I was reading of several churches who on the First Sunday of Advent have a “Blessing of the creches.” They have people bring in their Christmas manger sets (creches) and spread them out on tables in the chancel and then bless them all as part of Advent worship.
What do you think about doing that next year?
Which also makes me think “What is your favorite creche set?”
We bought one set for my godson made out of linden wood which appealed to us because we thought the simple faces on the figures would be attractive to a younge child. We gave him one piece a year until he reached the age of confirmation.
Our daughter has a set given by her godmother (my sister) made of cloth. My sister chose it because she thought that her godchild could easily play with it without breaking anything.
However, my all-time favorite was a creche set that I saw at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. It was made out of clay and included not only the standard figures (Mary, Joseph, Jesus, shepherds, wisemen, ox, donkey, camel, sheep) but also an entire village. And all the figures had an ancient Jewish cast to them. It was a vivid reminder of the fuller setting into which Jesus originally came (“born of a woman under the law to redeem those under the law,” Galatians 4:4). It really emphasized that Jesus came into a real world to save all of us (the entire village).
What is your favorite creche set and why?
Pastor Paul Jaster