It is no secret: I love nativities. I have a growing collection, some of
which I keep out all year round both at home and in my office, and the rest I
put out each year well before Thanksgiving.
Most of us have at least one nativity or crèche that we put on display at
Christmas. The words “nativity” and “crèche” mean the same thing: figures that
recall the setting of our Lord’s birth. What I find fascinating is how the same
basic scene has been imagined in so many different ways.
Nativities made in Italy, Germany, France, Russia, Peru, Kenya – each reflecting the culture the artisan lives in and how he or she imagined that first Christmas looked.
The National Cathedral has a wonderful exhibit each year of dozens of the
nativities in their large collection. The exhibit runs from November 19 through
early January and is not to be missed. Our Wednesday Bible Study group will
take a trip to the Cathedral on November 28 to see the exhibit – all are
welcome to join us.
And of course, we’ll have our own exhibit of nativities next month as part
of our Advent Festival. If you don’t have a nativity, you might want to make
this the year you add a nativity to your Christmas decorations. I can point you to some of my favorite websites that offer wonderful selections and styles.
A nativity is the perfect decoration to put on display in November, for
the tableau should fill us with a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving for the
wonderful gift God gave us on that first Christmas in our Lord Jesus Christ.
“In everything give thanks, for this is God’s
will for you in Christ Jesus” - the baby born for us.
Grace & peace,
Pastor Skip
