The recent season of Advent brought a confluence of studies and celebrations at St. Michael’s and All Angels. Spearheaded by three main groups, Horizons Arts Ministry, the Experiencing God (EG) Group and the Altar Guild, a series of events was held which studied and honored the meaning, art and history of the nativity.
Beginning in October, Horizons Arts Ministry appealed to the congregation to loan them a nativity for an exhibit. The only descriptor was that it be meaningful to the lender or the lender’s family. Nativities were gathered throughout November with the promise that the exhibit would be opened for Advent and be kept on display in the Garden Room through Epiphany.
The response was enthusiastic with over forty sets being loaned for display. The mediums varied from paper to tin to wood to porcelain to clay. They represented a wide variety of sources including dime store purchases, treasured family heirlooms, artist-created sets and souvenirs brought back from travel. The largest set was ceramic which was expertly painted by a parishioner’s mother and sister. Several had been in the family more than fifty years. Eleven countries were represented and included the USA, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Israel, Korea, Spain, Guatemala, Ireland, Mexico, and Kenya. There were even two sets from Native American tribes: the Navajo and the Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
The exhibit included a child-friendly nativity placed on a low table in the middle of the room that invited children to play.
On Dec. 5, a lecture was offered by the EG group titled “The Birth of Jesus in Crèches, Nativities and Art”. Parishioners Sue Pingleton and Linda Brown provided a history of the nativity, highlighted various stories and contradictions, discussed the characters of the story and gave many examples of artistic interpretation of the Holy Family and the story of the birth. In addition, they showed how it is celebrated in many cultures across the globe.
They concluded with “The story of the Holy Family, told in different cultures and using various media and material, has the power to unite the human family amidst war, conflict, and political division. Their story is out story and their hope is our hope.”
Last, but far from least, was the project to replace the altar nativity. The set that had been used for thirty some years was falling apart and had been mended countless times. The set was dutifully placed in front of the altar by Helen Richards each year. The Altar Guild and a parishioner named Lydia Dreher, after she was physically unable to do the altar work, spent many hours on the phone looking for a new set to purchase at a reasonable cost. Initially, the search was not successful.
Discussions continued after Lydia’s passing. It came to light that St. Michael’s had a sculptor in the congregation. A contact was made. Martin Pyle, primarily a sculptor of bronze portraiture who is known for his work for several professional athletes and sports teams as well private and institutional commissions, was contacted. Mr. Pyle also serves on the Board of Directors for Arts in Prisons, Inc. which provides arts education and creative opportunities for inmates in the Kansas state prisons. Despite his busy calendar, Mr. Pyle accepted the commission and began to work on a new set made of wood. The project took two years. Substantial donations were made by the husbands of Helen Richards and Lydia Dreher. Altar Guild members also contributed. Jerry Kirkwood researched and built storage containers for the three piece nativity.
The new altar nativity set was dedicated on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. It is a beautiful addition to the church and our worship and we thank everyone involved.
by Mary Weber, St. Michael and All Angels, Mission
835 SW Polk St.