Don't miss our live Nativity

scene with live animals and "Journey to Bethlehem" performed

three nights Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 19-21, from 7-9 p.m. This

rustic and realistic outdoor "First Christmas Eve" will thrill

your heart.

You will drive to the church

parking lot and be met by Shofar the camel driver, who will board you

on a seated wagon where you will be driven across several acres on a torch-lit

pathway on your journey to Bethlehem. He is a professional actor who has

agreed to perform with us during this Christmas season.

You will stop at the No Room

Inn and feel the rejection Mary and Joseph must have felt on that lonely

road that night. You will eventually end up at the live Nativity, where

Jesus was born, and witness what the Son of God endured even from birth

for you, your family, and the world. You will even see the live animals

who were the first companions to see the baby Jesus.

Remember, everything was symbolic.

Jews had certain animals they could not even touch because they were considered

"unclean." Jesus was also wrapped in swaddling clothes, which

were actually burial cloths.

In a setting like this, it

is a very rustic, very realistic teaching point for anyone and especially

the children. If you have young children, don't miss this event. Since

it is outside, be sure to dress warmly.In the No Room Inn there will be

a warming fire and another one at the manger.

Following this moving and meaningful

spiritual event, you are invited into our new mission church building

for fellowship with Christmas cookies and apple cider and hot chocolate.

Folks, it doesn't get better than this.

I can remember the best part

of any Christmas for me and my fondest memories of my childhood were always

my family's total involvement in the Christmas pageants around the manger.

Since Dad was an Army chaplain, we were always involved in the chapel

programs and, of course, Christmas and Easter were always wonderful events.

Just think if you were a lonely

soldier away from home for probably the first time and missing your family

at Christmas. You walked to the chapel and there you had a full Christmas

program and fellowship much like your own home church. We would always

invite the soldiers who came to chapel home with us to share Christmas,

Thanksgiving and Easter with us. Those were some of the finest memories

I can remember.

Isn't it interesting that what

the Bible says about it being more "blessed to give than to receive?"

Isn't it also interesting that what I witnessed my parents doing with

these live nativity manger scenes we are still doing today? There is another

Biblical truth surfacing again. "Train up a child in the way he should

go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

It was always so funny when

it got down to "costumes" and who was going to wear what. Our

parents would all go into our closets and get out the bathrobes, pajamas,

sandals, head towels and pieces of old rope. We would all be forced, coerced,

and threatened into wearing these 2,000-year-old fashions. We always heard,

"Honey, you look wonderful" in your bathrobe for all the world

to see especially your friends who were savvy enough to skate out of the

pageant.

But when it was all over, I

believe they were secretly a bit jealous that they didn't bite the bullet

and be a part of the pageant which, I might add, always turned out beautifully

no matter how embarrassed we were or how terrified we were if we were

the one who stumbled and knocked over the manger.

Somehow, I know that in the

throne room of heaven, Almighty God, in all his majesty, glory and splendor,

smiles when a church, regardless of size, continues to honor him in showing

the world that we are serious about his birth, death and resurrection.

I feel he further blesses the nation, societies and individual families

that continue to honor him this way.

It is my prayer that you and

your whole family will experience this rustic, realistic and spiritual

Christmas in attending one or all of these three nights. I know you will

be blessed to attend all of the pageants and programs this Christmas in

our south metro churches. We took our congregation and youth group this

past week to New Hope's "Living Christmas Tree" and were wonderfully

blessed. We are in this world, not only in "United we stand as a

nation," but also "United we stand as Christians." Maranatha

Come Lord Jesus!

If you need additional information

please call our church office at: 770-719-2365. If you would like for

your child to participate, call ASAP and we will get them a bath robe!

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is

the pastor of His House Community Church (SBC). The Rev. Greg Mausz is

senior associate pastor. The Rev. Dr. Lydia Herndon is the Sunday School

superintendent, Bible study coordinator and teacher. The church is below

Senoia on Ga. Highway 85 a mile south of Ga. Highway 16 on the right just

below the fire station. Visitors welcome. Church office and prayer line

770-719-2365; e-mail [email protected].

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