No Child Left Behind

[captainsblog]

I forgot to mention this odd bit of news from church on Sunday:

Somebody stole the Baby Jesus out of our outdoor Nativity scene.

There's some recent but significant history about that creche. Our ministers decided to get one a few Christmases ago after traversing Main Street from the east end of the village all the way down to the 290. They observed that, among the dozens of wreaths and Santas and twinkly lights on that two-mile-ish stretch, there was only one Nativity scene on display, and that was out in front of Starbucks.

They found a tasteful and not too bling-blingy outdoor display at a local antique shop. Another family was in there at the same time. Members of our congregation. They wrote a check for it on the spot. Talk about karma, or whatever the Bible calls it.

Since then, we've shamed at least one other church in the village into joining our trend (SS. Peter and Paul always copies us), and for the past three Christmas Eves, Baby Jesus greeted our visitors while ox and ass were feeding. Later this most recent Christmas week, though, another ass decided to come and feed, and stole the babe from the middle of the whole scene.

Some may recall, from this time last year, that I have passing familiarity with a trend much like this. It was customary, growing up, for Nativities to be raided of their Babies Jesus before Christmas Eve, but strictly on grounds of premature birth, and the contraband was always expected to be returned late that night.

Alternatively, this explanation may come into play, as Christmas '06 featured the story of a longlost Baby Jesus being returned to His North Buffalo owners after an eight-month roaming-gnome style pilgrimage around the Northeast. But that Baby Jesus was also a pre-Christmas abductee.

I'd had grand plans, a year ago, to circulate my own version of Baby Jesus- this one in photographic phorm- as an ongoing Christmas card throughout the year. It got too involved to have it circulate here and back each week, so I abandoned the venture. This year, though, I'm considering trying again, only with the photo itself just moving along randomly from place to place and see if He makes it home on His own. If you'd like to be on this list, get me word.

Meanwhile, the church is offering a valuable reward for the return of our own longlost Savior. In keeping with the holiday spirit, you'll get your choice of the three traditional gifts:



Gold,

Frankenstein,

and Mirth.

Comments

[meredith-mae.livejournal.com]

My grandparents were married in the rectory of SS Peter and Paul (my grandfather was not Catholic). My Dad was half-heartedly raised at St. Greg's after it was built, by never confirmed. He, nor my grandparents, cared enough to keep going to church, I suppose. I think my parents were married at Amherst Presbyterian or something. The generations in my Dad's family go back and forth between being Catholic and Presbyterian. It means it's my kids' turn to be Catholic, I suppose. But damn, I really don't like their misogyny, or stance on homosexuality!

The other churches on Main St. I can think of are Williamsville Methodist and Amherst Lutheran. Unless yours is more towards Clarence? But that would be outside the village.

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

Yeah twould. You got it on the first guess:) Williamsville UMC is the oldest continually-used church building in Western NY, and we've got the leaky roof to prove it:)

[angledge.livejournal.com]

I'd like to receive Jesus Christ! Do you have my real mail address?

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

Even if I didn't, I'm sure He does.

But I do:)