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Clockwise from top
Peg doll number 1 with its creator
The curate helps reunite peg dolls
A Jesus-eye view from the manger
Peg dolls sorted and available for collection until 1 February
Epiphany dawned. A day of triple celebration in Great Malvern Priory this year…
…the day that the church celebrates the Magi reaching the child Jesus with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh…
…the day that Roger, the Vicar, returned from his very well-earned post-Christmas break…
…the day of the first-ever Epiphany Blessing Service…
’How many are you expecting at this service?’ Roger quizzed the nervous-looking Curate.
’Errr, no idea’ she cautiously prevaricated, looking at the densely packed ‘Join the Christmas Story’ Nativity scene.
’Dense’ doesn’t do it justice. ‘Sardines’ maybe?
From the first few peg dolls ‘seeded’ onto the Nativity scene on 22nd November by faithful, but somewhat doubtful members of the Priory congregation, to minutes before the start of the Epiphany Blessing Service when the peg dolls would be blessed and could be reunited with their owners, the ‘Join the Christmas Story’ Nativity scene grew and grew and grew.
All ages, all artistic abilities, everyone it seemed caught the enthusiasm. Each for their own reason, they decorated and placed their peg doll onto the scene; pilgrims, journeying to the stable at Bethlehem, to Jesus.
And, as the trusty Priory urn gurgled and steamed, and the equally trusty Priory tea-coffee-and-hot-chocolate folk prepared for post-service refreshment activity, so the congregation streamed in. As promised, the service was just 20 minutes where carol singing (it had to be ‘O Come all ye faithful!), a brief reflection and the blessing of the peg dolls lifted hearts and spirits.
’Now’ said Roger, looking out at the sea of expectant faces, awaiting their peg dolls ‘We need to try and do this as scrum-free as possible. Perhaps some of you would like to start with refreshments, and then come back for your peg dolls? There’s even hot chocolate at the back!’
An enthusiastic stream of hot chocolateers headed to the equally enthusiastic refreshment volunteers, whilst, at the ‘Join the Christmas Story Nativity’, the Curate and other volunteers scrutinised cards and camera images to try and identify and reunite people and their dolls. What had seemed like a prominent spot back in early December; ‘it’s near the stable’, had become part of a sea of peg doll pilgrims. Exclamations of delight, as complete families of peg dolls were located, punctuated the happy hum of those enjoying hot chocolate and sharing peg doll stories.
As the church emptied, so each one of the remaining peg dolls was removed for de-blutacking (a more skilled job than you might imagine) and sorting (an ultra-satisfying evening occupation, first into thousands, then into hundreds). 51 baskets of dolls returned to the Priory, where the reuniting rattle of peg dolls being carefully searched through became the background sound until 1 February. Those peg dolls which remain are being refinished for future activities.
’Join the Christmas Story’ featured as a case study on the Church of England blog to encourage others to make it their own. And on the BBC Hereford and Worcester Facebook page, the video reel has had over 224,000 views. If you’d like to set up a Join the Christmas story at your setting and have any questions, do get in touch.
Sorting peg dolls from the Great Malvern Priory Join the Christmas Story nativity
