An Eve of Joy and Reverence

Thousands of Orange County residents ushered in Christmas on Wednesday with the delicate voices of caroling children at a Santa Ana Catholic church, a dramatic re-creation in Mission Viejo of Christ’s birth and the return to the Crystal Cathedral of the Rev. Robert Schuller, who suffered a heart attack this month.

Before more than 3,000 celebrants Wednesday afternoon at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Schuller, 71, delivered his 200th Christmas sermon, maintaining a record that goes back 42 consecutive years.

He spoke of surprises in life, from unexpected gifts under the tree to the angels’ announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.

He also joked about his own most recent surprise: a minor heart attack that required angioplasty and that many people thought would keep him out of the pulpit Wednesday.

“I’ve had a year kind of filled with surprises,” he said. “There are going to be changes, and these changes are not going to be initiated by you but by a higher power. If you react positively to something that looks like a negative, you’ll have blessings you won’t believe.”

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The overflow crowd even filled a 500-seat tent erected next to the church. As it flapped in the cold night wind, it harked back to the tents at old-time revival meetings--but was equipped with stereo speakers and Sony Trinitron screens.

Christine Kay, 51, an British expatriate who has lived in Tustin 20 years, brought her visiting father-in-law to Schuller’s Christmas service.

“It takes you away from the commercial aspect,” she said. “Everybody’s into the material things, and that’s not what it’s all about.”

Her feelings were echoed by Pattie Amato of Moreno Valley: “You go through the stress of Christmas, and it’s like you forget the real meaning. But when I get here for the service, it’s the true meaning of Christmas for me.”

Amato’s daughter, Candy Gilbert, 21, a lifelong member of the church, was bringing her husband, Mark, to the holiday service for the first time. She said they enjoyed the singing but were disappointed that in the tent, they could not see the 75-foot Christmas tree on stage, the ceiling lights that resembled a constellation and the creche.

“It is an attraction,” she said. “I guess it’s like Disneyland for some people.”

Mark Gilbert said the only aspect he did not like was the ushers’ manhandling to get the crowd inside. “It’s kind of like going to a Raiders game,” he said.

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At St. Barbara’s Catholic Church in Santa Ana, which church officials say has the largest Vietnamese congregation in the nation, the children’s choir welcomed Christmas with carols.

As twilight fell, they softly sang such holiday fare as “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Joy to the World” in what Father Michael Kennedy called the true spirit of the holidays.

Kennedy told parishioners that the winter celebration began as a “pagan holiday” thousands of years ago before becoming a religious event after the birth of Christ. “In the last 100 years,” he lamented, “it’s gone the other way around. It’s gone from a Christian feast into a pagan feast again.”

But Kennedy praised the children of the choir, who had spent more than two months practicing, for putting aside their shyness and embracing the religious side of the holiday.

Like others in the choir, Tien Le, 10, of Fountain Valley said it was not a sacrifice.

“It’s fun to sing, and I like to proclaim the word of God,” Tien said. “I feel like I am giving something back.”

The children saved a spontaneous, heartfelt rendition of “Glory Praise the Lord” for those who stayed around after the service.

“It’s my favorite,” said Sebastian Acuna, 10, of Santa Ana. “It has a little rap sound in it. And it’s fun to shout, ‘Glory praise the Lord hallelujah!’ ”

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Worshipers streamed into services at the mammoth Saddleback Valley Community Church in Mission Viejo all day, some even undergoing a chilly baptism in the church courtyard.

The church attracts more than 16,000 people every Sunday, making it the fastest-growing Southern Baptist congregation in the country. Christmas Eve brought an equally remarkable show of support, much of it from the young South County families that constitute the bulk of church membership.

About 500 people attended a 12:30 p.m. service. Most were dressed casually in jeans and sweaters, and many came with neatly groomed children in tow. Five other services followed back-to-back throughout the afternoon and evening.

Pastor Rick Warren’s message: Now is the time to broaden lives limited by self-interest, commercialism and the drive for success, and to “get to know God and Jesus Christ.”

“God calls us up and gets a busy signal. We’ve got him on call waiting. We’re too busy watching TV,” said Warren, who donned a floral print short-sleeved shirt, his image beamed to the audience on five giant screens.

“Each of us came to this service for different reasons,” Warren said. “Some of you came out of habit. Some of you saw an ad in the paper. Some of you got stuck in traffic. You were on your way to Wal-Mart and you ended up here. But none of us are here by accident.”

Warren reached out to those experiencing a darker season.

“This Christmas, you may be feeling a little discouraged. You may be feeling a little lonely,” he said. “For some of you, this is your first Christmas since the divorce. For some of you, this is the first Christmas since the death of that loved one.

“I’m sorry, and my heart goes out to you. You don’t know what’s going to happen in 1998. God does. He will be with you every step of the way.”

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The six Christmas Eve services featured the church orchestra and choir, which sang as other members acted out a silent drama on stage. A costumed Mary cradled the Christ child as Joseph beamed at them in adoration and others dressed as the wise men passed through bearing gifts.

The service ended with a roar of applause to a gospel and saxophone duet.

“It was cool,” said Danielle King, 16, of Lake Forest.

Her mother, Kitty King, brought Danielle and her younger sister, 7-year-old Kristeen, because the church is important, and the day even more so.

“I wanted my children to experience this,” King said. “I want them to understand why they’re getting gifts. I want them to understand the spirit.”