A capstone experience of 2023 was a partnership with local actor, director, and producer Beth Ann Kennedy to co-sponsor Bending Towards the Light: A Jazz Nativity, a show she and composer Anne Phillips (a canonic composer in American jazz and popular music, writing for Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Mahalia Jackson, The Four Tops, and Martha and the Vandellas, among others), have co-directed for over 40 years. Though this show has been performed all over the country, premiering at the Lincoln Center in New York City, the Hope Lutheran production marked its Montana Premiere! The show featured around 70 local musicians, including many of Bozeman’s leading performers like Jeni Fleming, Ryan Matzinger, Sam Simonich, and The Big Sky Voices, and MSU’s jazz band. Hope Lutheran provided sponsorship by way of space rental, personnel time, marketing support (both designing and printing flyers), and accounting—and our Chancel Choir had the great pleasure of singing for the show! Both shows sold out—a wonderful kickoff to what we hope will be an annual tradition! Even with two sold-out shows, the show broke even financially, so it was not a money-maker for us, but rather was a significant gift to the community of Bozeman, as we made it possible to tell the story of God in a new and contemporary way to many newcomers in our sanctuary.