Mary and Joseph's Wedding

This year, our Nativity play is adding a wedding scene. It's such an important part of the story of Christ's birth: God very deliberately planned for His Son to be born into a complete family.

Hebrew weddings are so fascinating! After bargaining for a bride price, the marriage contract was legal, (although it could be annulled for certain reasons.) The bridegroom went away during the "engagement year" and built an addition to his family's home, while the bride prepared clothing and home furnishings. They didn't speak to each other, but sent messages through friends. The bride didn't know the exact night he would come to get her. But when the time was close, friends would gather with her at night with lamps and wait to hear the music and shout of the groom coming.

Of Thread, Trees, & Trumpets

Last Tuesday, about 20 women cut and sewed biblical costumes for the Nativity at the LDS church. Head costumer Nancy Morris (below, center) is a top-notch crafter, and loves costume sewing, including for Rennaissance festivals. She helped Cindy Jacobs (right) and Sonya McDonald (not shown) to sew a costume from a sheet for Tina Telford. Jocelyn Neilson is sewing a dove (below left). There was lots of finger food and and friendly chatting.

Keri Balls, with her colorful personality, picked out the brightest fabric in the 'free' pile and made her lime-green tunic and green, orange, and white braided sash in one night. Leslie Jaimes, who will play Mary in the Nativity pageant, helped sewing costumes for the wedding scene.

Sister Gonzalez is

Sew Excited For the 2010 Nativity!

In 2008, our area church leaders encouraged our Jupiter-PB Gardens congregation to become more involved with the community. It wasn't meant as a conversion effort: Public Affairs for the LDS Church works with good people in neighborhoods, other churches, and government in any good cause. It's important work for any Christian, but we are just now organizing larger efforts in service and interfaith relationships.

One thing we chose to do was to take advantage of our beautiful Florida winter weather, and hold our Christmas celebrations outside. Our church building sits on several acres of fields, perfect for a little Nativity play with animals and room to run. We looked at other successful events across the country. After inviting all area churches and local residents to join us, and the Nativity Experience was born.

In 2008 we built a little "City of Bethlehem" where you could dress up