Pay ‘Visit to Bethlehem’ in McCandless

Oh, little town of McCandless.

Quite likely, it’s one of the most told and well-known stories of the past 2,000 years. And St. John’s Lutheran Church of Highland in McCandless wants to bring it to life this Christmas season.

“A Visit to Bethlehem,” a live reenactment of the time and birth of Jesus, will take place at the church on Cumberland Road from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 7, 8, 14 and 15,

“The church transforms the fellowship hall in the basement into the village of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth. Historical research went into creating the experience in order to give visitors a sense of what life might have been like at that time,” said the Rev. Kari Smail, pastor at St. John’s.

New this year, a candlelight processional concert will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 6, featuring a small orchestra, adult and youth choirs, bell choir and narrations. Both events are free, but the concert requires tickets by emailing Becononthehillproductions@gmail.com.

“It is such a joy for our congregation to be able to come together and offer this interactive experience for the larger community, which serves as a reminder of the true reason for Christmas. It helps us to share the good news with others that God loves us so much that God came to earth in the birth of Jesus,” Smail said.

With it being quite the production, the event usually happens every other year, with the last Bethlehem reenactment in 2022. Members of the church take various roles in the makeshift town, likely present at the time of Jesus’ birth.

There will be Ceasar’s notorious census booth, counting guests. Rug weavers and basket weavers will work in their stores, and an herb shop will feature items being prepared for medicinal use and burial.

Musicians will sing about the coming Messiah, and Bethlehem residents will stomp real grapes in a vineyard to make into wine. Visitors can sample from the village bakery, and a rabbi can be found nearby teaching at a synagogue. There’s even a jail where people are detained.

A carpenter and potter eachwill be working at the respective trade, and visitors may overhear some local gossip at the town well where the women are collecting water.

“There is an inn where the innkeeper laments turning people away, and there is, of course, a cave where a tiny baby has just been born,” Smail said.

The event gives an opportunity for members of the church’s congregation and community to work together in a creative way, she said. Volunteers range in age from infants to seniors, making it a “truly a multigenerational event,” she said.

“St. John’s of Highland sees this as a wonderful way to connect with our community and immerse people in the Christmas story. While we budget for this ministry expense, the biggest resource that is required to make this happen is people. We have a saying as Bethlehem approaches that ‘it takes a village to create a village’,” Smail said.

Many volunteers sign up months in advance for particular roles, and construction on the village starts in the beginning of November.

The roles for each of the people in the village vary from day to day, and in the case of the Holy Family, may be filled by more than one family in a day, Smail said. She once played the role of Mary with her daughter as Baby Jesus.

Along with actors, there are volunteers for a construction crew, a team to distribute costumes, a group to direct visitors when they arrive and kitchen volunteers for snacks. The food sold at the event benefits the church’s youth programming, and reewill offerings all go to local ministry partners.

Bryan Abbott, a member of St. John’s, has been directing and producing the church’s theatrical productions since 2018. This year is the first year he is coordinating A Visit to Bethlehem.

“Bethlehem is meaningful to our church because of its 27-year history and outreach to our community,” Abbott said.

The event has had more than 100,000 visitors since it began, according to the church’s website.

Visit www.stjohnslutheranchurch.com for more information.