Bethlehem's blessings in Morganton
The olivewood Nativity at Calvary Lutheran Church takes a place of honor in front of the altar.
The three kings, part of Calvary Lutheran’s Nativity set, are each carved from single pieces of olive wood.
three kings
The Holy Family is depicted in great detail in Calvary Lutheran’s Nativity, created by wood carvers in Bethlehem.
Pastor Paul Carlson holds wood carvings of the three magi from Calvary Lutheran’s Nativity display.
A close-up of Baby Jesus from Calvary Lutheran Church’s Nativity.
Jesus’ mother Mary, hands clasped in prayer, is a serene figure.
This carved Nativity is an example of the items available for sale at Calvary Lutheran Church.
Shelves at Calvary Lutheran Church hold a display of carvings from Bethlehem.
The Calvary Lutheran Church carvings represent a variety of Christian symbols.
Calvary Lutheran Church has a good variety of wood carvings for sale.
There’s a small room at the end of a hallway in Morganton’s Calvary Lutheran Church, where one wall is covered with built-in bookcases. Those simple white shelves hold precious treasures, wood carvings and craft pieces imported directly from the holy city of Bethlehem.
The creations are the handiwork of Palestinian Christian craftsmen, and Calvary’s pastor, Paul Carlson, said the sale of the beautiful pieces helps artists in the war-torn country make ends meet.
“One hundred percent of every dollar of every piece sold here goes back to the Holy Land,” Carlson stated, “back to those artists who are not able to sell their art anymore. There’s no tourism there (due to the war), and they don’t expect to, in their lifetimes, be able to have that again.”
“They (Palestinian Christians) have been there for generations,” he said. “They can trace their roots back all the way. It’s a tragic story, but it’s a powerful one.
“These are our brothers and sisters in Christ living in Bethlehem,” Carlson stated. “For many of them, this (crafting) is a prayerful experience, so you’ll see on some of these items, a note that it has been blessed in the Holy Land.”
Carlson developed a connection with the woodworkers on a recent trip to the region and now, Calvary regularly receives packages from Bethlehem, sells the pieces, and sends money to the artists in return.
The Christmas season provides an opportunity for Calvary Lutheran to spotlight a particularly beautiful Nativity the church purchased from the woodworkers. Carlson said the wooden creche provides a different experience for parishioners than the church’s former ceramic one.
“We had one of those beautiful ceramic nativities,” Carlson explained, “and when we bring the Nativity out at Christmas and throughout Advent, we use it.
“We hold onto it with our hands, and we pick it up,” he said. “We have children’s sermons around it.”
According to the pastor, while the ceramic pieces were fragile, the church’s wood Nativity is more durable.
“When I was actually fortunate enough to go to the Holy Land, we wanted this olive wood Nativity scene that we found there, created by the artists who are Christians living in Bethlehem, which is in Palestine,” he stated, motioning to the large creche, displayed prominently in front of the church’s altar. “The connections and the relationships that we built with them were just so meaningful.
“I love the storytelling that goes along with each of these pieces,” Carlson said as he held carvings of the three magi. “In fact, I will take them and put them on the altar when we have our readings about these things.
“We got some money together and purchased this to replace our old Nativity, and we are looking forward to using it for the first time this year,” he added.
The set was carved from native olive wood in the Holy Land, from the Mount of Olives. Each character is carved from a single piece of wood, and the craftsmanship is exquisite.
But Calvary Lutheran is also offering much more than Nativities created in the city of Jesus’ birth.
The display shelves also hold wall plaques, bracelets, cashmere scarves, and tiny woolen sheep, made with fibers harvested from sheep that still graze on the hills above Bethlehem, watched over by local shepherds.
“Those (items) are all from the stories that we hear at Christmas,” he said. “I mean, that’s the reason for the season, right?”
The Holy Land shelves also display interlocking hearts made of olive wood, small crosses that fit perfectly in a hand, necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry. There are also items such as body butter made with olive oil and Dead Sea salts.
Anyone can visit Calvary Lutheran during regular business hours (Monday — Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) to purchase items from the collection. Prices begin at $3, while some larger pieces cost up to $400. The church is at 119 N. King St., in Morganton.
“So almost anyone can get a piece to add to their Christmas display,” Carlson stated.
According to Carlson, the Holy Land craft ministry has a wide-reaching effect on his church and the community.
“To have all these pieces here, it helps our congregation, our youth, and our children especially, connect with the birthplace of Jesus in a more effective, tactile way,” he said.
The church’s Nativity will be a part of Calvary’s Christmas Eve celebrations. A children’s service will take place at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24, followed by a candlelight service with special music at 7 p.m.
Sandra Wilkerson Queen may be reached at 828-445-8595, ext. 2002, or sandra@thepaper.media.
