Pageant

Our one and only rehearsal was snowed out. 

We met a little over and hour before worship began, picked out costumes, got our scripts, and ran through the pageant once. Once. 

Luckily the Interpretive Movement Ministry, which was part of the performance, had rehearsed in weeks prior and knew what they were doing. We call our Interpretive Movement Ministry a ten minute ministry because we have all of ten minutes between Tuesday Night Sunday School and Choir rehearsal to learn and practice. 

We reserved our seats, went over our lines, and had a really difficult time not laughing hysterically whenever the shepherds had their part. Then we waited for the rest of the cast to arrive.

Seats filled up as people arrived for worship. They soon discovered that they, too, would be a part of the Pageant - the entire congregation was the cast!

Soon it was time for us to begin - the readings had been read, the gospel proclaimed, the choir transitioned from worship to pageant with "Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came". Then this happened...

Laughter and joy abounded as we experienced together the story of Jesus' birth in a unique way. 

Following the Pageant, the Interpretive Movement Ministry touched hearts with their performance of When Love Was Born (Mark Schultz). 

God, thank your for youths and adults who put their hearts and their time into praising you through Pageant, movement, and song. Thank you for our Angel Gabriel and his custom-made wings and for Barbara, who took video of the Pageant so that we may share it with others. Help us all to hold the meaning of your birth in our hearts and minds throughout Advent, the Christmas season, and always. Help us to be as excited about and as willing to tell others about the wonders of your birth as the shepherds were and to accept your will in our lives as willingly as Mary.