Posada!
It all started when the Bishop of Ramsbury said “Find a knitting pattern and get going!”
Some initiatives sound exciting and attractive but are better suited to large churches and don’t adapt well in village communities and churches. This one seemed ideal. A Posada! We live in a beautiful part of Wiltshire, where The Chalke Valley Benefice serves 12 villages. Here was something to try in our own village, Bowerchalke.
What is a Posada? It is the Spanish word for ‘A place to stay’ an Inn. Originating in Mexico, two young villagers would dress up as Mary and Joseph and, during Advent, travel from house to house telling of the imminent arrival of Jesus and asking people to give him a room. On Christmas Eve they would re-enact a community play and bring figures of Mary and Joseph to the crib. About 10 years ago
The Church Army had the idea of adapting Posada to encourage families to give a home to the nativity figures for a night during Advent, symbolising making room for Jesus in hearts, homes and community. The figures are then brought to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The Church Army provides a good Resource Pack – but no knitting pattern! (We knitted the figures because our nativity figures are too big for a normal windowsill, which is the best place for people to see them from outside as they progress round the village. My friend warned me that one year Joseph had returned in two pieces,.. the PCC would not be happy!)
Next, do an internet search for ‘Knitted Nativity’ and then find a few enthusiastic knitters. (Guess who knitted the donkey?!) Should I go to church members, largely older people, or find the families who usually appear for Mothering Sunday and Christingle? And that was where exciting things began to happen. ‘They’ say that there are not many families in villages these days, and I found that the ones I knew were
able to give me more names. I found
20 families who passed the figures from house to house and the remaining homes were church goers, both Anglican and Baptist. After Christmas I asked whether they wanted to do it again. Everyone has said ‘yes’ and one father suggested that they should have the Posada for two nights, as he felt that it was all over too quickly. So knitting has started again for a second set.
The experience made me wonder how many families there really were in the community. I have now been to every house in the village, compiling a Bowerchalke Register, which will go to every home. I find that of 167 homes there are 31 families with young children. Hence the need for extra figures this year. A few of the Posada families have now met for coffee in the Village Hall and are preparing a family area at the summer Flower show and fete.
One Mum saw the Posada figures as “Gift! I just had to receive it, nothing to do, no mince pies to make, just a gift at a very busy time of year.” Her words couldn’t have been more apt. Jesus comes to us as Gift from God, there is nothing that we can do to earn that Gift but to receive and make room for Him.
Kate Rosslyn Smith Wiltshire
www.churcharmy.org.uk/posada
22
www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
rural mission
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