Live Nativity scene set for Saturday night at Van Orsdel

Between 5 and 7 p.m Saturday, those passing by Van Orsdel United Methodist Church will witness the re-enactment of a biblical event that embodies the true meaning of Christmas for Christians: the birth of Jesus Christ.

The living Nativity scene has become a time-honored tradition for the church. Each year, parishioners brave the cold to breathe life into an episode usually known through artist renderings and biblical interpretations. Throughout it all, Christmas music plays in the background.

"It's almost like you can be there in your mind like that," said Ray Toth, a longtime parishioner who has had a large part in organizing the affair throughout the years and played several roles in the exhibition.

Toth credits Betty Knudson, a former Havre resident and parishioner, for coming up with the idea for the live Nativity scene.

Volunteers act in the roles of Mary, Joseph, the three wisemen and the shepherds. At least one actor portrays an angel. Elevated above the manger, which is made of old barn wood, in a hydraulic lift bucket lent to the church by Schine Electric, the person acting as an angel flies alongside a large electric star aglow in white light.

Toth said the decision to use a doll or a real life baby to portray Jesus depends on the weather and willingness of a mother to volunteer her baby. Other children, dressed as angels, are sometimes situated out in front to give children a larger role in the production.

Some costumes bearing resemblance to biblical-era attire were donated to the church. But due to the varying sizes of the participants, they are sometimes forced to improvise.

Actors take their spots for about a half hour before, one by one, they slip out when their shift ends and other actors take their place. They then retreat to a warmup room inside the church for warmth. The substitutes each fill a role for 30 minutes before the next person takes over.

In lieu of enough volunteers, Toth said, someone may take multiple shifts, but they try ensure that the person gets a break between shifts.

Real animals are transported from farms in Havre and nearby communities such as Chinook to play a part. In the past they have had sheep, a cow and Molly, a miniature donkey who has taken part in the re-enactment every year. This Saturday they hope to have some alpacas, said Toth.

The animals are allocated some room to wander, but some such as sheep and alpacas are kept in pens that act as a barrier between them and people who come over to see the nativity scene stationed in the area between the church and the Girl Scout house.

Yellow crime scene tape or a rail are sometimes put up to keep the audience from getting too close to the animals Toth said that while the church invites everyone to come over and see this spectacle, they cannot touch.

"This is not a petting zoo," said Toth. "People can come and look and stuff, but if they want to come sit and take a picture, it ain't gonna happen."

The animals are given hay and feed and are also kept inside pens to keep them from wandering away.

Such an incident happened a few years ago, when a sheep fled the scene, bolting down 5th Avenue over to 3rd Street where Pizza Pro is now located, Toth said. Some organizers went after him, before the woolly fugitive returned to the church of his own volition.

Toth estimated it takes about three hours to piece together the manger and the pens, lay the beds of hay, put out the food, receive the animals and do the assortment of other tasks that must be carried out leading up to the performance.

When the living Nativity scene is finally completed and all the players in place, people walk over or park along 5th Avenue, gathering around the manger for the collective viewing.

The live Nativity scene starts at 5 p.m.