A presentation – the Jesus storyThis post, my last before Christmas, I'd like to share a presentation of the Christmas message that Ngaio Union Church, where I'm a member, offered to our local community last Sunday. It's a story of the birth of Jesus written and narrated by three church members and mimed to that narration by other members. It entertains as well as informs. Consequently it contains an element of burlesque while still telling the story with serious intent. It's a walk from the Ngaio Town Hall (Nazareth) to Cummings Park (the fields where the shepherds were) to the church (Bethlehem). The event was advertised around the suburb and so people came to join the walk. You, the reader can't hear the narration or join in singing the carols the band is playing but do please enjoy the pictures. Please move through the pictures in order. To enlarge a picture click it. The crowd assembling at Nazareth.The narrators begin the story. Mary, pregnant, sits in her house. Gabriel comes to Mary to tell her that the baby is from God. Mary tells Joseph her fiance. He's furious. An angel tells Joseph, it's okay. They get ready to go to Bethehem for a census. The band leads off. The crowd follows. En route they go through the bush to the fields where the shepherds have a vision. The sheperds are with their sheep. Gabriel arrives and points them to Bethlehem. The band leads off. Back they all go, then along a road or two to the stable at Bethlehem to see Mary and her baby. The shepherds worship Jesus. Jump forward. Jesus is a little boy. Three wise men arrive with gifts. They give gold, frankincense, myrrh. An angel says to Joseph "Herod is killing babies. Flee to Egypt." So as Joseph, Jesus and Mary flee, the story walk finishes. Then everyone flees, (narrators, actors, band, followers), not to Egypt, but into the church building, out of the cold wind, to eat and drink. Showing the essenceWhy did the church bother doing this? These secular days fewer and fewer people know what Christmas is about. Sure, go to church on Christmas Day and the christian christmas story will be heard. But percentagewise few people are church attenders. So this attractive and lively telling was put out in the community where it could be seen and heard by any who chose to give it a second glance and a second thought. We hope many did. □ With Christmas Greetings John McInnes Friday 20 December 2019 Credits: All photos in this post were taken for Ngaio Union Church by Ngaio photographer, Colin McDiarmid, Photographer of People, (04 479-1722). Used by permission of both church and photographer. Please Note: There will not be a post to this blog Friday 27 December. There will be a post Friday 3 January 2020 ##########
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