In one of my first conversations with Janelle, she asked me, ‘What is your Epiphany story? It seems like everyone has an Epiphany story.’ That’s when I realized she really ‘gets’ us; one of our strengths as a community is that our stories weave together so many relationships and experiences on our journey together.
One of my Epiphany stories is teaching Godly Play, which I have been doing off and on over the past 30 years. Much has changed and yet some of the stories have not. On the next two Sundays I will be sitting on the floor, rolling out a purple underlay and looking around the circle before we begin the story:
The King who was coming is still coming. This is full of mystery. You know, a mystery is sometimes very hard to enter. That is why this time of Advent is so important. It helps us get ready to enter the Mystery of Christmas... During this time, we are all on the way to Bethlehem. We are all making the journey... so let’s go with the Prophets, the Holy Family, the shepherds, the angels, and the Magi to make the journey.
And with that begin the story of the road to Bethlehem.
As I sit looking at the materials for Sunday, my mind plays back through many Sunday mornings looking at the same cards and an ever-changing circle of children. The first three-year-olds in the circle are now 30-something-year-olds. Many of the parents who dropped them off are still here, and we are doing different things together, charting different Epiphany stories and journeys.
I love telling the Road to Bethlehem because it is so familiar. Yet the story is never the same because the circle of children changes and the wondering questions at the end bring new surprises and new truths. Each year, we roll out the road and weave another generation into our Epiphany journey.
Nelia Newell
