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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Christmas Pageant
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Freddy
Shipmate
# 365
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Posted
Does your church put on a Christmas Pageant?
At my church we call this "the tableaux" and it is one of the biggest events of the year, attended by about 2,000 people. It is now also livestreamed and the one held this past Sunday, December 9, can be seen here.
It lasts about 40 minutes and, like similar ones everywhere, is just an enactment of the familiar story, with music.
The highlight of it is that everyone is invited to come forward among the singing shepherds to see a live Baby Jesus, who is surrounded by Mary and Joseph and angels.
At the church entrance there is also a campfire with singing shepherds and very friendly sheep, a donkey, goats, and a camel that people can pat and play with.
Does your church do something like this? Do you like it? For me it has always been a highlight of my year, and makes me cry like a baby.
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"Consequently nothing is of greater importance to a person than knowing what the truth is." Swedenborg
Posts: 12845 | From: Bryn Athyn | Registered: Jun 2001
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dj_ordinaire
Host
# 4643
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Posted
I've never been to such a thing, no (although I did see a rather smashing donkey in reindeer antlers when I was in town earlier).
Would I be right in thinking that the nearest UK equivalent would probably be the school nativity play?
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Flinging wide the gates...
Posts: 10335 | From: Hanging in the balance of the reality of man | Registered: Jun 2003
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Mamacita
Lakefront liberal
# 3659
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by dj_ordinaire:
Would I be right in thinking that the nearest UK equivalent would probably be the school nativity play?
Having no frame of reference for a Nativity Play, other than the Ship of Fools version, I guess that would be a fair comparison.
The Christmas Pageant at Freddy's church sounds very impressive and sets a high bar for the rest of us ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) who have a more low-key approach. At my place, the Pageant serves as the Liturgy of the Word in a late-afternoon service on Christmas Eve. We have a simple telling of the Biblical story, based on the Godly Play™ "Children's Liturgy for Christmas Eve." The children are in costumes and they carry large but lightweight crèche pieces up to the sanctuary.
In the US you will find some type of Christmas Pageant in many churches. The variables tend to be: - Whether it takes place on Christmas Eve or one of the last Sundays in Advent [yeah, I know ...].
- Whether the age range includes just little kids, or teenagers as well. Some parishes, particularly those with few children, might have adults play roles too, but a Pageant is generally a children's thing.
- Whether you relate the story through Narrators or by having the children deliver lines. Obviously a direct correlation to the amount of time people are willing to put in.
- Whether you do the straight Biblical story -- often the usual Luke/Matthew mash-up -- or whether you have a "play" with non-Biblical characters and some type of made-up story. (I've seen many scripts for the latter and they can be truly cloying. I don't know any Episcopal churches that use them.)
I've found it interesting each year to see the discussion threads on the Christingle service, which is rare in the US. It seems we are all trying to engage children and their families in particular ways at this time of year.
Working with both children and teenagers, I find it very touching that, year after year, the older teens will speak lovingly of their Christmas Pageant experiences. I know many adults (and not a few people here ![[Biased]](wink.gif) ) who would studiously avoid attending a church service with a Christmas Pageant. But I have no doubt that these are truly formational experiences for a lot of children.
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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Posts: 20761 | From: where the purple line ends | Registered: Dec 2002
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
We have, in the past, had a sort of DIY pageant at the Christmas Eve Crib Service, with willing ![[Devil]](graemlins/devil.gif) volunteers dressing up and handling various props (we have a lovely woolly toy sheep which somehow always reminds me of our Shipmate Spiffy......) in order to create a 'Living Crib' scene.
This year, our Sunday Club leaders (we now have 2 of them!) are doing something a bit more organised, but I have no doubt it will be as informal (and slightly chaotic) as now seems to be the norm when we have kids in church!
(Freddy's church and its doings are just that bit different to some others, and very refreshing it all is, too. Alas, the Swedenborgians/New Church seem to be down to just two congregations in the UK....)
Ian J.
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Freddy
Shipmate
# 365
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Bishops Finger:
(Freddy's church and its doings are just that bit different to some others, and very refreshing it all is, too. Alas, the Swedenborgians/New Church seem to be down to just two congregations in the UK....)
I'm not sure if the Swedenborgian congregations in the UK have Christmas pageants. Which two congregations do you you mean? London and Colchester? Birmingham? There is no "official" Swedenborgian church so there are a number of different organizations, with several other congregations in the UK.
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"Consequently nothing is of greater importance to a person than knowing what the truth is." Swedenborg
Posts: 12845 | From: Bryn Athyn | Registered: Jun 2001
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