Painting the Nativity

Our new vicar is wonderfully enthusiastic and encouraging, and the source of some great new ideas for 'being church' and community. She has decided we need a Christmas display outside church to attract people's attention and invite them in - a series of characters in the Nativity story, with new figures added as we go through Advent. So we held an Action Day when people came together to paint, and to start to decorate the church inside. Our wonderful team of flower arrangers have made Nativity scenes on each window sill (which I'll show at some point later). 

I offered to join the painting team and I was given a plywood piece shaped like a donkey. Well, that was a challenge and I rather surprised myself by painting what I think turned out to be quite a credible young donkey. One lady said she thought he looked friendly, so that was a positive.  

At least I didn't make an ass of myself! 😆

One of our more talented artists created a beautiful shimmering angel. 

I had a minor role completing Mary's face...

Someone managed to give Joseph a rather wonderful golden-toned undergarment... very clever, as there was no gold paint. 

There's a slightly cross-eyed shepherd - and, of course, some sheep, two of which I turned my brush to: 

I suspect our version of the Nativity bears little relation to the actual scene of Jesus' birth. I can't remember seeing any fluffy white sheep in the Holy Land when I visited some years ago. In fact, their sheep and goats were virtually indistinguishable from each other. (Isn't there a Bible story about that?) 

Anyway, we tried! There's something quite pleasing about the naivety of it. (Naivety of the Nativity? Well, yeah...)