Because we love Christmas, Backseat Writer is celebrating the season all month long. Not only are we decking our sidebars, but we’re introducing special coverage from November 28 through January 2.
Starting on Black Friday, we’re kicking off 12 Days of Christmas Music Reviews. Nothing but solid reviews of new albums by Casting Crowns, Shane & Shane, Sara Groves, and others. Find out which albums you can expect to find under your tree, and which ones you’ll find at an after-Christmas clearance sale.
Not only that, but we’re having a Holly Jolly Hurrah! We’ve been sending out Christmassy questions to all of our friends who seem to be mostly musicians and authors, asking their opinions on very important topics like Santa, Christmas cookies, and Christ’s birth. Throughout the month, you’ll be seeing responses from members of Thousand Foot Krutch, This Beautiful Republic, Shirock and artists including Josh Wilson, Aaron Shust, and Manafest.
Don’t worry! We’ll still be offering our regular content as well, so join us in ushering in the holidays… as we wait in expectation to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She is Beloved 
I have read of many churches celebrating Christmas with Pageants that include an actual baby portraying the role of ‘baby Jesus’. Our first child Ruth, was born December 12th, 1981 and was chosen to be ‘baby Jesus’ for our church’s (Reba Place Fellowship) Christmas Eve service. Last year, our grandson, Charlie, born on Oct. 19th 2008, was chosen, also at Reba Place Fellowship. But in prison no such ritual exists.
I wasn’t even thinking about babies being in Christmas plays back in 1972. This was yet another year in prison the difference being this was my first Christmas as a christian. The Christmas service held new meaning for me as we sang the traditional Christmas Carols bringing with it a hope for a new life with a redeemed future. Christian volunteers were apart of our service at the U. S. Medical Center for Prisoners in Springfield, Mo.
As our service wound to completion a cry was heard. The faint whimpering of a baby. My first thought was that I wasn’t hearing what I thought I had heard. I had been in prison for many years and had never even seen a baby inside of a prison (not counting my infrequent times in the visiting room.) But there it was again, a baby crying. Someone, a volunteer, had brought their baby into the service wrapped in a blanket unnoticed by the guards. I then thought, there was our ‘baby Jesus’.
The parents of the yet unknown child were the children of an older couple (Lloyd and Nita Colbaugh) who had only a few years previously began their ministry to the prison. Even the great-grandmother (Mom Carter) was a volunteer and had played a significant role in my own conversion, telling me that God had a plan for my life.
Life would go on and the incident of ‘baby Jesus’ coming to prison would fade to a memory, until the baby grew up and now is known throughout many countries far and wide as acclaimed singer/songwriter Sara Groves.
I hope this story adds to your appreciation of the life of Sara and her family.
John C Thomson
John, I just wanted to let you know that this story has touched a lot of hearts, especially a few people I know who work in prison ministry. Thank you so much for sharing it! Merry Christmas! Amy