The Night Before Christmas Eve

Christmas did not come early this year, but Christmas Eve did.

The First United Methodist Church of Odessa hosted "The Night Before Christmas Eve" celebration Tuesday night to offer Odessans a contemporary Christmas celebration of Jesus' birth.

Approximately 150 people were in attendance.

The Rev. Terry Tamplen, UMC's senior pastor, said this year's celebration, the first of its kind for the church, was scheduled for the day before Christmas Eve to help families with small children avoid the stress, hustle and bustle often associated with attending Dec. 24 services.

"It's an experiment," he said. "We simply thought we'd try it."

He said the church also will be holding the usual traditional Christmas Eve service tonight.

Odessa resident Sheena McMillian, who attended the service with her 4-year-old and 5-month-old children, said she appreciated the opportunity to celebrate the day before Christmas Eve.

"Usually we have to rush and worry on Christmas Eve, or we don't rush because we won't go," she said. "This is good because we get the best of both worlds."

During the event, Christmas scripture was read as dozens of children acted out the stories in front of a live nativity scene. As the story was read, the stage filled with angels, manger animals, shepherds and the three kings.

Tamplen gave a brief sermon in which he remembered receiving care packages as a seminary student in Kansas, when he would be delighted most by the packages with fresh shipments of ranch-style baked beans from Texas, where they were available.

"You know," he continued, "if you think about it, Jesus was God's care package, God's love package from home."

A communion ended with Santa Claus, hat in hand, receiving communion and kneeling at the manger next to Jesus' crib.

"That is to symbolize that the holiday is not about Santa Claus," Tamplen said, "but Jesus Christ."

The service concluded as hundreds held candles in the air and sang "Silent Night."