Boston, Massachusetts:–A natural shelter in the fields outside Bethlehem. Starlight glowing overhead. Shepherds and wise men. These elements of the traditional Christmas story took on new meaning for international speaker, Chet Manchester, when he visited Israel several years ago. He captured hours of video footage in Bethlehem and in the green hills of Galilee, where Jesus grew up. Now, he and New York-based singer Julia Wade are bringing the Christmas story to life for interfaith audiences across the country through an inspirational talk and concert called Christmas Presence. The event combines music, scenes from Israel, and spiritual insights about Christ Jesus’ life and light.
A member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, Manchester recently returned from speaking engagements in Indonesia and the Philippines –where, he says, «There were signs of Christmas everywhere we went. The story of Jesus’ birth is so universal. Yet, it’s about more than the birth of a Jewish babe two thousand years ago. It’s about the dawning of a spiritual light that is here to bring inspiration, joy, and healing to us individually and collectively. This is what Christmas Presence celebrates.»
Audiences will enjoy Wade’s fresh arrangements of familiar classics like «Joy to the World.» They’ll also discover new songs, drawn from her album, «Story for the Ages,» released by Watchfire Music (watchfiremusic.com), and a poem set to music entitled «Christmas Morn,» by Mary Baker Eddy, who founded Christian Science a century ago.
The program title, Christmas Presence, is a word play that Manchester and Wade say most people can relate to. «It’s so easy to get caught up in the mad rush to the malls–the hunt for Christmas presents –while our hearts yearn for something more. It’s the presence of Christ that is the real gift of Christmas — «God with us.» This is what Jesus’ life illustrated and what’s at the heart of our program.»
Christmas Presence will take place on Sunday, December 20, from 1pm to 2 pm in the 1894 edifice of The First Church of Christ, across from Symphony Hall. Admission is free and the event will be webcast live at www.christianscience.com/christmaspresence. For more information, visit www.christmaspresence.info.
