....but I got to play her in my preschool nursery program. It's interesting to me now that I wasn't cast as an angel; even at the tender age of four, I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. They sang "Silent Night"...I was silent.I had forgotten about this, but when I got bogged down with my
Wanna hear something really....odd? As much as it touches my heart to see this, in spite of the fact my heart EXPLODED when my own daughter was cast to play Mary a few years ago, I think these re-enactments profane the truth. They sanitize it and make it a "cute", one-dimensional event, rather than the amazing, painful, smelly, uncertain, bloody, lonely, time-defining, incomparable, life-giving MIRACLE it was.
And still is.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. The Gospel of Luke 2:4~20
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9 Comments:
I never get tired of reading this.
Thank you.
precious picture - thx for the scripture
Thank you for sharing the cool clipping from the newspaper :)...
BTW - I'll be posting the passage on Christmas day on my blog.
Susan, It's best read s l o w l y ;).
LCO, :), enough "said".
Iris, the perfect one for Christmas day :).
Beautifully written!
I don't particularly like such reenactments either, not even when they're within a church. Personally, I have little need for drama to be mixed in with church.
I could say so much more than this, but I'll hold off.
My biggest memory as a kid was the year I was cast as a pig. What the ??? After tears and lamentations to my mom I was changed to a bunny....a bunny in a stable? Now, I know the sweet lady was just trying to come up with something for every child to be so no one was left out - but isn't there a better way? How about a choir of angels? And I'm with you on the importance of remembering how humble the beginning (and end for that matter) really were.
Hugs,
Holly
Holly's Corner
Sweet- I liked the part about you throwing hay. (and you remembered!!!)
That picture was amazing, and it warmed my heart.
I totally get what you're saying about the reinactments, but when we are young both in age and in faith, these things are what our hearts and minds can grasp and hold while we're maturing to a point of understanding the AWESOMENESS of that miracle. We're spoon fed what we can digest.
On that note, one of my dearest friends has a 4 year old son who's very familiar with the Christmas story and the Easter story and stories like the miracle of the loaves and fishes. But last Sunday, when my friend thought his son was paying no attention to the sermon, the minister declared, "And the next time He comes, He'll be coming for His children." The precious little boy, startled, looked at his Daddy and said, "He's coming BACK?!?"
Thank you for the lovely story and the scripture. Oh, and that OH so sweet picture!
Merry Christmas!!!!
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