Sunday School Contemporary Christmas Pageant - December 12, 1999
The good news of the Advent hope is that, in the midst of suffering, oppression, and persecution, God is actively faithful. Faithful to the promises of the covenant, faithful to the believers, and faithful to God’s character which seeks freedom, justice, and peace for God’s people everywhere. In that there is cause for rejoicing. The challenge of the season is to clear enough space amid the crinkling of wrapping paper and the hum of muzak carols to hear this amazing good news.
If you would like to stay seated for any or all of the “standing” parts of the service, please feel free to do so.
A time of silent preparation—Lighting the Christ Candle
Call to Worship
One: God of all generations, You sent John the Baptizer to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, the Christ.
All: Prepare the way of the Lord.
One: Like the crowds gathered at the river Jordan, we, too, are filled with questions and expectations;
All: Prepare the way of the Lord…
One: In this Advent time, we prepare for the time when you will dwell among us in human form, when you will come as the true Light that will enlighten the whole world.
All: Prepare the way of the Lord…
One: So, then, may our hearts be filled with joy and may we sing praises for all you have done on earth.
All: Prepare the way of the Lord…
Litany and Sung Response: Please turn to back of bulletin
Rejoice always! Let us rejoice with all our hearts. God is in our midst and rejoices over us with gladness! May the lighting of this candle remind us of God’s joy, which comes to us in God’s Child, Jesus, whose day draws near. Amen
Time with the Young & the young at heart
We Remain in God’s Presence Through Confession
Prayer of Confession (Unison)
God of Jesus Christ and of joy, we are rushing to get ready, hoping for a special time of love and peace. Forgive us when we spoil this gift of Christmas with our busyness. Forgive us when we set our hearts on what we will get, and forget the good things you have given us already. Forgive us when we forget what really gives us joy…(Silent Confession)
Assurance of Pardon (One)
In grace-filled waiting, God’s peace will be yours, God’s pardon will be experienced. Thanks be to God.
Hymn #20 “On Jordan’s Bank”
Biblical Notes
God Calls Isaiah to Be a Prophet
The Word of Life & John the Baptist’s Message
One: This is the Good News of Jesus Christ
Hymn #69 “Away In A Manger”
We Respond In Giving And Gratitude
Our Church Tithes and Offerings
Our lives are enriched by the truth of Your word
Our love of Christ, we declare
We have life abundant, inherited by faith,
The work of our hands we now share.
We sing hallelujah this Christmas time
Sing thanks for the love of Your son
We praise You O God with our gifts and hearts Amen Amen.
Holy God, your gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love are celebrated this season. Through our offerings, we seek to share the life-changing realities that we have known. Grant that our simple sharing of money, skills, and commitment might bring justice, compassion, and acceptance to others. In the name of the one born in Bethlehem, we pray.
Hymn #36 “Angels From the Realms of Glory”
Commissioning
One: Go forth as preparers and proclaimers and dreamers!
All: Let us go to make ready for the birth of Christ in our midst. Let us go to announce the Good News of Christ’s coming.
One: And may the blessing of God, who created the world and all that lives, the blessing of the Child, who releases in us new visitors of hope, the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who guides us into new ways of living be with us all, now and forever. Amen.
Choral: AMEN
#298 “When You Walk From Here”
When you walk from here, when you walk from here,
Walk with justice, walk with mercy, and with God’s humble care.
Thought For Today
“A sense of humour is the pole that adds balance to
our steps as we walk the tight rope of life”.
anonymous
Contemporary Christmas Pageant
Welcome to our 1999 Sunday School Christmas program. This is a bit of a departure for us, as our performers are sitting among you and will be able to watch themselves on the screen. We are going to tell you the Christmas Story with the aid of slides, which were taken for us by Rev. Farrell. The story script is found in The Family Story Bible, by Ralph Milton, an author well known to many of you - perhaps best for his book, This United Church of Ours.
We would like to thank Rev. Farrell for being our photographer. We appreciate the extra time he has invested in this project. Thank you also tot the parents of our Sunday School children, who waited patiently for their children while the pictures were being taken, and to the teachers, who helped with costumes, props and encouragement.
The children are the stars of the show, and therefore we kept the backgrounds to a minimum. We want to thank the following children and classes for their part in this show: Mary (Danielle Weiss), Joseph (Brian Stroh), Baby Jesus (Corianne Rattai, Angel Gabrielle (Amanda Glock, King Herod (Ricky Rachinsky), Three Magi (Riley Rattai, Sabrina Henderson, Zachery Peters), Andel with the shepherds (Diana Davison), Angels (Kindergarten class), Animals (grades one and two), Shepherds (Grades three and four), Herod's Advisors (grades five and six).
Here is our story. (Click on images to enlarge)
Mary
and Joseph lived in a small town called Nazareth. They were planning to
marry each other. Late one night, when she was all by herself, Mary felt
there was someone with her. She couldn't see anyone.
"Are you an angel?" Mary asked in a tiny voice. Mary had never seen an angel, but somehow, she was sure this must be an angel. Then the someone spoke to her.
"Be happy, Mary! God has chosen you for a wonderful thing. You are going to have a very special baby. You must call this baby Jesus, because he will be God's chosen one, God's Messiah."
"But
how can that be?" asked Mary. "I'm not married."
"God will make this happen in a way that you will find hard to under," said the angel.
Mary was afraid for herself. In those days people got angry when women had babies before they were married. She was afraid people would hurt her because she was pregnant. Still, Mary loved God very much. "Well," Mary said very slowly, "If that's what God wants to do, then that is what will happen."
When Joseph heard about this, he was very worried. "How can Mary have a baby when we aren't married yet?" he wondered. Then one night, Joseph had a dream. He dreamed that an angel was telling him, "Don't worry, Joseph. It's all right. You and Mary go ahead and get married just as you planned."
So Mary and Joseph got married, and they loved each other very much. Together, they planned and worked to make a loving home for their special baby.
Mary could feel the baby growing inside her. "It won't be long now," she said to Joseph, her husband.
Then
one day Joseph came with some bad news. "We have to go to Bethlehem," he said.
"There are orders from the Roman emperor. Everybody has to go to the town that
their grandparents came from. The emperor wants to count how many men he
can get to fight in his army."
"But the baby is almost ready to be born," Mary said. "It's hard for me to walk very far. Do I Have to go too?"
"That's what the emperor ordered," said Joseph. "He wants to count all the people. Because we are part of the family of King David, we have to go to Bethlehem. Bethlehem is King David's city. It doesn't make any sense, but we have to go."
Mary and Joseph were very tired when they reached Bethlehem. They needed to rest for a while, but they couldn't find any place to stay. They tried to get a room in an inn, but all the rooms were taken.
Finally,
someone said, "You can stay where they keep the cows and donkeys. It was not a
nice place. It was smelly and dirty and cold. But it was the only place Mary and
Joseph could find.
Joseph felt very angry. "A baby should not be born in a place like this," he said. That night in that smelly stable, Mary's baby was born.
The
animals welcomed the baby to their stable. Mary wrapped the baby Jesus in some
clothes she had brought. Joseph and Mary made a soft bed in the straw.
"The angel said this was going to be a very special baby," said Mary. "It doesn't seem very special to be born in a place like this,"
"Jesus is a very special baby," said Joseph. "But I don't understand either why he should be born here. Maybe someday we'll understand."
Both
of them smiled at the tiny, red-faced baby with his eyes so tightly closed.
Joseph laughed when the baby closed his tiny hand over Joseph's finger.
Mary and Joseph cried together too. Jesus was so tiny, and the world seemed such a cruel place. Then Mary and Joseph said "thank you" to God for the gift of their beautiful child.
"Now let's all try to get some sleep," said Mary.
Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus were sound asleep. They woke up when they heard voices outside.
"Who is it?" called Joseph. The night was very dark. He was afraid someone might want to hurt them
"It's
all right," said a kind voice. "We're shepherds. We've come to see the baby."
"Who told you there was a baby here?" said Joseph. Now he was really worried.
Two of the shepherds came inside. "I think it was an angel," said a shepherd. Then all the other shepherds came inside too. There was a bright light and angels in the sky," said another shepherd, "and music, beautiful music."
"What did the angel say?" Joseph asked.
"First
the angel told us not to be afraid," said a shepherd, "But we were scared
anyway. None of us had ever seen an angel before. Then the angel told us some
good news. "The angel said a saviour had been born, a person who would show us
what God is like. And the angel sad we could find the baby in a place where they
feed cows and donkeys. It doesn't seem like much of a place to have a
baby. Especially a baby that's going to be the saviour of the whole world."
"It's not a nice place for any baby to be born," said Joseph. "What else did the angel say?"
"Nothing,"
said the shepherd. "Suddenly the whole sky was full of music. There was singing
everywhere, the worlds of the song were something like Glory to God, and peace
to all people everywhere. Then just a suddenly, the angels were gone."
The shepherds came a little closer. They wanted a good look at Jesus.
"He looks like an ordinary baby to me," said one of the shepherds.
"He is an ordinary baby," said Mary. "But he is also special. He is very special."
On the way back to their sheep the shepherds told everybody what they had seen and heard.
Sometime
after Jesus was born some Magi were trying to find Jesus. Magi are sometimes
called The Wise Ones or star watchers. They went to see King Herod.
The Magi were not Jewish like Mary and Joseph and Jesus. They came from a country far away. They said, "We have been looking at the stars. We think the stars tell us a ruler has been born to the Jewish people. Where will we find this child?" they asked King Herod.
Herod was the king of the Jewish people. He was a very bad person. He was afraid that someone might try to be king instead of him. So when Herod heard what the Magi were looking for, he was afraid. Herod had a meeting with the people who helped him.
"Where
do the prophets say that the Messiah, God's chosen one, will be born?" Herod
asked.
Herod's helpers looked in all the old books and said, "In Bethlehem. That's what's written in the books."
So Herod talked to the Magi, "This new ruler of the Jews is supposed to be born in Bethlehem. Why don't you go find this child? Then come back and tell me so I can bring him some gifts too."
Herod was lying, Herod wanted to get rid of the baby so it couldn't grow up to be a king.
The Magi went to Bethlehem. They saw a very bright star in the sky.
"That star is leading us," they said. "Look! It has stopped moving. That must be the place where we will find the Messiah."
That's how the Magi found Jesus. They gave Jesus some very nice gifts. There was shining gold, Sweet-smelling incense, and a perfume called myrrh.
That
night, one of the Magi had a dream. "Don't go back to Herod,: the dream said.
"Herod wants to kill the new baby."
So the Magi went back to their home by another way.
Joseph also had a dream. In the dream Joseph was told, "Run away. Take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Herod wants to kill Jesus."
"Wake up, Mary" said Joseph. "We have to run. We have to run to Egypt!"
In the middle of the night, Mary and Joseph and their tiny baby started walking to Egypt. Mary looked back at the stable where her baby had been born. They became refugees - people without a home. It was many years before they could come back to Nazareth.
And so the story, begun in Nazareth and Bethlehem, continues - on through the ages.
(From the Worship Leader's Pak of the Whole People of God, 1999/2000 edition. Published by Wood Lake Books in Canada, Logos Production in USA, and MediaCom in NZ/Australia.)