The wise man spoke of his travels. “It was a tough journey. We left months ago. We had trouble with weather and at times it was hard to find water for our animals, but we had the star and we had enough faith to follow it.”

The wise man explained that the three of them had become a bit disoriented and had stopped in Jerusalem to ask where they could find the newly-born king. They were told that in scripture it said in Bethlehem, so that is where they headed. “And we had the star, it grew brighter.”

When they arrived at the site of the birth, the wise man could only muster two words, ‘Magnificent,’ he had said and ‘Wonder.’

That wise man was Nick Nichols, a member of the Harvest Acres Baptist Church and one of the supporting cast of the living nativity produced by Harvest Acres last week. 

Harvest Acres is not a big church, but like many things in Wood County, meaningful action often comes without any large trappings. 

According to pastor Davd Burcham, once the idea of a living nativity had been introduced to the church, it was met with a resounding response.

Costumes were made, participants identified, cookies baked, and a whole host of logistics taken care of.

Burcham commented, “We pray that the living nativity will help people visualize the miracle of Jesus’ birth.”

Nichols was the only cast member who answered the interview questions in character, but it was very effective in helping one to consider the events around the birth of Christ. Each of the cast members shared further personal thoughts about the meaning of the nativity. 

Fellow wise man David Green was struck at just how miraculous the event was.

“Think of the timing of the call for a census from the Caesar, and when Mary became with child, and how on their first night in Bethlehem came the birth, and how the first people the angels alerted were shepherds  – among the poorest people on earth at the time. It is all miraculous.”

One of those shepherds, Deddie Bowles, marveled at Mary, and how she at such a young age had said, ‘yes’ to God. She expressed how important that it was for Mary to have accepted God.  “And now,” she offered, “we get to be witnesses for our community.”

Representing Mary in the nativity was 16-year old Emma Rutherford, granddaughter of Joyce and David Raines of Mineola. The young Greenville High School student was clearly taken by the task of portraying Mary. “I cannot not think about it,” she admitted.

Seated beside her in the scene was Alex Carmona, as Joseph. Carmona explained how he had recently accepted God, and how his life had thereby changed completely. “There are now wonders occurring in my life,” he explained.

The balance of the cast were first-timers at staging a living nativity – except for angel Darleen Green. Green shared that she had been in a living nativity at the Central Baptist Church in Mineola as a teenager. She chuckled as she recalled taking a bit of a spill at that event many years ago. 

At Harvest Acres the scene was set with a number of hay bales so that the cast could lean or sit should they need a quick breather. Also just inside the church hall was hot chocolate, coffee and tables full of cookies and sweets – all served by the welcoming members of the church. 

Angel Marilyn Brown had an especially meaningful description of the event. She prefaced her remarks by saying, “The Lord just wanted me to be here,” and then explained that Christ came to the earth so that men could know about him and love him. She suggested that in the difficult times in which we live, we must have love of the Lord. 

“If you love the Lord,” she said, “He will give you peace.”