The Light of the World

Christmas Stars: With “The Perfect Gift” drive-through live nativity, Clifton’s Immanuel Lutheran Church displays the life of Christ with pageantry depicting the reason for the season

CLIFTON – Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt van Rijn made his paintings out of light in darkness, and so perfectly captured the message of Jesus’ birth. He had the genial artist’s eye for the light of Christmas

With spotlights illuminating the figures and the backdrops against the black night, casting dramatic shadows on the participants’ faces and folds in their elaborate costumes, Immanuel Lutheran Church’s live nativity “The Perfect Gift” felt like you were witnessing the master’s 1632 “The Adoration of the Magi” or the 1646 “Adoration of the Shepherds.”

On a gentle, winter evening, the church welcomed 111 cars driving through the church parking lot which was transformed into biblical Bethlehem, complete with camels, donkeys, sheep, market vendors and wandering Jews.

But with an average of four people per car with anywhere between two and six passengers, often including youth, an estimated 400-450 people saw the wondrous, spiritual displays. Eager to experience the live nativity, cars were already lining up at 5 p.m. Guests were welcomed with the message “In a dark world, there is only one hope, one savior and his name is Jesus Christ.”

“It’s the same message that we give every year,” Rev. James Burke said. “It’s the message that the peace of God is for everyone. We celebrate this peace by recognizing Jesus came down to be the Savior of all mankind. Every year the Nativity is different, in which we emphasize different aspects of it. But the center piece is always Jesus, as he is the center of our lives and the center of our hope. And his love for mankind.”

The event is as much about sharing the love of God with the community, but also about the church family as well, Burke said. They hope to build faith, peace and forgiveness for all.

The church’s live nativity improves with the years, with additions to the scenes and acting by the participants. This year more three-dimensional props were added, like a wall, more trees, the backdrop for the shepherd’s pasture, the Magi wore new, luscious brocades, and a bigger tomb was rented.

These tweaks reached the goal of making the scenes livelier and more realistic for the 111 cars that came to enjoy the true Christmas story. This being his second year with the congregation, Burke realized all the more how much work goes into the production of the event.

“Being new to it last year, I was just following around like a lost sheep, experiencing it for the first time,” Burke said. “This year I really have a much better understanding and appreciation for all of the work that goes into it, all of the love that goes into it. And the dedication people have.”

It takes a lot of people to put on this annual, very impressive, wondrous event. It engages about 60 congregation members, family and friends to build and enact the 18 scenes, and many more making décor, sewing costumes, bringing in the chickens, goats, sheep, donkeys and camels and hauling in the over 50 round bales that lined the route and 100 square bales as part of the biblical scenes. And preparations start early September.

“That is one of my favorite parts about our congregation, how much they care for each other, and how much they interact with each other,” Burke said. It is the source of a running joke that service will always be late to start because everybody is so busy visiting with each other.

Sisters Dana Chastain and Denise Wise, clad in red overalls with the back inscription “The Perfect Gift,” control the event flow and are troubleshooters during the event. They too love that their church rallies together for the event and pulls it off in such an incredible way.

“There are so many key people that work hard,” Chastain said. “Key people we could not do it without them. It is a calling, but it is so much fun, and there’s nothing like it around.” The sisters feel blessed to tell the story of Jesus’ humble beginnings, his life, his death and the impact of this on the world through the live nativity.

After a warm welcome by Brenna and her twin cute wooly sheep Pickles and Peanut, visitors first saw “God promises a savior to Prophet Isaiah,” with the text from Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

That was followed by Angel Gabriel coming to Mary, telling her she would conceive and bring forth a son, and that his name would be Jesus. And then an Angel appeared in Joseph’s dream telling him to marry Mary. And that their son Jesus would save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:18-21)

The next three scenes depicted Roman Empire Ruler Caesar Augustus’ decree that all should be registered and counted so the Empire could impose taxes. This decree had Mary and Joseph leaving Nazareth and traveling to Bethlehem, the birthplace of their ancestors. The very vocal soldiers commandeering the people to pay their taxes, the demanding tax collectors and the protesting crowd made for a very lively scene.

At the Manger scene, shepherds, the three Wise Men from the East bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh gather around the manger. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And the shepherds came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. (Luke 2:6-16)

Oblivious of all the cars, camels and goats quietly munched away. By the manger, loving and caring parents playing Mary and Joseph watched over tiny sleeping baby River Lee Fields Wise Tiny Ricer Wise. Last year’s baby Jesus Tate Canuteson surveyed all the happenings safely on his grandfather’s arm.

Vendors lined Bethlehem’s streets offering their wares, like fabrics, corn, bread, clay pots, herbs and more. Five large 6 by 14 foot print panels followed, depicting scenes from Jesus’ ministry from various accounts in the four Gospels. They depicted Jesus preaching the Holy Scriptures as a young boy, changing water into wine and feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and calming a great storm.

The narration explained, that as impressive as Jesus’ public ministry was, it was not his primary mission on earth. The religious leaders of the Jewish people were threatened by Jesus’ teachings and the miracles he performed. They considered him a blasphemer and a false prophet and a threat to their religious leadership and they plotted how to get rid of Jesus.

The next scene visitors to the Immanuel Lutheran drive through Nativity saw Jesus kneeling by a delicate blooming tree, in front of a beautiful garden backdrop of a garden --the Garden of Gethsemane. The visitors saw Jesus’ arrest by soldiers and then carrying the cross on the way to his Crucifixion.

Back in 2019, over a series of discussions, Immanuel’s then pastor Brian McQuiggin suggested it be a multi-scene drive through event –a much bigger undertaking for the congregation than just one live Nativity manger scene. The church’s first drive-through live nativity in 2019 was staged in pre-COVID-19 times, and it has grown ever since. During COVID-19 restrictions a high of 182 cars passed through.

Historically, Immanuel Lutheran was the German Lutheran church amongst the Norwegian Lutheran churches in the community. Where language was the difference maker in the past, today the church is considered the more conservative Lutheran church, taking the Scriptures more literally and remaining unchanging in the face of contemporary culture. In that vein, in a world of increased commercialization surrounding Christmas time, the church’s Christmas production is primarily to get Jesus’ gospel out to the public. And they do it in a very special and big way that is enjoyed by people all around Clifton.

“We pray that this experience will be a blessing to you and your family as we all pause during this busy season to focus on the true meaning of Christmas,” the introduction to the Live Nativity tour The Perfect Gift stated.

The very last scene depicted Jesus’ resurrection scene and the empty tomb with an angel announcing that Jesus was no longer dead, but alive. As the Bible puts it: “And the angel answered and said unto them, Fear not, for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was crucified.6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:5-6)

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil. And when trusting Jesus as savior, people need not fear death, because God gives his children the free gift of eternal life here and now, life that continues in eternity with him in heaven.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

At the very end of the wondrous and inspiring drive, Chastain and Wise sent guests on their way with candy canes and a bible should they not have one. With all the television commercials focusing on Christmas gift giving and Christmas music starting mid-October, people tend to get caught up in the stress of making sure everybody on their gift lists are catered to.

In all the hustle and bustle of the weeks leading up to Christmas, Clifton’s Immanuel Lutheran Church concentrates on the most important story in Christianity – the birth and life of Christ. They share this story in the form of their live nativity because through his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil.

And in trusting him as the savior, people need not fear death, because God gives his children the gift of eternal life – the Perfect Gift, the true light of Christmas.