A new twist on an old pastime

by Bridget Cooke

The Augusta Assembly of God Church has a unique  show to present for the second year during the Christmas season, one that promises to bring an interactive and informative experience.

Cyndi Lund, a member of the church, was the mastermind behind the show which was received well last year and has been improved upon for the 2014 show, “The Road to Bethlehem: An Interactive Journey.”

Lund said the entertainment has three key pieces, one being the interactive, while it is also a historical lesson from the standpoint of the Christian church, and even a collaborative musical at one point of the show. 

“It’s quite a mix of styles,” Lund said. 

The writer has been involved in music-making for years of her life. Born in Janesville, Wis., Lund grew up in Somerset and has lived in New York state and written music with her husband. 

“It’s probably been brewing for several decades,” she said. “My husband and I have been involved with music programs for years at churches.”

Recently, she moved back to the area where her parents grew up and joined the Assembly of God in Augusta after looking for a more contemporary place of worship, getting together with a cousin who was already attending. 

Mostly, her wondering as to why Christmas shows had not followed what she had read in scripture allowed for her to take time to research and look to foster a better understanding of the story.

“Most of us look at scripture and this story from a western perspective, but Jesus was a Jew so you have to understand the culture to really understand a better meaning of what this is all about,” Lund said. “My main goal was to try to bring more of the actual truth.”

Over time, and with her involvement with the music program at the church, she was the person they turned to when out of ideas for the annual Christmas program. Then she decided to come up with a story different from what may have been done in past years. It is also notable that they have done the second show once more after having jumped around with shows each year.

She noted the impact it had in 2013 with positive feedback and encouragement to bring it back once more to give more people the chance to see it. This year, Lund is more confident in the research and preparation she had time to follow through with for the second annual show.

“It’s very unique,” Lund said. “Generally you go and people perform for you, you don’t really have a role. Usually you don’t get up and walk around in the middle of a performance. If you’re kind of a history buff and theater nut, you’ll really like it.”

The Assembly of God will host the event Dec. 20-21, both shows beginning at 6:30 p.m.

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