Neighborhood Nativity

 One of the most innovative things we have done during the pandemic is re-imagining our Christmas live nativity. In years past one event or another on a Sunday evening in Advent has concluded with an an outdoor live nativity scene. We cast it this year as a stand-alone event off campus. We adapted our perennial children's Christmas Eve service to provide a script, recording children we might normally use in a live setting. We recorded the same sequence of songs in that service with a solo child singer, in lieu of congregational songs. Instead of a single locale, we created 5 locations among our in-town church families. We recruited those same families, or in a couple of cases some non-family members to portray characters from the nativity story. We created a CD of the narration, songs, and some other brief liturgical elements. We created scenes at the five homes, including costumes and props. Folks picked up a CD from the church facility and then drove around town on a prescribed route to view the scenes while listening to the narration and songs in their cars. We had about 100 cars over the 2-hour course of the event. The response was quite favorable. Below are some shots.

The first stop was "the innkeeper and Mary and Joseph."

 Next up was the angels...

Next up were the shepherds in afield. We hired live animals for this stop.

The magi were next. We purchased inflatable camel costumes for this trio of boys and simply told them to have a good time.

The last stop was a complete scene. We asked a large family in our congregation to take this on, figuring they would have the personnel to cast a fairly complete scene. They did! We had planned to let them borrow our scale-model creche scene, but the kids wanted to create their own, including animals, fake and living!

There are years I seek to provide a certain level of authenticity to the live nativity scene, and ask persons to remain in character. Since our congregation had been apart for 9 months at this point, we let those strictures fall, and encouraged everyone to wave and smile and chat with one another from a distance, the better to enjoy the experience. It was a wonderful event. We liked being in the community, and even when we are able to be back together, we may re-cast this yet again and make it bigger and better.

JinglePipes

Black Mountain Presbyterian Church and Michael Barker, music director, present JinglePipes a fun organ concert for Christmas, Wednesday evening December 15 at 6PM at the church, 117 Montreat Road, Black Mountain.

The program will include favorite Christmas carols and songs plus beloved classical pieces for the season.

Special guests will be the Percussion Ensemble from Owen Middle School under the direction of J. Tyson Hamrick.

The concert will last about 45 minutes, is free and appropriate for all ages. Please join us.

Dinner Theater 2010

Black Mountain Presbyterian Church announces the menu for In Bethlehem Inn. The dinner theater will be held on Sunday evening December 12. There will be two seatings, 5PM and 7PM. Reservations are required. There is no set admission; donations will be accepted at the table. Many of the players are returning for this second year of the production, including Scott Roy and Annie Hall as the innkeeper and his wife.

Chef de Cuisine is Carol Tyson and Executive Chef is Margie Tyas.
The menu:
Greens of Gailee Tossed Salad
Shepherds Pie (beef, green beans, cheesy-potatoes)
Manna-from-Heaven Rolls
Fruits of the Oasis Trifle
Coffee, Tea, Water, Assorted Crackers

See a current issue of the Window for more information. Contact the church office to make reservations.

Merry Christmas

We've canceled everything at church for 12/20. The snow is insurmountable for many, and tantalizingly surmountable for some (including many who shouldn't even think about it). So for safety's sake, we're calling the day. Plus, there is a strong chance for more tonight. Not sure about the big whoop music planned: maybe 12/27, maybe save it for next year. Everyone's worked hard on a lot of stuff. And for that I am thankful. A second wintry storm is expected Christmas Eve. In case I don't see you between now and next Sunday, Merry Christmas. And thanks for reading the blog!

Dinner Theater

We had a great time. After all the fretting over the weather, the clouds broke around noon and we had clear skies and 50 degrees for the first show. The first seating was packed, including my "spare" table; seven o'clock wasn't very roomy either. The actors did a tremendous job; the food service staff, including choir singers as waiters were phenomenal.

Highlights:

"Jonathon's" spew at the first show

"Jess" bonking "Nathan" and "Rachel" on the head with an inflatable hammer when they got a little too off-the-hook

"Eli's" prayer at the manger scene

"Sarah's" "How-can-I-refuse-such-a-face" expression

Briggs and the baby donkey

Being together for a wonderful evening of food and fellowship

Welcome the Child carol concert

This coming Sunday the music ministry will present a carol service we are calling Welcome the Child. The title is drawn from a modern Christmas carol by Marty Haugen that will be part of the program. In fact Haugen wrote and arranged an additional 12 or so carols to constitute his own carol service using the same title. I performed that entire program some years ago in Richmond. I've used several of the carols in various settings over the years. This year I am using several, but not all, of Haugen's arrangements for this carol service.

Our Chancel Choir will sing "Welcome the child," "Pat-a-pan," "Good Christian friends, rejoice," "A stable lamp is lighted," "Twas in the moon of winter-time" (all by Haugen), plus Andre Thomas' "African noel." The Prophets of Praise will sing two additional Haugen arrangements: a new carol called "Hodie Christus natus est" ("Christ is born today") and a medley of "Infant holy, infant lowly" and "Silent night, holy night."

Our children's choirs, the Aerie Singers and the Carol Choir will sing Haugen's "Carol at the Manger."

The Tune Weavers will sing a setting of "Lo, how a rose e'er-blooming" and will be the TB voices in an SATB setting of "While shepherds watched their flocks by night," to the tune SHERBORNE in a new arrangement by Winges from OCP. We'll have four SA choir singers to fill out the octet format we'll use for this performance.

The Adult Handbell choir will ring a setting of "In the bleak mid-winter." The youth ringers, Aaron's Bells, will ring a setting of "Good King Wenceslas." We will have a piano/organ duet setting of "Joy to the world."

It will be a great program! It will begin at 7PM and child care will be available. Please join us, and support the hard work and dedication of our church's musicians, and hear some wonderful Christmas music!

By the way, the adult bell ringers and the Tune Weavers will be the musical diversion at an open house at the Presbyterian Heritage Center in Montreat, this Wednesday afternoon from 3PM. Drop by, see the center, nosh, and hear some nice carols sung and rung by some friendly folks!

La posada or Las posadas

The weekday school (preschool) here at BMPCNC has for several years held a reenactment of the search by Mary and Joseph for a place of shelter before the birth of the Messiah, Jesus. Based on a Mexican festival, the preschool's version is very cute, pleasingly multi-cultural and a much beloved part of their year.

However, I made the mistake of poking my nose in about the title of the event. The culture here uses "la posada." For years I have used "las posadas." I raised the difference with Jennifer R. who has striven to find the diplomatic middle way. Alice P. has her sources; Phil C. studied Spanish in school, and I have my precedents. We all have cited our sources and invoked our authorities, to the end that we don't know quite what to call this festival!

I did a bit of research and found a pretty even split. This is the text of an email I circulated today to try to explain the differences and seek peace amongst the church staff!

"It looks like the jury will have to remain deadlocked. After a little bit of research I have found authoritative references using both la posada and las posadas. Not knowing Spanish myself, it seems that the difference is merely a matter of grammar: singular or plural. Shelter or shelters, inn or inns.

It seems to me that because the nine-day festival moves from place to place, including several stops, “shelters” would be more reasonable; but on the other hand, the characters stop at one potential “shelter” per night, making that a reasonable option.

Here are the sites I investigated:

http://www.santas.net/mexicanchristmas.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Posadas

http://www.cinnamonhearts.com/LasPosadas.htm

http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/worldxmas/mexico.htm

Ultimately, if you are willing to concede that I am not insane, I am willing to do that same with you! Go with what you know and/or have become familiar and comfortable with. Just know that as with so many things, there’s more than one way to skin a cat."

I threw that last metaphor in just for kicks and to muddy the issue just a wee bit more!

If you have an informed opinion, please weigh in using the comment button. I'd love to hear your information/sources, and any experiences you have had with this Christmas festival in your community or church. Feliz navidad!

The bells! The bells!

Our Christmas Eve family service was a riot of tinkling, clanging bells! For those who forgot to bring bells from home, there were plenty available at the doors. These we rang during selected carols during the service, though there was a pretty constant murmur of bells (if you can call it that) throughout the entire service. Here are some photos taken after worship. Most of the Aerie Singers bolted rather than get photographed, so there are only four of them posing, instead of the 14 who were actually there. Something about needing to get home and get ready to got to bed and await Santa, or something like that! During Advent we had characters from the Bible light the Advent candles. For Christmas Eve, the characters were Mary and Joseph, describing their impressions of the birth of Jesus. Lauren Patton and Patrick Massey did a great job and managed to project above the din to deliver a nice message and light the Christ Candle in the wreath. Merry Christmas!

Music for Worship 16 December 2007

Gaudete Sunday (Advent III) affords us the opportunity to shift from a purely Advent focus in our liturgy and music, to music and liturgy with a more Christmas-y tone. Like many congregations we strive to maintain the solemnity of Advent for the first two Sundays, but begin to lean toward Christmas by the third Sunday of the season. Thus it is that we will begin utilizing Christmas songs this week in worship.

FirstLight will begin with a prelude of live instrumental music provided by our Youth Handbell Ensemble. They will perform a joyful setting of “Go tell it on the mountain,” with Melissa Corbett on flute. We will also sing that carol, plus “Good Christian friends rejoice” and “Jesus, name above all names” as our opening song set. Many folks don’t realize that Nadia Hearn wrote two stanzas to this familiar praise chorus. The second especially has lyrics that suit the Advent season. We will repeat our usage of the Korean prayer song “Come now O Prince of peace,” and the Iona Community canticle “Glory and gratitude and praise.” For our closing song we will be singing the modern carol “To a maid engaged to Joseph.” The prophets will sing a beautiful new setting of “Come thou long-expected Jesus” by Taylor Davis at the offering. A new melody paired with this old text by Charles Wesley make this an incredibly captivating anthem.

The youth ringers will also perform their “Go tell it…” arrangement at 11 AM. The Tune Weavers, our resident men’s quartet, will sing Mark Lowry’s “Mary did you know” at the offering. The organ postlude will be from JSB’s Orgelbuchlein, “Lord Christ, thou only Son of God.” Service music will include the Taize song “Prepare the way of the Lord,” the Korean “Come now…” and “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The musical highlight of the service will be the presentation of Conrad Susa’s “A Christmas Garland. A Christmas carol medley, the works features several familiar carols in exciting new arrangements and harmonies. For those who might be curious, yes, the “We three kings” setting is in an odd meter: 7/8! Congregational hymns will include "Angels from the realms of glory" (Regent Square), "To a maid engaged to Joseph" (Annunciation) and "Lo, how a rose e'er blooming" (Es ist ein ros').

Why a Pink Candle?

Most folks quickly spot the odd candle in the Advent Wreath. Three violet candles and a white one (for Christmas Eve and Day), and that strange pink one. What is that all about?

In the earliest stages of developing the liturgical calendar, Advent was a somewhat longer season of 40 days duration, prior to Christmas. In this fact and in its penitential tone Advent was very much like Lent. To break up the solemnity of the season, and to remind the people of the joy to come, a mid-season liturgical respite as it were, was included. On this day the readings, in both Lent and Advent, have a slightly more hopeful and anticipatory tone to them. Other liturgical elements reflected this quality of joy.

Advent was ultimately shortened to 4 weeks, but for many traditions, the “mid-season stretch” was maintained on the third Sunday. In many liturgies the opening word of worship on this Sunday was “Gaudete,” Latin for “rejoice.” The whole Introit statement is based on Philippians 4.4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” In many traditions even today, this passage from Philippians is the appointed Epistle reading for the Third Sunday of Advent.

In keeping with the shift in tone from sobriety to this joy-filled day, other aspects of worship were also skewed slightly. In places that the organ was silent during Advent it might be used on this day. In churches where the liturgical color for Advent was violet, it might be relieved by shifting to rose or pink on this day. Thus, the change in color for the third candle of the Advent wreath. (Impress your friends at work when talking about your church’s Advent observance: use “rose” to describe the color; you’ll be ever-so liturgically correct!)

As with many other aspects of liturgical tradition, there are plenty of misunderstandings of the rose candle for Advent III. While oftentimes charming, they are usually misguided attempts to re-interpret the tradition in a “non-Catholic” way. There is no need for this. And the deeper significance of the tradition is shrouded. Who ought not embrace the notion of a bit of joy during the observance of the season of Advent? No one, of course!

Note this also: many folks take great care to "interpret" the candles of the Advent wreath. We give them lots of names or have them "stand for" many different ideals or virtues. Keep in mind that the wreath and its candles are nothing more (and nothing less) than a means of keeping time through the season. It may be just a little quaint, and not really necessary, to name the candles. In the ages before folks were ruled by calendars and clocks, the candles helped the people in the pews know where they were in liturgical time. Many Protestants these days call them the candles of "hope, joy, love and peace." Nice enough, but not accurate historically, and not needful at all. In fact, this year in our congregation the candles are really nameless! The candles are be lit by various characters in our faith history (Isaiah, John the Baptist, the angel who spoke to Joseph, and the angel who spoke to the shepherds). So for our use we might call the candles by the name of the person lighting them each week. But even that is not needed. They are time keepers. Nothing else is really needed.

Armed with this little bit of history, you can joyfully appreciate the use of the rose candle in the Advent wreath, and celebrate with liturgical Christians everywhere the fact that Advent is hastening on.

Church-Wide Caroling 2007

It was downright balmy for this time of year, but our intrepid singers braved the elements (fog) for an evening of caroling around Black Mountain. We had 8 large groups with more than 70 folks (Ginny S. says it was more nearly 100; who am I to argue?!!)involved. We returned from our adventures (some involving poo and a hike across an overgrown field!) to some tasty soup. Thanks to Charlotte S. and her committee for feeding us afterward. Thanks to Jennifer R. for lining up the visits and the routes. Paul S. was our photographer; here is a link to some photos of the evening. The best things happen with lots of involvement. This event used the talents of our musicians, our education folks, our relationship with PHFC, our Nurture Committee and administrative staff. It was a great time.

Music for the Season

Here are the worship music plans, in broad strokes, for the next few weeks:

December 16
Chancel Choir presents “A Christmas garland” by Conrad Susa. Accompanied by organ, piano and harp. Tune Weavers will sing “Mary did you know” at the offering. Youth Handbells will perform “Go tell it on the mountain" at both services as the prelude. The Prophets of Praise will be singing a setting of “Come thou long-expected Jesus."

December 23
Chancel choir will sing “My soul magnifies the Lord” by Aaron Garber. Tune Weavers will sing “Rise up shepherd and follow.”

December 24
400PM Primary Choir will sing “Huron Carol;” Aerie singers will sing “Mary had a baby.”
730 PM Chancel Choir will sing Rutter’s “Nativity Carol.”

December 30
One service at 10 AM this day. Ginny Soll preaching, Carla Sperry guest musician. Susan Banzhoff, vocal soloist.

January 6
Adult Handbells will ring “From a distant home” at 11 AM and the choir will sing Brubeck’s “God’s love made visible.”

Check the calendar link on this page for up-to-date rehearsal plans; there are plenty of alterations in the next few weeks!

Rehearsals resume a normal schedule beginning January 7.

Special Worship Events

This Sunday December 9 we will welcome Donna Marie Todd, story-teller, who will present the proclamation at both services, in the form of a story-sermon. A story-sermon is a style of preaching in which narrative is the primary means of conveying the message of a given scriptural text. The listener will be struck foremost by a sense of hearing a wonderful story; upon reflection during and afterward, however, fuller meaning emerges as the listener reflects on the story and its characters. This is a powerful means of conveying the message of our faith, and Donna Marie Todd is one of the finest practitioners of this preaching style in the US. (That she was recently selected to edit the journal of Biblical story-tellers is ample proof of this.)

Donna Marie will be using the lectionary readings for this Sunday (Isaiah 11.1-10 and Matthew 3.1-12) as the basis for a story about a man preparing to meet his Maker and a congregation struggling to learn the true meaning of initiation into the faith and hospitality. A musician also, Donna Marie has woven into this story-sermon participation by worship music leaders in the form of the songs "Shall we gather at the river" and "Down to the river to pray." The message is such that even some children who usually depart for extended session during worship may wish to remain to hear the story this week.

On December 16 the Adult Choir will present a special musical offering, A Christmas Garland, by Conrad Susa. This extended work is a medley of Christmas carols, some familiar some new. For this performance the choir will be accompanied by organ (our own Carla Sperry), piano (local resident Adele Holevas) and harp (newcomer Jilliona Bailey). The choir is excited to bring this message of the birth of the Prince of Peace in song.