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curiouswombatPeople who have been friends for a while will know that one of my roles at Church is to organise the annual Nativity Service. We had this year's one today - and as usual I have a couple of pictures under the cut.
It has been a busy week all round - I feel a bit as if I'm likely to meet myself coming back - and we have had storm force winds on and off which have required us to drive with care and avoid some of the roads - which can make work a bit more difficult too.
But there are no pictures of storms this week -
I was running a clinic in the Cottage Hospital on Friday. They have one of those enormous rotating doors with sections that can be filled with interesting things. The main hospital has a similar door - but the Cottage Hospital ones are filled with more interesting things! This year, for the festive season, they have a choir who we must presume are carol singers. Here are three of them -
My daughter says they are the scariest papier maché choir she has ever seen. I think she has a point.
Some of the busy-busy this week was getting ready for a Cake Stall for Children in Need, part in getting ready for Messy Christmas. The Cake Stall was part of a church coffee morning yesterday - and involved me in making a couple of dozen fancy cupcakes, taking a couple of fruit loaves out of the freezer, and going down on Friday evening to set up. Then doing the selling with the assistance of a couple of the children from church and two of my wonderful Sunday School helpers. We raised £103 - I forgot to take the camera but you've seen my cupcakes before - these were in shades of blue and white with silver and blue decorations - I'm sure you can imagine.
Then a quick turn around before Messy Christmas in the afternoon.
There is a movement in the UK called Messy Church (here is a link to their website) which mixes craft, worship and food together for families. Our church decided to get involved, and we decided to do our first Messy Church session now so that we could use Christmas as a theme.
I spent much of the preceding week putting together a card making kit so that children and parents could make Christmas cards with stars and angels on them for my section. Others had organised potato printing, making glitter angel tree decorations, icing cakes, finger paints and soft play for tinies and so on. D-d, bless her, came to help me with my bit. This was despite being somewhat hung-over after her company Christmas dinner the night before, and a snatched lunch with friends.
Actually, on Friday night she went out looking very glamorous in a full length dark red sheath dress with matching shoes , every inch the young lawyer. She is also in this first picture of messy Christmas -
S2C didn't believe me, and was still not 100% sure even when I pointed her out... Friday night's glamorous young woman really is that figure in grey who looks about 12.
We really had no idea how many people would turn up - but there were about 15 children with parents and/or grandparents, some from our own congregation but one or two not, who came; and they seemed to really enjoy themselves. I took a lot of pictures - more of them are here on our church website which I updated this afternoon. But I love this picture -
We all wore labels so that everyone could call everyone by name even if they'd never met. This little boy's mum said if it was on his front he'd pick it off - so he wore his on his back like a footballer.
There was a short talk about Advent by one of our ministerial team, a grandmother herself, and then a meal together of sandwiches, sausages, crisps, cake... and everyone seems to have had a great time.
Then, once all the children and their families had left we reorganised the church again, ready for this morning.
We did a Nativity Service that I wrote, based on those reality TV shows that follow people about their work. We followed Gabriel as he/she went about a day's work, having to take messages from God to all sorts of different people - all of which (with a bit of neat organising between Gabriel and her Mum) arrived as text messages! She also had an apprentice, so that she could say 'Come on - we've got another message from God...' to someone each time. And it worked really well.
As usual there were mishaps - the girl in red in the middle back row of one picture did some of the Bible reading - and I had managed to give her the one copy of the script with a mistake in the chapter numbers! I had realised when I first printed the scripts - but somehow hadn't thrown that one away. She was a star about it - I had to gently stop her and say that, unfortunately, that was the wrong passage - we needed the one about the shepherds - and she went 'Oh - alright then...' and sight-read it. Everyone realised - and afterwards she was congratulated on coping by a number of the adults who said they'd not have managed to change what they were reading at all!
And then - half-way through the building up of the tableau - Joseph (the little boy on the far left, in the first picture, in the brown with the white and black headdress) lost a tooth! That is certainly a first - and at the end we gave him a special thank you. The other little girl not in costume also read a part - word perfect at six!
There are only two wise men - as we invited the minister, to his surprise and amusement, to come up to join the children as he was the wisest man we had!
All in all it was the usual success - and now, having got this weekend of church related stuff over, I really, really, must start doing other things - like writing my cards and getting them in the post!
It has been a busy week all round - I feel a bit as if I'm likely to meet myself coming back - and we have had storm force winds on and off which have required us to drive with care and avoid some of the roads - which can make work a bit more difficult too.
But there are no pictures of storms this week -
I was running a clinic in the Cottage Hospital on Friday. They have one of those enormous rotating doors with sections that can be filled with interesting things. The main hospital has a similar door - but the Cottage Hospital ones are filled with more interesting things! This year, for the festive season, they have a choir who we must presume are carol singers. Here are three of them -
My daughter says they are the scariest papier maché choir she has ever seen. I think she has a point.
Some of the busy-busy this week was getting ready for a Cake Stall for Children in Need, part in getting ready for Messy Christmas. The Cake Stall was part of a church coffee morning yesterday - and involved me in making a couple of dozen fancy cupcakes, taking a couple of fruit loaves out of the freezer, and going down on Friday evening to set up. Then doing the selling with the assistance of a couple of the children from church and two of my wonderful Sunday School helpers. We raised £103 - I forgot to take the camera but you've seen my cupcakes before - these were in shades of blue and white with silver and blue decorations - I'm sure you can imagine.
Then a quick turn around before Messy Christmas in the afternoon.
There is a movement in the UK called Messy Church (here is a link to their website) which mixes craft, worship and food together for families. Our church decided to get involved, and we decided to do our first Messy Church session now so that we could use Christmas as a theme.
I spent much of the preceding week putting together a card making kit so that children and parents could make Christmas cards with stars and angels on them for my section. Others had organised potato printing, making glitter angel tree decorations, icing cakes, finger paints and soft play for tinies and so on. D-d, bless her, came to help me with my bit. This was despite being somewhat hung-over after her company Christmas dinner the night before, and a snatched lunch with friends.
Actually, on Friday night she went out looking very glamorous in a full length dark red sheath dress with matching shoes , every inch the young lawyer. She is also in this first picture of messy Christmas -
S2C didn't believe me, and was still not 100% sure even when I pointed her out... Friday night's glamorous young woman really is that figure in grey who looks about 12.
We really had no idea how many people would turn up - but there were about 15 children with parents and/or grandparents, some from our own congregation but one or two not, who came; and they seemed to really enjoy themselves. I took a lot of pictures - more of them are here on our church website which I updated this afternoon. But I love this picture -
We all wore labels so that everyone could call everyone by name even if they'd never met. This little boy's mum said if it was on his front he'd pick it off - so he wore his on his back like a footballer.
There was a short talk about Advent by one of our ministerial team, a grandmother herself, and then a meal together of sandwiches, sausages, crisps, cake... and everyone seems to have had a great time.
Then, once all the children and their families had left we reorganised the church again, ready for this morning.
We did a Nativity Service that I wrote, based on those reality TV shows that follow people about their work. We followed Gabriel as he/she went about a day's work, having to take messages from God to all sorts of different people - all of which (with a bit of neat organising between Gabriel and her Mum) arrived as text messages! She also had an apprentice, so that she could say 'Come on - we've got another message from God...' to someone each time. And it worked really well.
As usual there were mishaps - the girl in red in the middle back row of one picture did some of the Bible reading - and I had managed to give her the one copy of the script with a mistake in the chapter numbers! I had realised when I first printed the scripts - but somehow hadn't thrown that one away. She was a star about it - I had to gently stop her and say that, unfortunately, that was the wrong passage - we needed the one about the shepherds - and she went 'Oh - alright then...' and sight-read it. Everyone realised - and afterwards she was congratulated on coping by a number of the adults who said they'd not have managed to change what they were reading at all!
And then - half-way through the building up of the tableau - Joseph (the little boy on the far left, in the first picture, in the brown with the white and black headdress) lost a tooth! That is certainly a first - and at the end we gave him a special thank you. The other little girl not in costume also read a part - word perfect at six!
There are only two wise men - as we invited the minister, to his surprise and amusement, to come up to join the children as he was the wisest man we had!
All in all it was the usual success - and now, having got this weekend of church related stuff over, I really, really, must start doing other things - like writing my cards and getting them in the post!
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no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 09:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 10:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 10:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 10:47 pm (UTC)I enjoyed seeing this.
:)
no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 11:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 10:50 pm (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
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Date: 11/12/2011 11:27 pm (UTC)The nativity is a real milestone on the way to Christmas every year - and no matter that it rarely goes totally to plan, it is always a lovely service.
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Date: 11/12/2011 11:05 pm (UTC)Your script for the Nativity Service sounds really creative. Neat idea.
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Date: 11/12/2011 11:28 pm (UTC)The nativity was good fun.
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Date: 11/12/2011 11:10 pm (UTC)Your story about Gabriel reminds me of a rehersal when the boy playing Gabriel kept messing around on his roller skates, so I suggested that he kept them on in the performance to deliver the message from God. He shot down the aisle bringing Good News, and it was a great success!
no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 11:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 11:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 11:31 pm (UTC)They really do, don't they?
Messy Church was really rather good fun. We will certainly repeat it. We're already thinking Easter...
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 11:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 08:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 11/12/2011 11:52 pm (UTC)Er, I'm with D-d about the revolving-door choir. It looks like something Tim Burton might have put in "Nightmare Before Christmas". :P (I think those giant revolving doors are a bit scary to navigate even without Demon Choirs watching your every move, waiting to leap upon you if you trip...)
I love the idea of Messy Church!
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Date: 12/12/2011 08:40 am (UTC)The choir are certainly part of an... alternative? Christmas.
And Messy Church was good fun - and we hope those who came might bring some friends next time to make it even bigger.
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Date: 12/12/2011 12:11 am (UTC)I only ever participated in on Nativity skit. I was the angel who told the shepherds about the Christ-child, I think.
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Date: 12/12/2011 08:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 12:12 am (UTC)As for the hospital choir, I've just been watching Misfits, so "zombie carol singers" is what came at once to mind. I hope they don't induce too many heart attacks!
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Date: 12/12/2011 08:46 am (UTC)I must point out to D-d that they are zombie Carol Singers - I'm sure she'll agree.
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Date: 12/12/2011 12:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 08:48 am (UTC)The choir are wonderfully weird - and it looks as if everyone around here agrees.
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Date: 12/12/2011 12:42 am (UTC)I am with you on the Cards! Had such ood intentions to have them done by now and well, they're not! I keep looking for the file that has my address labels and can't find it...guess I will have to do it the old fashion way.
Now, go put your feet up, grab a hot toddy or mulled cider and relax! Doing something like this is exhausting and although I miss planning the school Christmas music concerts sometimes...I don't miss all the stress and pressure.
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Date: 12/12/2011 08:51 am (UTC)Seth's name on the back was inspired - of course it meant that anyone who came up from behind him could call him by name without having to wait until they were in front either - which can be really useful when kids are playing.
I really will get around to cards... tonight, honestly.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 08:56 am (UTC)I think the 'low church'ness of it means that it is is not unusual for the organist to say 'Hang on - which tune do you want?' in the middle of the service, or a small child to decide to go and sit in the sanctuary beside the minister - and no-one bats an eye-lid.
no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:07 am (UTC)The choir figures are quite scary. It's the black on white, I think, and the rather...large...mouths. Little o's would have looked a bit less frightening, I think.
It reminds me of some piece of art, but I can't think of its name or the artist. Hmmmm....
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Date: 12/12/2011 08:57 am (UTC)You're right - if they weren't 'singing' quite so enthusiastically they might be less scary.
no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 06:14 am (UTC)I love Seth with his name on his back like a footballer.
And the nativity players are so... I want to say cute, but I fear they would be offended by having such a word applied to them.
Lovely pictures.
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Date: 12/12/2011 01:26 pm (UTC)And yes - I can imagine a couple of the lads might not see themselves as 'cute' - even though they are!
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Date: 12/12/2011 06:15 am (UTC)I love the idea of Messy Church. What a wonderful way to bond families and the community.
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Date: 12/12/2011 01:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 06:59 am (UTC)Good luck with the cards, which reminds me a need to do mine!
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Date: 12/12/2011 01:30 pm (UTC)I have a pile of cards beside me... it's a start, I guess!
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Date: 12/12/2011 07:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:32 pm (UTC)So we didn't quite have a vampiric nativity!
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Date: 12/12/2011 10:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 11:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/12/2011 01:35 pm (UTC)As for A Wayne in a Manger - absolutely.
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Date: 12/12/2011 08:55 pm (UTC)I see why you've been so busy. I'm glad though it was an "enjoyable busy".
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Date: 12/12/2011 09:36 pm (UTC)It was all good fun, but I still feel a bit wrung out by it all, though.