Toddler Jesus and the Live Nativity

I received an email from the pastor at my church on Friday enquiring whether we would be in Washington over the holiday period and whether he could ask me 'a question about Christmas'. Intrigued, I replied he could call me whenever he wished. It transpired that the church was in need of a 'Holy Family' for the 5pm Christmas Eve Service, which includes a 'live nativity' (apparently not as graphic as it sounds). The pastor wanted to ask us to consider playing this role - they had tried some of the families with smaller children but, with so many people out of town for Christmas (an ironically different scenario to that of biblical Bethlehem), no Baby Jesus could be found.

Having never risen above the rank of Angel Gabriel in my childhood, I was absolutely delighted to have been asked to take part and couldn't wait to play the Virgin Mary. All that remained was for me to persuade the two men in the family to participate. Alex responded very enthusiastically when asked if he'd take on the role of Baby Jesus - he only knows two words, 'Mama' and 'Yuh', and replied emphatically with the latter. Apparently the fact that Alex is a pretty enormous 12-month old rather than a newborn baby does not matter - the fact that he is 'cute' and has no hair was sufficient to secure him the leading role. Simon was slightly a more reluctant Joseph but, after 24 hours of pleading and a delicious home-cooked supper, I finally convinced him to agree. Apparently he has 'form' playing Joseph, although the last time he trod the stable boards was as an 11 year old schoolboy.

We went along to the rehearsal at church today. I only wish I possessed the ability to adequately describe the look on Simon's face when he was told that, rather than coming in towards the end of the proceedings as he had been led to believe, we would be required to sit at the front of the church for the whole 'Story of Christmas' whilst various animals, angels, shepherds and Kings come to pay their respects. Better still was his attempt to look unpeturbed when told that his 'costume' would be ready on Tuesday.  We were walked through our parts. The Holy Family enters from the back of the church and advances up the aisle to the following words:

'As night gathers, the last two travelers come slowly up the road. Look, there is a young woman about to be a mother. She is walking with her husband. They are Joseph and Mary from Nazareth!'

In a rather unusual twist to the tale, the young woman about to be a mother will actually be carrying her infant in her arms as they enter the stable; Baby Jesus's acute separation anxiety means that he is refusing to be apart from Mary and Joseph whilst they journey towards Bethlehem.

The rehearsal was predictably and splendidly chaotic: the teenage cow walked up the aisle too fast; the donkey spent most of the rehearsal texting and the Three Wise Men were unsure in which order to process. Our friend Maggie was worried that her 3-year-old son, who would be playing a sheep, would not be able to sit still on stage for the length of time required, but was told by the wonderfully reassuring Sunday School organiser that every year there is a 'Sheep Mom' worried about whether her child would wander from the flock, and it always turns out all right on the night. Toddler Jesus sat pretty angelically for the duration of the rehearsal - I'm not sure whether the Messiah needed to be bribed with rice cakes and raisins when he was in the manger, but it certainly worked for Alex. After the practice was over all the little animals wanted to pet Alex, who sat patiently before the adoring menagerie  whilst they stroked his head and kissed his cheeks. (Jesus seemed as surprised as I was to learn that the nativity scene included a duck, who narrowly avoided being trodden by one of the camels, but took it all in his beatific stride).

I appreciate that starring in the local nativity play clothed in a striped dressing gown and wearing a tea-towel was not quite the start to Christmas that Simon had anticipated. At least no-one will recognise him under all that fabric. (But for anyone that's interested, the service will be at 5pm on Christmas Eve at the Metropolitan Memorial Church on Nebraska Avenue. Just don't tell Joseph I tipped you off).

Comments

[Sarah]

Oh Joy to the world, how fortuitous that this year we were intending to attend Metropolitan - do they allow flash photography?????

[Marie]

If only I wasn't (a) flying to Botswana and (b) there were flights to Washington at the moment anyway. I would literally cross continents to be there. I expect a fully-illustrated match report.

[Etienne, Agnes, and 4 baby Jesus]

We want and update! How did he do? (Simon, not Alex.)

Happy New Year!

[Helen Mackenzie]

Photos pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase - though to be honest after the mental picture you have painted they can be nothing but an anti-climax!!!!!!