‘Tis the season for pageantry and fellowship

Putting on its annual Live Nativity pageant is no easy task for little St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. It takes every single member, all 50-plus of them and a bevy of animals, to pull off the big production.

“The whole congregation is involved in it,” said church member Melissa Hartfiel, whose 5-month-old grandson will play the role of Baby Jesus this year. “It is definitely a labor of love for all of us.”

St. Matthews, located at 3453 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, will present its 18^th annual Live Nativity from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 16-17, featuring scenes taken from the New Testament Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke that detail the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.

“We always have animals at our Live Nativity and this year we’re hoping to have them again,” Hartfiel said.

During the free guided event, visitors to the church, which was founded in 1961 by the Rev. Robert E. Carl, will begin their journey through first-century Bethlehem by registering with a census taker, much like travelers had to do under Roman rule.

They’ll be given gold coins to pay taxes, too, another requirement under Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor at the time of Jesus’ birth.

“Visitors will sign their name with the census taker and then travel back in time to experience the sights and sounds of the Bethlehem marketplace with shop vendors trying to sell them goods,” said Hartfiel.

“Rumors of a woman giving birth to the Savior will be spreading throughout the market,” she said.

Down the path, the audience will discover there’s no room at the inn, see shepherds in the field, encounter Roman soldiers, watch as an angel announces the birth of Jesus, see the Three Wise Men or Magi, and finally view Baby Jesus lying in a manger.

Once their journey into Bethlehem is complete, visitors are welcome to go into the church sanctuary for a Christmas carol sing-along, or into the fellowship hall for crafts, desserts, hot cocoa and pictures with Santa.

Last year, around 200 people came to the event, said Hartfiel. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she noted, up to 500 people descended on the church campus for the Live Nativity each year.

This time around, the church community, led by the Rev. Gayle Nelson, is hoping the pre-pandemic crowds return, she said.

“We’re praying for that many, this is one of our most special events,” said Hartfiel, a mother of four, including two grown children and a 14- and 7-year-old, both of whom will also be in the Live Nativity, along with her two grandchildren.

“It’s a way for us to share what we’re about and what we do with the community,” she said.

A flock of other churches in Marion County are also hosting Christmas events this year. Here are a few of them:

• Abiding Hope Lutheran Church will host a “Christmas for Kids” holiday event, with crafts, singing, games and make-and-eat snacks, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. The program is free and open to area children who are toilet-trained. The church is located at 777 SE 58^th Ave., Ocala. Registration is required, go to abidinghopeocala.com or call 352-694-1861.
• The Chancel Choir of Countryside Presbyterian Church, 7768 SW State Road 200, Ocala, will present the Christmas cantata “Night of the Father’s Love: The Awe and Mystery of God with Us” by Pepper Choplin, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Sunday in the church sanctuary.
• First United Methodist Church of Dunnellon, 21501 County Road 40, will host a free Christmas concert featuring contemporary and traditional Christmas songs performed by its worship team band and church choir, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16. The public is welcome to attend.
• Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 151 SW 87^th Place, Ocala, will present its 27^th Annual Living Nativity Pageant from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 17-18 at the church campus. The extravaganza includes dozens of church members and volunteers along with oodles of animals in a retelling of the Bible from Adam and Eve to Christ’s ascension. Walk-through tours will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with drive-thru tours happening from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
• Join the historic Grace Episcopal Church for a festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at 7 p.m. Dec. 17, followed by a pie social in its parish hall. The church is located at 503 SE Broadway St., Ocala. The public is welcome to attend, and the service will also be available online. Go to graceocala.org.