Cold Spring Mennonite Church presents ‘Walk through Bethlehem’
Providing a glimpse into the world of Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus, Cold Spring Mennonite Church presented its annual Walk through Bethlehem this past week, drawing hundreds of visitors each night.
It was the second year the church had presented the event, building on last year’s success.
You could call it an expansion of the Live Nativity scenes that one sees around many churches during the Christmas season.
Cold Spring put a new spin on it. Beginning with the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 9, the church presented--all outdoors--the Christmas story, beginning with the visit of the angel to Mary, and continuing with Mary’s visit to Elizabeth.
Congregation members and students at Cold Spring Mennonite School joined forces to dress in costume to provide a living portrayal of the Nativity story, complete with live animals.
The audience was divided into small groups and led from station to station.
The audience then passed through the “town of Bethlehem”, as envisioned by the church, to represent the people of Bethlehem in all their various endeavors.
Here, a girl offered fresh grapes, and there, another girl was offering fresh bread.
At the “market” there were women making baskets, and nearby there was a blacksmith’s shop.
A young man supplied pennies to those entering the “market,” so that they could pay their “taxes,” and “Roman soldiers” stood nearby, looking suitably stern.
The market scene was interrupted by Mary and Joseph, with Joseph asking the innkeeper for a room, and everybody who had ever been to Sunday School knew what the answer was.
From here, the audience visited the shepherds, as they, in turn, were visited by the angels, and ending up at the Nativity scene.
The dramatic portrayals were interspersed with music, with “cast” members lifting, a cappella, their voices in song.
Members of the audience were treated to cookies and hot chocolate after the “Walk,” and they gathered inside the church to enjoy the snacks and watch a Christian video.
Among those in the audience on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 12, was Dr. Skip Hopkins of Donalds.
“I can’t think of a better way to present the Christmas Story than the experience provided by Cold Spring Mennonite Church,” he said Monday.
“We were impressed with the realistic depiction of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that I was able to experience it with my family and look forward to coming back next year. I would like to say thank you to all of those involved with this incredible ministry.”