The Reason Behind the St. Luke’s Lovefest

Join us this Sunday, December 22, to hear the Christmas Story in two different ways…

8:30 AM – Lessons and Carols

10 AM – Children's Christmas Pageant

A Week from today, Tuesday, December 24 join in Celebrating Christmas Eve. Worship is at 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 10:00 PM. Who will you invite?

Last year we shared the history of lessons and carols. 
 https://www.stlukesbloomington.org/blog/archives/12-2023

Below is the history of the Christmas Pageant.

First, a thank you to all who gathered last Sunday, December 15 for St. Luke’s Lovefest to celebrate our past, understand our present, and learn how to help us grow into our future. Much thanks to the Community Life Team for providing breakfast along with Paul and Julie Klein’s cinnamon rolls.

The morning was a success with Leah DeSchepper, Congregational President hosting. Paul Sundet, Congregational Treasurer shared St. Luke’s finances for this year and future projections. We had two people share their financial stories starting with Laura Thompson talking about Lutheran Social Services Debt Management Program, helping her get her finances under control. Mark Bergherr shared why he is leaving a legacy with St. Luke’s. This presentation, in a shorter version, will be available to view during our Budget Meetings on January 12 and 19, 2025. If have questions contact Leah DeSchepper, Congregational President: [email protected].

Thank you St. Luke’s! We are on our way to meeting the financial needs of 2024 and beyond. 29 people participated in the Post-It Note Promise which combined totaled over $15,000. There were financial gifts also given totaling over $10,000. All are invited to make a year end gift. Gifts need to be received by 4:30 PM, Tuesday, December 31 in the church office. By 11:59 PM if making a gift online www.stlukesbloomington.org follow the GIVE link bottom of the page. Mailed gifts need to have a postmark of December 31, 2025.  

The Reason for the Season will be shared by St. Luke’s Children’s Ministry 10:00 am Worship.

Here’s the history…

The Children’s Christmas pageant has been a long standing tradition in churches throughout the ages – big or small; rural, urban, or suburban; no matter the denomination or nondenominational. Recently on a talk show the host and actress both attributed the Children’s Christmas pageant to be his and her starting point in acting. It was wonderful to hear them reminince and compare their parts. Neither ever ascended to Mary or Joseph. Both giggled at being a sheep and king. I wonder if one of the children from St. Luke’s will have such a future?

Here’s where it all began…

The Gospel of Matthew’s Gospel and the Gospel of Luke provide the Christmas Story. The Gospel of Mark jumps right in with John the Baptist. The Gospel of John has his prologue where we read, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not overcome it.

And what Christian home does not have a Nativity Scene. (Our home has over 40 counting ornaments, and I have another handful in my office.) This tradition doesn’t come from Matthew or Luke, but from a book, “Protoevangelium of James” (meaning the “pre” Gospel of James, or sometimes called the Infancy Gospel of James). Its author claims to be James, usually understood to be the half-brother of Jesus (James is also found in the Gospel of Mark chapter 6 and Galatians chapter 1).

The “Protoevangelium of James” was written about 145 A.D. Most modern biblical scholars do not believe it was written by James and the consensus is that it was written to satisfy the desires of early Christians to hear more detail about the birth and early years of Jesus’ life. It was overlooked when putting together the Bible. It starts with the Virgin Mary’s own conception and birth.

Deacon John J. B. Silvia Jr.’s article of the Clergy Corner of Newport Daily News, December 16, 2016 wrote, “Joseph provides a first-hand description of time stopping as Jesus is born into our world. There is a bright cloud with brilliant light over Jesus at His birth. He describes angels, workers, shepherds, sheep, goats and birds all frozen in time while still in the air.

Here we also find the donkey that Mary rides upon, the Magi, described as “Astute Men,” Herod’s slaughter of the innocents, and Joseph’s encounter with a midwife named Salome and a mountain that actually opens up to hide Mary and Jesus inside, in order to save them from Herod.

The “Protoevangelium of James” is full of extraordinary, magnificent and supernatural descriptions that include stories starting with Joachim, Anna, Elizabeth, Zacharias and Mary’s conception, birth and early years.

I believe that it was all of the gospel stories as well as the “Protoevangelium of James” that influenced a very holy deacon named Francis of Assisi. In 1223, St. Francis was visiting Grecio, Italy, to celebrate Christmas. The chapel was way too small to hold all the people for midnight Mass, so he found a rock outcropping near the center of town and there he set up the first living Christmas crèche.

With permission from the church authorities, he prepared a manger, brought in hay, an ox and a donkey. There he assembled the people, sang psalms of praise, and in the words of St. Bonaventure: “… bathed in tears and radiant with joy, the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ.” The story continues: “A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ ... affirmed that he beheld an infant marvelously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake him from sleep.”

And these are the historical origins of the Nativity and how St. Francis began the tradition that has led up to our beautiful and moving Christmas pageants today.

In the hustle and often hassle of the holiday season, may we focus and return to the real meaning and center of our Christmas celebrations, the humble birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The winner of the Christmas Quiz in the Blog on December 3 was Diane LaFontaine!
Here’s the key:


1. false          15. E
2. A               16. D
3. F                17. C
4. false          18. C
5. false          19. B
6. true          20. Unknown
7. E                21. C
8. E               22. C
9. C               23. B
10. F             24. G
11. E              25. F
12. A             26. D
13. F              27. D
14. D             28. D