It was just a week ago that I believe I experienced a bit of heaven here on earth!!! No, Chocolate was not involved. Well, there was one cookie that had some chocolate in it…but that was just a bonus to what was going on. After several years of talking about it, Nancy, Mom and I finally found a free evening to take in the Nora Store Christmas experience.
In case you aren’t sure what the Nora Store Christmas is all about it, I’ll tell you. You can also go to Facebook and do a search of Nora Store Christmas. Nora is a tiny community about 12 miles southeast of Beresford, SD. The Nora Store was an actual functioning general store from 1907 until 1962. The current owner, Mike, purchased the building in the mid 1980’s. Mike happens to be a music lover and he had the opportunity to acquire a pipe organ from USD in Vermillion. He decided to have the pipe organ assembled in his “store” front room. That would be sort of like putting a pipe organ in the Gathering Area space of our church.
Mike decided, since the organ had been a gift to him, he decided that he would give back to the community, thus, the Nora Store Christmas experience came to be. So, for three to four weekends before Christmas, Mike opens up his store to anyone who shows up, to sing Christmas Carols and simply share in the joy and love of Christmas. Mike said that this was the 34th year that he has been doing this and over those thirty-four years, he has never missed a weekend due to sickness, etc.
We arrived at 5:30, expecting the program to begin at 6:30. Everyone says that if you want a seat, you’ve got to get there early. So, we did, and we weren’t the first to arrive. Yes, we got seats for the three of us, but within 15 minutes of our arrival, all the seats that were set up were filled. Then they started pulling out folding chairs and setting them up anywhere there was an opening. And people kept coming! What struck me as so wonderful is that the crowd that gathered last Friday evening, and it was a crowd, all appeared to be in such a good mood.
The joy and spirit of the singing was truly infectious. In fact, why I say I experienced a bit of heaven in the moment is that everyone involved seemed focus on one thing…Christmas. There was no sense of…Ok, Methodists sit here, Lutherans over there, Catholics in this section, Baptists in that area, etc., etc. No, we all sat together, young and old alike, shoulder to shoulder, and I do mean it was shoulder to shoulder. We didn’t talk politics, the economy, or global events. We simply sang Christmas songs and allowed the joy of the moment to fill us and inspire us. I didn’t see a frowning face as people left the store. There were smiles all around with words of “Merry Christmas!” and “Happy Holidays!”
As the evening progressed, Mike, the master musician and master of ceremonies for the evening, even commented at one point that the one thing we all had in common that evening was Jesus…and that’s all that mattered. I know, in a crowd of that size, it is likely there were different understandings and beliefs about who Jesus was (and is). But that’s OK. Because that is a part of the Christmas Story too…not everyone in Matthew or Luke’s story of Christmas understood or even accepted who or what this tiny baby represented. But still, Jesus came…for one and for all, making God’s love and presence real in this world.
So, if you haven’t had the Nora Store Christmas experience, I believe this is the final weekend. You might give it a try. If you do, by the end of the evening you’ll likely find your heart overflowing with the gift of music and the joy of the season, all because of the most incredible gift of all…Jesus.
Pastor Keith