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Photo from this morning's Pop-Up nativity, with the angel/narrator having to go around the 'Big Scary Romans'... but it's crying out for a caption, methinks!
(Not wearing a dog collar, the white 'flash' is a clip on portable transmitter for a digital hearing aid!!)
Today for the first time, I will be leading a 'pop-up nativity' using Bible Society material (from 2017!!)
The premise is simple - people are invited to dress up as their favourite character in the story, to join in some pantomime style responses, and to sing lots of carols/songs.
The version we're using is based the 'Bear Hunt' game/story and is called The Greatest Story.
As the traveller/angel/narrator I'll be wearing my 'believe' jumper and a tinsel halo, as one does!
The countdown to Christmas is now on...
It's going to very full on - and it's going to be fun!
My Vicar School jumper arrived today - there is a good choice of colours for these hoodies, which are specially ordered once a year (I think). I chose 'blue ink' which is actually a very dark teal/petrel kind of a colour.
I guess that makes me kind of officially attired!
It's really quite small (the size you might put on a sideboard), and you could so easily walk by without spotting it, but in the Memorial Square in Railway Town is a beautiful nativity scene in a shed.
I like that I could so easily have failed to notice it.
I like that it's small and insignificant next to the bright white lights on the trees.
I like that that's how it would have been - nothing to see, just a another peasant baby, born in an out of the way place that no-one ever went.
Today I have been working on the service of Lessons and Carols for Advent 4, also known, this year as Christmas Eve!
I decided to go totally traditional and use only Bible readings - but which ones? Looking back over previous years' outlines, I ended up with a list of thirteen scripture passages to choose from. In the end, I a using ten of them - one as a 'call to worship' and nine to be read in the main body of the service.
Choosing carols was also a good challenge, as usually I've been interspersing 'choir' and 'congregation' but this year it's all 'congregation'... so we begin with some lovely Advent pieces before moving into Christmas and, yes, even Epiphany.
I am looking forward to seeing what folk make of it - a new context is always as challenge as 'everyone' knows what 'always' happens, except the new minister and any of the new folk who have joined or visited us over the past few months.
Just the small matter of the Christingle and Christmas Day left to plan...