Christmas in Alice

by Pastor Ben Pfeiffer

On a mild 37-degree day in Alice Springs a wonderful cross-section of people came together to celebrate the birth of Christ at the Alice Springs Lutheran Church. We were blessed by the presence of young and old, locals and visitors from bush communities, interstate and overseas. It was a joy to be together.

Our congregation adapted a Christmas Eve presentation called, ‘King of Kings,’ by Rob Handreck, which presents the history of Israel through the life of its kings. It highlights their admirable qualities, as well as those that brought about their downfall. It reminded us that we too are saints and sinners before God.

Of course, Israel continued to hope and pray for the Messiah to come, the king anointed by God, the King of Kings. The play culminated in the coming of Christ, at which point we injected a traditional nativity scene and narrative into the presentation.

We anticipated low numbers but were blessed to have 22 people in the cast, plus a number of last-minute angels and shepherds join us on the night. The congregation numbered 110 and also took part in the presentation, ‘hailing’ each new king. Our readings, address, carols and prayers took up a similar focus, as we considered how Christ came to rule from a manger and a cross.

2024 was a hard year for the town of Alice Springs and not all of the news was good. But in the middle of the challenges, we were blessed to celebrate the good news of our Lord’s birth, a story that fills us with hope and never gets old.