For the past two school years, I have been the spiritual life coordinator for Windham Christian Academy, where I also teach middle school and coach juggling.  One of my responsibilities in the SLC is to lead two chapel services each week: upper school and elementary school.  This December, I felt I should do an upper chapel that would be a little different and special for the week before Christmas.  Even though I've been sidelined a bit with an ear infection,  decided to do a juggling chapel, intersperced with Christmas music.  Our music teacher this year is Renee, who was a student of mine back in 2009-2011.  It was a true joy to alternate between my routines and Renee and her student song leaders: Natasha, Amber and Caroline.  These ladies, combined with Renee's piano, were a beautiful compliment to what I did.

I opened with a glow in the dark (blacklight) routine.  It started with me flag swinging flourescent yellow flags to "O Come O Come, Emmaunel" I wore all black except for white gloves, so the effect was only my hands were performing.  The first song faded out at a certain point (thatks, Avery) and an upbeat version of Michael W. Smith's "Emmaunel" came on.  I continued in the dark, juggling glowing balls and rings.  Christmas is the time we remember the light of God coming into our world.

The musicians then came on and led singing traditional carols while I changed out of my all black get up.  I came back on to to do "O Come All Ye Faithful", a cigar box routine I do year round.  Then I read my blog "Search for the Lost Nativity"  (search it on this site; it's pretty funny.)  And followed that up with juggling to "Stuff" by Tom Franzac.  Not a Christmas song, but a satire of humanity's tendency to materialism.  

I stepped aside for more music, that sounded as angelic as ever.  I came back on to do my balance board routine to the "Hallelujah Chorus", then read my blog "Echoes" (also on this site).  I ended by doing interactive juggling to Melanie's very upbeat version of "Good King Wensceslaus".  I introduced it with some history of who this king was, and how a song that has nothing to do with Christmas become a Christmas carol.  "Good King Wenscelaus went out, on the Feast of Stephen..."  The Feast of Stephen is December 26th, and it's really a Boxing Day song about tending to the poor.

We closed with more singing, and this chapel is definitely one of my highlights of this Christmas season.