Hickory church presents Journey to Bethlehem
Photos: Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Slade, Michele and Arya Waller, of Canonsburg, capture the spirit of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus during the sixth annual Living Nativity at Hickory United Saturday evening. The Wallers kept warm under several layers and enjoyed posing for photos with visitors.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Crowds listen to the innkeepers hint at baby Jesus’ birth during Hickory United EPC’s Living Nativity Saturday evening. Nearly 300 individuals turned out to journey to Bethlehem.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Visitors welcome the newborn Christ at the last stop along Hickory United EPC’s Living Nativity, left, Saturday evening before grabbing hot cocoa and homemade cookies at the concession booth. The event was free, with donations welcome, and nearly 300 folks turned out to celebrate the Christmas season.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Little shepherd boys Tommy Throckmorton and Zachary Throckmorton, both of Burgettstown; and Seth Fawley, of Hickory, take a break from performing to warm by the fire during the Living Nativity, hosted by Hickory United EPC in Hickory. The three said seeing friends was the best part of the evening.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
King Herod, played by Michael Sabatasse, sends the Three Wise Men on their journey to find the newborn king. The scene, one of six at the Hickory United Living Nativity, beautifully brought to life key moments of the Christmas story.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
An innkeeper leads Living Nativity guests through the backdoor and to a manager, where Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, played by Michele, Slade and Arya Waller, sit surrounded by goats. This year marked the sixth annual living nativity by Hickory United, which has grown from a one-scene to a six-scene show that ends with cookies, cocoa and prayer.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
The archangel Gabriel, played by Edna Krakosh, welcomes Living Nativity visitors to enjoy the journey to Bethlehem.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
A guest signs the Roman census at the interactive Living Nativity, hosted by Hickory United EPC Church, while an angel stands by, eager to escort the group to a nearby inn. The Roman guards served as comic relief, telling the tale of Jesus’ birth with pithy comments that lightened the somber journey.
Luminaries lined the gravel pathway that led nearly 300 visitors to Hickory United EPC Church on a journey through Bethlehem Saturday evening.
Visitors to the sixth annual Living Nativity stepped out of Hickory and into the traditional biblical Christmas story. Congregation members dressed in rich garb delivered Oscar-worthy performances at six stations that played like a living storybook, depicting the events leading to the birth of Christ.
“People in the community come out,” said Lynn VanNasdale, communications coordinator. “The line has been steady since 6, which is awesome, which means there are people who are drawn to the story and experiencing the story as if they were really there.”
A fire crackled near the Living Nativity entrance, where angels led small groups from station to station. Edna Krakosh, who played archangel Gabriel, exuded peace as she welcomed visitors to open their hearts, while Roman census guards garnered laughs by wishing folks a Merry Christmas – and promptly joking, “What does that mean?”
The Living Nativity ended with a visit to the newborn baby Jesus, played by 7-month-old Arya Waller, whose parents Michele and Slade dressed as Mary and Joseph.
“We’re just the only ones who has a baby in the church,” laughed Michele Waller, of Canonsburg, who said this was the family’s first time acting in the Living Nativity.
The nativity began as a one-act show, and has since grown into the journey visitors enjoyed over the weekend. The congregation built the structures that serve as stables and inns, and Hickory EPC youth baked the cookies visitors were gifted at the end of the evening.
“We had a really great response the first several years,” said Paula Steele, office administrator. “It was an idea and once we started, it was like the Lord just blessed that idea, so we just kind of built from there. It’s just such a special way to share the story of Jesus. Every year, they just enhance it a little bit, try to bring it to life a little more.”
Hickory United will continue the Christmas season with two candelight Christmas Eve services Saturday, Dec. 24, at 5 and 7 p.m.
People are invited to come as they are to the candlelight services and to celebrate Christmas Day with a 9 a.m. unified worship service.
For more information about Hickory United EPC or for upcoming events, visit https://www.hickorychurch.com/.