When First Baptist Church of Magee presents their Christmas music and drama program this year on Sunday, December 5, and Monday, December 6, it will be an act of faith for the choir and the church’s minister of music, Lance Word.
Since COVID shut down many churches in 2020, some, even after reopening, have been slow to add back the traditional Christmas and Easter musical presentations for the community. Some smaller churches lost choir members during the pandemic and don’t feel able to undertake a Christmas musical, and others remain hesitant to plan any kind of big event for their congregations and the community.
Bill and Martha Rice of Natchez, parents of Jennifer Ashley of Magee, will join the First Baptist Sanctuary Choir for the presentation this weekend because their church, First Baptist of Natchez, cancelled its Christmas program in back in August. “We have been out of choir for so long,” said Martha Rice. “We just wanted to sing!”
The title of the musical presentation, Our Joy Has Come, expresses the theme that Word wants to celebrate with the church and guests.
“We started with the theme of joy,” he said. “Since March of 2020, we’ve been beaten down by life for 18 to 20 months now. We’ve seen so much hatred and division in our country, not to mention all the fear of COVID. Our own church has experienced the deaths of members. We’ve been separated from each other for so long with the pandemic. We need each other. We need to come together, and we need joy back in our lives. We’re doing this in faith that God will bless it,” he said.
Word chose this particular musical, he said, because it shows us that believers can still have joy in a difficult world. “Joy comes from God,” he added, “and this musical expresses that.”
The musical contains a variety of music styles, from strains of familiar carols to references to the “Halleluja Chorus,” with some songs from other works added. A children’s chorus will join in one song. Dramatic scenes will be performed, and the finale will include a presentation by a group from the Magee High School Trojan Marching Band Color Guard.
The 36-voice choir has been working on the program since August.
“We want to reach people with a joyful worship service,” said Word. “This is the Truth being sung.”
Performances will be free and open to the public on Sunday and Monday nights, Dec. 5 and 6, at 6:30 p.m. First Baptist Church is located at 222 First Street NW in Magee.
