On the night of December 15, Hope Lutheran Church was the place to be for faith, fun, and falafel.
The church hosted an hour-long program, called “The Night Shift Before Christmas,” where the younger members of the congregation came together to tell the story of Christmas from a different perspective: from the view of Bethlehem’s only “24-hour Falafel House” restaurant.
Employees and patrons hung out in the restaurant, talking about the food, modern technology, and the possibility of the Messiah being born in Bethlehem. Some of the patrons were skeptical of anything major happening in the town, even when Mary and Joseph themselves stopped by. Later that night, Jesus Christ was born and everyone in the shop rejoiced.
The program featured original songs, performed by the cast, and traditional songs in English and Spanish that the audience joined in on. A reception was held in the fellowship hall immediately after the play, and guests could fill up on cookies, punch and falafel from Tampa.