Our church, Trinity  United Methodist in Rome, Georgia, began a Live Nativity in 1957. And for the past 54 years, for the five nights before Christmas, Trinity folks have dressed up as Mary and Joseph, wise men, shepherds and angels to represent the birth of Christ.

[caption id="attachment_902" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="My niece Haley and great nieces Sophie and Lily as angels in 2010."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/angels2010.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-902 " title="angels2010" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/angels2010.jpg" alt="" width="479" height="447" /></a>[/caption]
<p style="text-align: center;">Adults stand in 30 minute shifts. Children rotate in and out every 15 minutes or so.<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/nativity2010.jpg"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-904" title="nativity2010" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/nativity2010.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="291" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Our church is on a major five-lane road, in the middle of town.  So hundred of cars pass us every night in the two hours (7 pm - 9 pm) that we present the Live Nativity.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Our family has been a part of Trinity Nativity since I played the part of an angel, as a teenager, in the 1960s.  And over the years, even before we moved to Georgia, we would stop by and take a turn, whenever we were in Rome, visiting my brother Terrell.</p>


[caption id="attachment_901" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Lily being dressed as an angel."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/LilyDressed2010.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-901" title="LilyDressed2010" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/LilyDressed2010-300x234.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="234" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_909" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Once everyone is dressed, we stand for a photo. Then we pray that as people drive by they will remember that Christmas is Jesus&#39; birthday."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/NativityInside.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-909 " title="NativityInside" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/NativityInside.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="238" /></a>[/caption]

Our family usually stands at least two nights, out of the five nights of the Live Nativity each year.  We stand on the evening assigned to our Sunday School class.  And, for almost 20 years, we have stood in the Nativity on Christmas Eve.

[caption id="attachment_904" align="aligncenter" width="800" caption="The Live Nativity in 2010. The scene usually ortrays Mary and Joseph, three wise men (or women), three shepherds, ana"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/nativity2010.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-904" title="nativity2010" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/nativity2010.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="485" /></a>[/caption]