On Friday evening, the weather in Lincoln was awful.
Severe storm threats were talked about by local weather experts and
the intense wind howled throughout the evening and night.
Lincoln got off easy compared to many other communities in the
Midwest and even within our own county.
None the less, the adverse weather may have contributed to the slow
turnout of motorists visiting Zion Lutheran Church in Lincoln to
witness a living nativity scene.
Even the nativity itself was impacted by the weather. While the
initial plan had been for all the participants to be outside, in
front of the church, the high winds and spitting rain drove the
group into a place of shelter. The nativity was set up just inside
the double doors to the breezeway of the church. The doors were
opened and lighting was ample that passersby could still see the
nativity characters.
Mary, Joseph, the Christ Child, one wise man and one angel were in
the doorway. There were shepherds and wise men standing to the side,
visible from the side windows. A tiny angel was perched above the
holy family in the center upper window.
As any couple who has ever brought a child into the world will tell
you, babies don’t wait for Mother Nature to get over whatever
tantrum she may be throwing. Thus the living Nativity did not wait
either. Even though it may not have been what the church originally
intended, the message of the miracle of Christmas was very well
delivered.
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As motorists drove up to the church, they were greeted by Sam
Opperman who was handing out a gift bag for everyone. The back
included a box of prayer cards, cookies, and some reading material.
In addition to the living nativity, some of the churches in the
downtown area left the lights burning brightly inside so that the
beautiful stained glass windows of each building could be easily
seen from the outside.
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