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RELIGION: Hartland church reliving the story of Bethlehem
GASPORT — Frankincense and myrrh. Poor man’s bread. Mosaics and other ancient crafts. The hustle and bustle of census-taking.
Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth will be recreated Saturday at Hartland United Methodist Church.
“A Night in Bethlehem,” organized by Sue West, is an attempt to let people experience the sights, sounds, scents and characters of the historic village as it was then.
About 40 church members have taken character roles or worked behind the scenes to raise Bethlehem inside their fellowship hall.
Visitors will be greeted by a census taker, have their photo taken and proceed to reliving the circumstances at the time of Jesus’ birth.
At different marketplace stalls, they can try their hand at take-away crafts including homemade perfume (using olive oil and scents supplied by the Amish); visit a Jewish home; and taste traditional foods such as figs, pomegranates and yeast-less bread. Meanwhile, characters of the time — shepherds, beggars, Roman soldiers, the tax collector, Mary and Joseph — will mill about the village, providing guests an intimate, interactive history lesson.
West is depending on character actors to really get into their roles. They’ve been armed with guides to dress and historical background only, she said; their lines are to be ad-libbed.
“It’s our first attempt at this,” she adds cheerfully. “We’ll hope it’s good and authentic.”
“A Night In Bethlehem” is a relatively new Christmas program by Group Publisher, a producer of religious education materials. West believes Hartland UMC’s production is one of the first in the area. She suggested it’s a leap of faith for church members who’ve been used to quieter, more inward reflection on the meaning of Christmas.
“Selfishly, it’s to let the Hartland community know we’re here. We’ve been unto ourselves for a time. We haven’t reached out, and it’s time,” West said.
Production assistant LeeAnn Mandaville said it’s exciting trying something “a little bit different” to spread the word about Christmas. Her children, 13-year-old Josh and 8-year-old Shelby, are characters in the production, though Shelby had a hard time deciding whether to be an angel or the child serving bread to guests in the Jewish home.
“A Night In Bethlehem” is ongoing for a two-hour span; visitors can arrive any time to tour the village, West said. Elsewhere in the church, Pastor Wayne West is offering an eight-minute PowerPoint presentation about Bethlehem.
GO BACK IN TIME
• WHAT: A Night In Bethlehem
• WHEN: 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday
• WHERE: Hartland United Methodist Church, 8017 Ridge Road, Gasport (between Orangeport and Hartland roads)
• ADMISSION: Free
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