Owosso: First UMC’s Journey to Bethlehem had special significance this year as it reemerged following a hiatus to tell the good news of our Savior’s birth.
FAITH GREEN TIMMONS
Michigan Conference Communications
Owosso: First UMC member Bob Marsh bestowed a unique Christmas gift thirty years ago that excites people today just as it did then. Skilled in woodworking, with a talent for carving, he enjoyed customizing crèches for family and friends. In 1994, he used that same knowledge to build a stable to present the story of Jesus’ birth for the congregation’s first living nativity.
Marsh created the life-sized model for the congregation’s inaugural Journey to Bethlehem event. After four years out of commission, that sturdy stable still serves a central role in the living nativity. It was tucked away during the COVID-19 pandemic when the event was put on hiatus.
However, the stable made a memorable reappearance this month, taking center stage just in time to mark the event’s thirtieth anniversary.
Beloved by the community, Owosso’s Journey to Bethlehem is like an interactive play presented as a drive-through outdoor experience. Excited drivers and their passengers, some six or more to a vehicle, wind their way through the Advent-themed exhibits.
Sharon Marsh, the event organizer, said residents were especially thrilled to mark this year’s occasion. She loves seeing people enjoy the activity. A team of greeters welcomed each holiday traveler and ushered them in as a way of lifting up the spirit of Advent and sharing the miracle of Christ’s birth. “My prayer is that every person here feels a part of the Christmas story,” said Marsh. “This occasion is a significant milestone in our community’s history.”
Journey to Bethlehem is similar to the seven stations of the cross, which are often reenacted during Lent. The December adventure seeks to engage attendees by transforming the passengers of each vehicle into pilgrims on a spiritual journey.
About 400 cars and trucks made their way around the perimeter road surrounding the church. By creeping along at about three miles per hour, people had time to appreciate the nine-scene depiction of biblical reenactments.
About 1,000 people attended the outdoor event to learn about Jesus the Messiah, presented as God made flesh. The actors helped people envision Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, interactions with harsh tax collectors, angelic appearances, and ancient shepherds tending their flocks. Every detail was designed to create a heartfelt, worshipful experience.
“It brought me to tears,” said Rev. Mona Joslyn, who has served Owosso: First UMC since 2020. This was her first time hosting the event in the four years since she was appointed the pastor. “I wanted to meet everyone who came,” said Pastor Joslyn, who served as a greeter. “I tried to make them all feel welcome.”
The glow of 300 luminaries lit the pathway, adding a gentle luminescence and radiant warmth to the experience as onlookers took in details of each display.
Held entirely outdoors on a white wintry night, the living nativity bore witness to intimate interactions between a local mother and her baby, playing the roles of Mary and her infant son. Standing nearby was a father, playing the part of Joseph and watching over the “Christ child,” who lay in a manager.
The interactive production allowed spectators to embody the roles of characters in the Christmas story. During the dramatization, they were invited to envision the night Jesus was born. However, Journey to Bethlehem is intended to be more than a reenactment — it is an evangelistic tool.
Several congregations partnered with Owosso: First UMC to support them in increasing awareness of scriptures related to the miraculous event. The Owosso Area Ministerial Association, area businesses, and neighborhood sponsors helped make the night possible.
Together, they recruited over 60 volunteer actors, several set designers, builders, rehearsal organizers, food planners, and others to help serve. They enjoyed working together and said everything went smoothly. “There are so many who love seeing this each year and who missed having it. It’s a special ministry opportunity for the members of our churches,” said Rev. Joslyn. “Before we started, I told the crew, ‘If only one person comes to know God or finds faith again, it will be a success!’”
Each interaction was intended to help spectators embody the role of actual participants. Through invitational theatrics, all were encouraged to take part in the dramatization and reimagine the night Jesus was born. Journey to Bethlehem aims to present a realistic retelling and faithful presentation of the biblical accounts. Members of Owosso: First UMC and the other congregations that helped hoped to enhance the audience’s understanding and appreciation of the biblical miracle.
Church member Marsha Lyttle explained that each element of the evening aimed to evoke a heartfelt recognition of the true meaning of Christmas, from the lighting of each scene to the presentation of a real child playing Baby Jesus. “We want people to know the real reason for the season,” she said. The live nativity depicts scriptural events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ using live animals, costumed actors of all ages, detailed sets, and generous lighting.
This year, a special light of great significance appeared above the stable Bob Marsh built three decades ago. Marsha Lyttle helped restore the North Star, which she originally designed and donated for the inaugural event in 1994.
Bob Marsh passed away one week before the light adorned the space where the “baby Jesus lay” for the first time in years. (View his obituary.) This year’s living nativity was dedicated to his memory. In a ceremony held the night before the Journey of Bethlehem opened, a plaque in his honor was placed upon the stable he built. A few weeks before his death, he could view photos of the set during its reconstruction.
The story of the Owosso: First UMC event reads almost like the script for a made-for-television movie: Lyttle’s newly refurbished star hanging high, shining brightly, over the late Bob Marsh’s stable precisely one week after his death. Thus, he almost lived long enough to witness a deeply held desire become a reality. He longed for the living nativity to resume. Marsh died on Saturday, November 30. The event occurred on Saturday, December 7, 2024, with his wife, Sharon, carrying on the tradition. She served as this year’s event chair, a position Bob held for many years.
Pastor Joslyn also noted that, ironically, the event date coincided with the dedication of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. As a note of encouragement to the volunteers who ensured the night’s success, she highlighted the significance of the fact for the people of Owosso: “Today, the whole world came together to celebrate the reopening in Paris,” she said. “Here in Owosso, an entire community has come together to put this on. Both events testify to what happens when people work together!”
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Last Updated on December 17, 2024