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and Frosty.  In addition, our church's worship team plays Christmas carols, and we do our show twice throughout the evening. It's strange doing a Gospel juggling show in the meat aisle, but it's always a highlight of our holiday season.

Ths year, Rose had dress rehearsal for her Christmas dance recital, and Sue had to bring her, so I was the only Supreme Court Jester present at the gig.  It was not as well attended as past years, probably due to the below zero wind chill last night.  Nonetheless, there were hundreds of people who came there between the hours of 4:30 and 7:00.  

I always enjoy working with our worship team, who did a great job playing both secular and sacred Christmas songs.  They took two half hour breaks during which I did my show.  I adapted some juggling routines so that they were done this one time to Christmas songs, including Michael W. Smith's Jingle Bells and his instrumental I Saw Three Ships.  I also did routines to Melanie's Come All Ye Faithful and Hallelujah Chorus, which are regulars in my show anyway.  

Its a different style of performing there; much more like street performing in that things need to be fast paced or the audience will move on.  After all, I was competing with Mickey Mouse AND Santa!  But most people stayed- kids and adults- and I made it clear that Christmas was really about God's grace in sending us Jesus on the first Christmas. At a time where the headlines often make it seem that everyone is trying to remove the sacred meaning of the Christmas season, this was a nice reminder that those stories represent a fairly small number of people.  Everyone we met enjoyed what we did and no offense was taken because of the Gospel message.  This was my seventh year of doing this gig, and I keep getting invited back, so obviously there's not rampant hostility to the nativity story.  At least not in Naples.