The Putz can be viewed at the following times:
*Every Saturday in December from noon till 2:00 pm (no appointment needed - first come first served.
*By appointment for groups (to schedule, call the church office at 717-626-8515 during office hours)
*From December 26th through the 30th at 7:00pm.
*After the December 31st Watchnight Service.
You can also view a prerecorded video of the Putz at the link below.
More information about our Putz:
A Christmas Putz is a tradition which dates back to St. Francis of Assisi, who dramatized the message of the gospels for the common folk of the thirteenth century. Later on, German and Alpine craftsman began to carve figures of the Holy family from local native woods, and soon the finely carved Joseph and Mary were seen in churches, homes, and market places.
Moravians, emigrating to America in the eighteenth century, brought along some of the figures from their homelands. These Moravians were members of an ancient church which traced its origin back to 1457 as followers of John Hus.
In our Putz, to create a natural look, the thirteen electrically lighted scenes are set among live moss and tree limbs. Driftwood and rocks are used to complete the terrain.
All the Putz figures and scenery have been hand painted by members, and the canopy contains a setting of stars which represent the northern December sky.
The sound track for the Putz uses various verses from the Bible to tell the Christmas Story, and most of the musical selections are sung by our church choir.
The sequence of events are as follows:
- LIGHT OF THE WORLD
- ISAIAH
- THE ANNUNCIATION
- BETHLEHEM
- SHEPHERDS – ANGEL OF THE LORD
- HEAVENLY HOST
- THE CAVE STABLE
- STAR OF BETHLEHEM
- THE WISE MEN – VISIT KING HEROD
- THE WISE MEN – VISITING JESUS
- FLIGHT TO EGYPT
- THE CHURCH
- FINALE
The Light of the World Shines Out In Peace and Love to All Mankind From the humble Manger and the Star of Bethlehem.