A stave church is one of the architectural marvels of the world. Built in the Middle Ages as the Scandinavian peoples were being Christianized, they look like a Viking ship has landed to become a worship site.
Hundreds of these churches were erected a thousand years ago and despite the fact they are of all-wood construction, a few dozen still remain. In Moorehead, Minnesota, on the banks of the Red River, the descendants of Norwegian settlers built a replica of an original church in Vii, Norway. Inside, to my delight, I found that the paintings which decorate its ciborium are of a Christmas theme.
Here the angel announces to Mary that she has been chosen to give birth to the Messiah.
The Massacre of the Innocents, ordered by King Herod.