Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Reason for the Season


This Christmas season my family discovered something new, Echos of Christmas at Liberty Park. It is a unique live nativity experience, each group is lead by a shepherd to seven different scenes that tell the story of Christ's birth. At each stop the characters would sing a song describing their part of the story and their thoughts and feelings of the amazing event that was taking place. (The pictures of our bundled family members were taken by bethy)



The first scene was a little shepherd boy named David who sang a song about wondering the eternal questions of why he was here and where he was going in this life. He had the cutest little black sheep with him that was meant to symbolize the feelings we all experience of being the black sheep of the fold as well as how important every sheep is, even the black ones who stray from the path every once in a while.







Next our guide led us to the shepherds that were visited by the angle and were told about the miraculous birth that was in Bethlehem that they needed to be witnesses for so they could spread the word of the babe in the manger throughout the land.







Next the wise men preparing for their journey to find the Christ child





Then our shepherd led us to the inn keepers that had said their inn was too full but offered their stable as a place to sleep.



Next we were invited to listen to Mary and Joseph sing about their new born baby and their feelings of blessing as well as their concerns about the hard life this little baby would have to live in order to fulfill the mission he was sent to earth to accomplish.







Last of all we heard the songs of praise the choir of angles sang at the birth of our savior.











The Reason for the Season (Part II)


When we got home from the live nativity at Liberty Park we did our own annual nativity. All of the little kids were so cute in their costumes. Evie was a good little shepherd, she was very, very protective of her little lambs. Will had a hard time choosing between being a shepherd and a wise man so he came up with a costume that had elements of both. Lucky little Sam was the baby of the year so he got to be the sweet baby Jesus, and Jenny and Mike finally got to be Mary and Joseph.











































Afterward we sang carols, Will's favorite Christmas song is Picture a Christmas. Cute Karin had each of her boys draw pictures to go along with the lyrics of the song and Will absolutely loves showing them as we sing. He often asks to sing that song so that he can be in charge of showing the pictures.