Row your Boat

Sing Hallelujah! My nativity scene is looking pretty schmick so far, I would almost call it a nature table but until now I've kind of had in the back of my mind that it was a little , well, Paegan and not in keeping with my Christian beliefs. In the weeks of advent for instance the Steiner nature table devotes a week to minerals, then plants, animals and finally the heavenly. But I was thinking yesterday, I already have a nativity scene and don't consider it a shrine- why can't it be beautiful and represent the natural world

like this passage from Luke 19

³⁷When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
³⁸"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"^[b]
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

⁴⁰"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

⁴¹As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴²and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

So I'm OK with continuing to teach my children about natural beauty as a testament to God's wonderful creation, and all for his glory. Might have to explain it to the other churchies that come through the door, but they already think I'm a bit of a crackpot anyway.