December 18, 2000
For unto ewe is born ... a surprise
___MARSHALL--An unexpected visitor delivered the spirit of miracles to East Texas last Christmas.
___The event started simply enough, when Immanuel Baptist Church decided to participate in Marshall's Wonderland of Lights.
___"In Marshall, Christmas is big business," explained church member Ernestine Finigan. "From the night before Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, over 3 million strands of lights illumine our streets, buildings, trees, fences, bushes. ... You get the picture.
JAMIE BURKE holds the surprising Christmas lamb.
___"Everything from Elvis and his pink Cadillac and hound dog to full-blown lighted nativity scenes decorate our fair city from one end to the other."
___The festival attracts about 700,000 people from almost every state and more than 20 countries to the East Texas community every winter.
___And last year, Immanuel Baptist Church wanted to contribute to the Wonderland of Lights. Members decided to present a live nativity scene "something that would lend a spiritual aspect to the festivities and point to the real reason for Christmas joy," Finigan explained.
___The nativity scene was to be located on a grassy knoll behind the church's educational building. It was to be staffed for three nights by 32 volunteers per night and "various animals as available," she reported.
___But two animals were essential to the scene--a donkey and at least one sheep.
___The logistics of the presentation came along very well, up to a point, Finigan said.
___"The volunteer cast was enlisted, costumes made, lean-tos built, lighting strung, burning permit for fires obtained. Everything was ready," she said. "Except animals. Someone had a donkey, another a cow. But what about a sheep? No one in our church had any sheep."
___Finally, friends of an Immanuel member agreed to loan them their sheep. The ewe recently had suffered a miscarriage, but she should be all right, the owner said, trusting care of his animal to the friend.
___"The ewe turned out to be a very gentle, sweet-spirited animal," Finigan recalled.
___"The live nativity, complete with stable-top angels, went off without a hitch," she added. "Many cars or busloads of people would stop and get out to take a closer look at the biblically based scene.
___"All the animals were a hit and lent authenticity to the setting we'd hoped for. But the ewe, with her serene nature, was a particular favorite of visitors and cast alike."
___She also turned out to be the most surprising member of the ensemble.
___"The morning after the last viewing, we went to tend the animals and found that during the night she had dropped a sweet little lamb," Finigan said. "Even her owners ... were unaware of her secret ... until they returned to pick her up."
___Cast and crew thought of naming the baby lamb Immanuel--the prophetic name for Jesus, which means "God with us," and also the church's name, she noted.
___"We were all convinced she is God's special gift of approval on our effort to spread his 'good news' at this special season."
___
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