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Mount Olivet Methodist Church’s live Nativity drew an energetic crowd to the churchyard late Sunday afternoon, Dec. 21, with one towering guest quickly becoming the main attraction.
Moses, a live camel, posed for pictures as children gathered around and competed for a turn to take a cellphone photo with him. Elsewhere in the yard, young visitors patted sheep, investigated a wandering goat and warmed up with cups of freshly made cocoa.
Mary and Joseph occupied the manger alcove alongside their two young daughters, completing the central Nativity scene as daylight began to fade.
After sunset, the crowd came together for a recitation of the Christmas story, accompanied by sing-along carols. An unexpected power outage interrupted the program halfway through, cutting off the keyboard accompaniment and electric speakers.
The loss of electricity did not end the celebration. The crowd continued singing without the keyboard, while the speakers raised their voices so everyone could hear. The program included the passage from Matthew describing the star leading the wise men to the young child and their great joy upon seeing it.