A Christmas Play.

The idea of this Christmas play, is to attempt to put together a something that can be used in any family type worship over the Christmas period, It may be part of a Christngle, a separate nativity, or a modern lessons and carols service. It is meant to be both light hearted and serious at the same time.

The play has three actors; firstly the archangel Gabriel. He/she should probably be dressed in an alb, cass-alb or other long white plain dress. Large wings should be worn. A tinsel Halo over the head is optional, but as this service has children present a bit of “ham” acting and dress is often appreciated.! The second character is the narrator who needs a good strong reading voice, a traditional “radio 4” diction, slightly pompous. The narrator reads all the bible readings. Costume may be cassock and surplice, academic gown or other suitable “serious” attire Thirdly is Fred, a modern lazy man, looking forward to a modern Christmas, food, booze, presents and football. He should be in something similar to jeans, football shirt, and a baseball cap preferably back to front, or a bobble hat and scarf in football colours. These, however are only suggestions, use what is right for your actors.

Hymns are left to personal choice, but a selection of modern and traditional are probably best. Spaces have been left for them, but you can miss a few out if you wish. The family favourite Away in a manger is set into the play, but as this play is meant to connect with children and families, modern carols may be more appropriate than Victorian carols. A trip to the local primary school to see what hymns are “in” this year is a good exercise.

 

The play opens with Fred either on a bed, or asleep on a sofa, whichever ever is easier.. The play starts with the entrance of Gabriel

GAB. Hello everybody, I am the Arch Angel Gabriel, and I have been telling people about the true meaning of Christmas for well over 2000 years. Today God has asked me to try and put the message over to him (points to Fred, who snuffles and wriggles in his sleep, but doesn’t wake up) But he’s very fast asleep, so let’s sing a carol and see if we can wake him up .

Carol ……a rousing lively one during last verse Fred starts to stir, wakes up at end of carol

FRED (sniff cough wheeze) Ugh, What’s going on? What’s all the noise? What, What…… Who are you, or should I say What are you?

GAB. I ‘m an archangel, Gabriel’s my name; and I have come from God to tell you the true meaning of Christmas.

FRED.   I already know the meaning of Christmas. (stops to think) It’s a holiday from school or work….. you start getting ready for it in August…….. You eat too much……. drink too much………. overspend on presents no one likes………. then after one day it’s all over, so it’s off to a Boxing day football match. That’s the meaning of my Christmas, so I don’t need no posh bloke/girl in a dress to tell me!

GAB. Oh I see, this is going to be harder than I thought! Good job I bought some help. (turns to the narrator) I think I’m going to need some help with this one? Can you hunt around a bit in that big book of yours and see if you can find something that may help (Narator starts to look through big lecturn sized Bible). Something Christmassy, but I think we might need a bit of something gruesome to get through to this one, How about that bit in Isaiah?

 

Nar (Nods)

 

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,

as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning,

will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace

there will be no end.

FRED Coo that’s a bit heavy going! If that’s Christmas I think I’ll stick to mine!

I’m not sure I understand all that light and dark stuff, but I know what it’s like to enjoy sharing out the plunder,……. And I like that bit about warriors boots and clothes covered in blood,…. it sounds just like Boxing day football, or maybe rugby.

But then you get that bit at the end about some new politician. Blimey, what a name ( strings words together) Wonderful-counsellor-mighty-god-everlasting-father-prince-of -peace.(gasps for breath) Sounds like one of these nutters who call their kids after a whole football team

GAB Hmmm, perhaps that wasn’t my best choice to start with, but you’re right, it’s not all a nice story! It’s telling us what life was like in the very olden days, when life was nasty, violent, and hard work. Slaves were common and everyone was always fighting

FRED Just like today?

GAB Worse! People needed hope. So I, in my capacity as head messenger ange,lpopped down to old Isaiah and put these words into his head. I told him that even though life’s rough now, when the time is right a child, a boy, will be born and he will try and sort it all out. He should be able to, being as how he’s going to be God’s own son.

FRED So when he’s come it’s all going to settle down into peace and harmony, and we’ll all live happily ever after? Coo, perhaps we ought to sing again, this sounds good!

Carol

FRED   So when’s all this going to happen? I can’t wait.

GAB Well, actually, it has already happened. It happened just over 2000 years ago.

FRED Well I don’t remember it. I’m not that old, what happened?

GAB Hmmm…. Perhaps I need to have some help again, (to narrator) How about a bit of Matthew please.

NAR This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

 

FRED I see, so this girl Mary, all engaged to be married, suddenly finds out she’s going to have a baby. No wonder Joseph was going to ditch her. He thought she’d been a bit naughty with someone else Then this angel appears,,,,,,,,,,, ere, it wasn’t you again was it?

GAB Yes, I’m afraid so, I did tell you that I’ve been involved in the Christmas story for many years. Sometimes I appear by name; sometimes I’m just called an angel and sometimes being the boss, I stay at home in heaven and send other angels to do the work. But I had to break the news myself to Joseph. He really needed to know that Mary hadn’t been unfaithful; the boy was God’s Son and that he was to be called Jesus

FRED Hmm still seems fishy to me, but at least you got that name thing sorted, Jesus is a lots easier to remember than , what was it? Wonderful-holy-counsellor-mighty-father-peace, or something.

GAB Not quite, but yes I do agree, Jesus is a lot easier to remember

FRED His job’s got a lot easier too. Now, he’s only got to save people from their sins, whatever that means. Still I reckon that when you watch the news that’s got to be easier than getting everyone in the world to agree to be peaceful. Hmmm……. Tell you what lets have another carol while that sinks into the old brain

Carol

FRED OK, let’s get this straight, Mary’s got big problems…….. so you go and see her feller…… he agrees to stand by her……and so you think all’s well with the world. But what about poor old Mary? She’s going to have a kid…… she doesn’t know how she got pregnant……. and she’s probably got all the neighbours talking about her! Don’t you think you should have had a word with her?

GAB I did, just as soon as I had been to see Joseph I shot around to see Mary. And before you ask questions, you don’t have to take my word, Narator dear, can you read out that bit that Luke wrote down about this.

NAR In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

FRED OK, OK, Ok. So you went and sorted it out. But you’re a bit posh with the old words though, aren’t you? Especislly as she’s just a young normal kid. Not a simple Hi or Hello, or even Wotcha! But “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you” It’s a bit OTT if you ask me, no wonder the poor girl was worried. Frightened out of her skin more like. Still straightened it out and put her mind at ease., But how did you sort out the neighbours, I bet they were watching and tutting, curtains twitching. How did you sort that lot out

GAB Though I say it myself, that was one of my cleverer moves! I had to involve lots of high up people and politicians to get it organised, but I did it!

FRED How?

GAB Lets have another carol and I’ll get the narrator to tell you

Carol

NAR  In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

FRED Oh Clever Cloggs! What wonderful piece of organization, not! You spend all your time organizing al the posh people, Emperors and governors and the like, but then you forget to sort out any hospital accommodation for the poor girl when she gets to Bethlehem. No wonder I noticed you were only called angel Gabriel at the time, did you get demoted for forgetting little things like hotels, transport and other simple creature comforts? I suppose she had to go by donkey?….. Yeah,…… thought so, I can hear all the mums out there groaning at the thought! Nine months pregnant and having to sit all day on a donkey. Boy you have got a lot of feelings for the poor girl

GAB I suppose it does look like that, but this Jesus wasn’t going to be the sort of person you’re thinking of. King, Son of God and all the rest, yes; but he had to be normal, not a posh pompous king, they’re the ones that got the world in a mess in the first place with all their wars, and politics. That’s why Jesus had to be born in a stable. It does sound like I messed up the accommodation but I seriously didn’t. You have no idea how much organization it took to get every hotel room in Bethlehem filled up, and only one pub owner willing to let them use his stable. Just stop and think, if they had got a room at the first hotel, they stopped, What would have happened to all the school nativity plays put on since that time. The line “No room in the inn” couldn’t be used and all the stable scenes with donkeys and sheep and ladybirds and beetles and…… and…. And Well they just couldn’t happen .

FRED Ok point taken, so what happened next?

GAB I’ll tell you in a minute, but let’s sing my favourite carol, You can’t do this bit of the story without singing, Away in a manger. I suppose you realize my ‘bad organization’, as you call it, let this carol be written!, And it ‘s one of the only ones everybody knows.

Carol away in a manger

GAB Ooh that’s lovely!   So I suppose now you want to know what else happened that night? Narrator, if you would be so kind as to read a bit more of Luke’s story

NAR   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

FRED Am I supposed to be impressed? This sounds like one big horrible mistake to me. You say you set everything up; but then just as you seem to get it right; You appear! I suppose that was you? Or one of your mates! What do you do? You turn up from heaven, all in glowing white, wings the lot, and terrify a bunch of hard working shepherd lads! And not just you! You had to take a whole bunch of other angels with you to terrify them, without any thought of what the shepherds would think.

 

GAB I suppose it could appear that way at first. And perhaps we were a bit over enthusiastic, but after all, God’s Son had just been born We’d been waiting a long time so it was a good excuse to have a heavenly party. But we soon calmed down and tried to explain it all to them. I admit they were a bit doubtful, so we left a bit sharpish, knowing that their curiosity would take them to the baby. And Shepherds are right old gossip’s, so we knew the word would soon get around. And it did impress Mary, even though she went very quiet and thoughtful.

 

But I think she appreciated the baby lambs coming.

 

FRED OK So let’s stop and think; Mary’s had a lousy journey………, ended up in a grotty stable…….. given birth……. had a load of shepherds arrive when all she probably wanted was to sleep………. Did anything else happen that night?

 

GAB. NO, not that night, except that a star appeared and some wise people started out from their home in the east and started travelling towards Jesus. Buts let’s have a carol, then I’ll get the narrator to tell you the last bit

 

Carol

 

NAR   After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

” `But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

 

FRED So have I got this right. Mary got out of the stable, and moved into a house, and then these wise people or Magi come. But wise or not, even after following his star all across the East, they get lost at the last minute and have to go and see the King? Who chats to all his bigwigs, who then tell him Jesus is in Bethlehem. Herod then wheedles the time of the birth out of the Magi, and off they go. They find the baby and give him presents. Then knowing what Herod was up to,….. I suppose it was you, who then used the old dream warning trick, sends the Magi home on another route!.

GAB Yes, that’s about it, The Magi came, gave their presents, and then shot off without telling Herod.

FRED So the baby was alright.

GAB Yes of course. And that’s the true story of Christmas, God gives his son to all of us as a present, and he will lead our lives if we let him, and we will get the peace that was promised, and our problems solved if we trust him. God’s greatest Christmas present and is the true meaning of Christmas

FRED   A bit like my original idea though, we found the boots and football players in your first talk, my Christmas drink ought to be Holy Spirit, because he’s sort of Jesus, Dad,…… presents are because of lambs, and gold, Frankincense and Myrrh,……. and all you angels had a party, which probably meant a feast, therefore food.

GAB In some ways yes, but the present bit is wrong, It was Jesus that was the present, not the lambs, or gold or anything, it was what God gave us, not what others gave him.

FRED OK Just one thing more, what happened to the baby if Herod was after him?

GAB I sorted that one too, another dream, and if you insist on comparing the real Christmas with modern Christmas’ then I suppose we’ll have to end with a Christmas Cracker Joke

FRED Go on

GAB Where does a flea appear in the Christmas story?

FRED A flea, A fleaI don’t Know

GAB Right at the end, because to keep the baby safe, I appear in a dream and tell Joseph to “take Mary and Jesus, and FLEE into Egypt”

FRED (GROAN) I think on that note I’ll go back to sleep.