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GOING BACK IN TIME
By LINDA M. LINONIS
Hubbard
A faith-based and family-friendly experience awaits those who travel to Bethlehem this weekend by way of First Presbyterian Church.
The Rev. Matt Medford, who has served as a pastor for a couple of years, said he suggested staging a Bethlehem Experience. “It was well-received at other churches I’ve been at,” he said.
A committee at First Presbyterian applauded the idea and is now hard at work preparing “shops” and activities to create the atmosphere of an open-air marketplace of Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Jesus.
“They’ve made it their own,” the Rev. Mr. Medford said of the committee’s effort.
The pastor and Jenny Ondo, chairwoman, said the fellowship hall will be transformed for the free event planned from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday. (In case of bad weather, a snow date is Dec. 18.) It will include music and mosaic shops, bakery, a Jewish home and stable.
Mr. Medford said though it sounds obvious the reason for the season is “not part of popular culture.” “There is a reason why we do this,” he said, emphasizing the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
“We wanted to share this with members and other families,” he said, adding the project is part of “church outreach.” “We do need to reach out more.”
Ondo added that the church outreach focuses on the reason why Christmas is celebrated. “It’s an opportunity for people to think about that,” she said.
The pastor said unless people attend church, such an experience might be the only setting focusing on Christ’s birth and not Santa Claus and relagated commercialism.
Mr. Medford is among the 30 or so church members involved in presenting the Bethlehem Experience. He will be a scribe at the event and teach children hows to write Jesus in Aramaic. The pastor said he studied Hebrew and Greek while in the seminary. In the Old Testament, he said, Joshua (another reference for Jesus) means God saves.
Ondo said another hands-on activity will be at the mosaic shop, where children may make different items.
Matt Liposchak, 15, will portray a Roman soldier at the event. “I think it will be a good experience ... it gives you an idea of the time period,” he said.
Nancy McAfoose, who has been a church member some 50 years, said she saw the activity as a form of “fellowship among members and the community.” She also said she thought it was interesting to try to show life at that time.
“It’s nice to focus on Christ in Christmas,” she said.