"THE JOURNEY"

We had no Church service this morning, but were invited to take part in "The Journey", an "immersive theatrical telling and processional performance of the Christmas story", something like "The Wroughton Passion Play" I was involved in two years ago at Easter.  I had decided not to take part in this, so that I could be with Mr. HCB and be part of the crowd and it was quite an experience.  We were concerned when we first parked the car as it rained very heavily, but by the time the performance started, the rain had stopped and the sky was blue.

"The Journey" started at Nazareth, outside an Old Town school, where the people were told by the Romans that they had to go back to the town they came from for a census.  There was a lot of shouting from the townspeople, many of whom were angry with the Romans, concerned about elderly relatives and who didn’t want to leave them or their livestock to make a long journey just to be registered.

We heard from both Joseph and Mary at different times, sharing their innermost feelings about the situation they found themselves in, but who were willing to “make a go of it”.  Joseph was very concerned because some of the people in their village wanted to kill Mary by stoning her, which was the practice in those days, for those who became pregnant out of wedlock.  There is no doubt that this is a story of a young couple who were brave enough to fight because they loved each other and who had faith that it would turn out well.

As we journeyed along with the people and with both Mary and Joseph, it became apparent that they were just a young couple who wanted to do the best for their child, although Joseph accepted that it wasn’t his.  However, several of their friends spoke up for them and were obviously going to stand by them and help them as much as they could.  

On our journey, there were several little scenes that told parts of the story, and then we stopped outside Bath Road Methodist Church where a choir sang "O Holy Night".  When we moved on, it was good to see a "real" donkey taking part in the performance and it was very well behaved, despite having several hundred people milling around and of course, the children loved it.

Further along the road I was very touched by Mary’s speech, particularly when she said that she was a “shelter” for the child growing in her, and that he would become a “shelter” for her and for others and she believed that he would heal many during his life.  She said that when the angel appeared to her, she felt a warmth and peace within her and was happy to know that she was to be the Mother of the Messiah.

So we moved along with the crowd, many stopping to buy food from the stalls along Wood Street, which represented the Bazaar at Bethlehem.  We were fortunate that the roads were closed and there were plenty of stewards and marshals to show us where to go.

"The Journey" made its way towards Christ Church, where we heard others speaking about how Mary and Joseph would make great parents, although there was still some concern about the whole situation.  As we walked up the steps towards the Church, while the choir sang “Silent Night”, Joseph suddenly appeared and told us that the baby had been born, so there was a rush to get into the Church, not only to see the baby, but also to get out of the cold.

We were able to go right up to the front of the Church, where Mary sat holding a tiny baby - and looking remarkably good, having just given birth - with Joseph standing behind her, looking on.  As well as having a "real" donkey, there was also a "real" baby - born about 3 weeks ago and making his début in "The Journey"!  It brought back memories of when our granddaughter played the role of the Baby Jesus when she was just three months old, twenty two years ago.  

We listened to the choir singing again - this time "The Hallelujah Chorus" - and although I had chosen not to be part of the performance, I did wish I could have been up there singing with them.

So "The Journey" was over - and as we made our way out of the Church, we heard the church bells ringing.  The Christmas story is a familiar one that we hear every year - but it was certainly brought to life for us today.  Well done to all those involved, not only in the acting, but in the producing, stewarding, marshalling and policing.  I hope that the performance at 4 p.m. went as well as the earlier one.

For to us a child is born,
     to us a son is given,
          and the government will be 
               on his shoulders.
And he will be called
     Wonderful Counsellor, 
          Mighty God,
               Everlasting Father, 
                    Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 NIV