Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

On Dec 1st in Leander Texas the 5th Annual Leander Christmas Parade was held presented by the Leander Community Club. The event is held each year on the first Saturday of December with local business, churches, clubs and the Leander Police and Fire Departments participating with floats, cars, trucks and more. The beneficiary of the event is Project Blue Santa which collects toys and gifts for deserving kids and families in community. An estimated 2000 people watched and participated in the year’s event. In addition to the parade there was a tree lighting ceremony, carolers, a nativity scene, a reading of the Christmas Story, Santa and an Elvis impersonator?!?! Nothing says Merry Christmas like Elvis.

Good News United Methodist Church entered a spirited and whimsical float with a theme of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Forty to fifty entrants presented a float or marched in the parade. This was our first year to enter a float and with a good idea (thanks Pastor Bob!) and three weeks preparation our entry took 3rd place in the Best Float contest! As I rode through the parade and I saw the smiles and laughter of the crowd I am convinced it was the Peanuts characters and positive message of our float that won the hearts and minds of the judges. Our float entry consisted of a Good News UMC banner leading the way, a beautiful white truck pulling a Snoopy’s dog house, Charlie Brown’s tree, Lucy’s psychiatric booth, signs reading Luke 2:10 and of course the adorable Peanuts gang. Pastor Bob Rainey also read the Christmas Story from the festival stage. While it was disappointing that the reading was the last event of night and the vast majority of the crowd had gone home for the night, the Word was still read and received by those still there to hear it.

Special Thanks! --- to Elizabeth Hollingsworth for making the banner, Brian Marak for pulling the trailer, Warren Waterman for the use of his trailer, Lewis and Lavenda Elmer for making the signs, the many members that walked with the float and passed out candy and of course the Peanuts gang; Richard(Charlie Brown), Ryanne(Linus), Austin(Snoopy), Addison(Lucy), Ashley(Sally), Reagan(Peppermint Patty), Jason(Pig Pen) and Camryn(Woodstock).

As you may recall the story of Charlie Brown’s Christmas begins with him saddened by the growing commercialism of Christmas. Things get worse for him as his friends tease him as he tries to direct them in the school Christmas parade. It seems Charlie Brown can’t do anything right. Frustrated with the play Charlie Brown’s screams "doesn’t anyone know what Christmas is all about?" Then the story’s hero(Linus) steps to the center of the stage and recites Luke 2:8-14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Lifted by Linus’ message Charlie Brown heads home with a smile on his face. Soon the whole gang meets at Snoopy’s doghouse to shout MERRY CHRISTMAS CHARLIE BROWN and sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

GNUMC entry into the parade carried that same message to the people of Leander. In a world filled with mistletoe and ‘ho ho ho’, we shared the birth of Jesus Christ with the city of Leander.

...and that’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.

p.s. A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired in 1965. Did you know that Charles Schultz had to stand his ground and pursued TV executives to keep Linus reciting from the bible? TV execs did not agree with a children’s program on prime time TV reading directly from the King James Version. God Bless your soul Charles Schultz. Thank you from the generations to generations that love Peanuts.