This program picks up the theme and characters of the advent skits “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus“. They go very nicely together.

 

Christmas Program ‘08

 Written by Bev Kennell, Kayley Kennell and Miles Pruett

 

A Light Shining in the Darkness

 

Prelude: (10-15 minutes 6:45-7:00)

Congregational Songs (2)

Note:  (The adult characters will be dressed as their character and stand to the left of the piano. A light will shine on them as they read their part. A spotlight will simultaneously shine on the kids who are acting out that particular part as it is read. The kids will stand in the middle-front of the stage)

Characters:  (Can be adults or children)

  • 2 Angels
  • Shepherds
  • 3- Wise men;
  • Elizabeth
  •  Mary & Joseph
  • Isaiah

Isaiah:  reads prophesies from scroll from center stage.

“I am Isaiah, a prophet of God. My name means “Yahweh is Salvation.” I must speak for God has sent me with a message of salvation to the people of all nations. He has touched my lips with burning coals of fire. The words, they burn on my tongue. I cannot stop from speaking. ‘

Give ear to the word of the Lord!

The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. To those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death a great light will shine. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name 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, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of host will perform this.”

SCENE ONE:

 

Mary reads from off the side while it is acted out on stage.

Mary-as a reader from off stage:  “ My name is Mary. Before I was married to Joseph, an angel appeared to me. (Spotlight on Delaney appearing to Ashley). The angel said,

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” I was so afraid! But the angel said, “Don’t 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.”

I asked the angel how this could happen, as I was still a virgin. The angel said that the Holy Spirit would come upon me, and this holy child born to me would be called the Son of God. He told me how my cousin Elizabeth would also have a child in her old age. The angel said that nothing is impossible with God.

I knew in my heart that this was all from God. I told the angel , “I am God’s servant and will be honored when this all comes about.” (Mary bows to the ground; Angel leaves).

I did not know whether Joseph would divorce me or not. In fact, I knew I could be stoned. But I trusted God’s plan. I knew that if this was His will, He would bring it about. (Ashley leaves).  SPOTLIGHT OFF

Joseph as a reader off to side as it is acted out on stage) “I did not want to publicly disgrace Mary when I found out that she was with child, so I had decided to quietly divorce her. Then, the most amazing thing happened to me!

Spotlight on Joseph (actor) who is asleep.

One night when I was asleep, an angel of the Lord appeared to me in a dream. He said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The baby she is carrying is from the Holy Spirit! She will have a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save the people from their sins. When I woke up, I did what the angel had told me, and took Mary as my wife. .”

(Joseph gets up and Mary comes and stands beside him and takes his arm).  SPOTLIGHT OFF

Isaiah: (From side of stage)

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through me, his prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel- which means, “God with us”.

Special Music: “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

*****

SCENE TWO

 

 Isaiah:

“God will send a man- John the Baptist, to prepare the way for the Lord. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Is.40:3-5

Elizabeth as a reader from off stage while characters act it out on stage:

“My name is Elizabeth. Let me tell you my story. My husband, Zacharias and I, had been praying for a baby for many years. I had given up years ago because I was already way past child-bearing age. Well, one day while Zacharias was performing his priestly duties at the temple, an angel appeared to him! He was so afraid! But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13)

And everything happened just as the angel had said! (Spotlight on Anna). When I was 6 months pregnant, Mary came to visit me. (Ashley comes in and they hug). When I saw her, my baby leaped inside of me! (Anna holds her stomach) When my baby boy was born, many friends and relatives shared my joy! We gave him the name John. (Luke 1:25) “The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” “Praise the name of the Lord!!”

Isaiah-from side of stage

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.” (Mal.3:1)

SPOTLIGHT OFF

(Mary and Joseph exit off to the side.

CONGREGATIONAL SONG: “O Little Town of Bethlehem ”

(Someone will carry manger to center stage during last verse).

*****

SCENE THREE

 

Isaiah-from side of stage

“But you,Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans ofJudah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler overIsrael, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)

Soloist:  Breath of Heaven

Joseph  (Reader): (spotlight on Mary and Joseph coming up center aisle slowly).

When Mary was great with child, Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census to be taken of the Roman world. Each man was required to go to his own town to register. That meant that I would have to make the long journey toBethlehemwith Mary. But when we finally arrived, it came time for the baby to be born. But there was such a crowd inBethlehem, that all the inns were full. The only place we could find was a stable.

Mary (Reader):

The journey was long and hard for me, so I was grateful for any place to have my baby. When my baby was born, I wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger.

(Mary-Actor takes a baby from the onstage bench, wraps it and lays it in the manger).

(Children remain at manger scene).

Congregational song:  Noel

*****

SCENE FOUR

 

Shepherd:  (Reader) (spotlight on shepherds at right of stage)

 

“What a night! A few hours ago I was out in the field with the other shepherds doing my job of tending to the sheep. Suddenly, the most glorious thing happened! The whole sky lit up and an angel appeared! (Angel #1 appears)  He told us, “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town ofDavida 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.” (Other angels appear with hands raised).  Suddenly, the whole sky was filled with angels praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  (Angels leave and go to manger scene and stand in the back).

When the angels had left us, I said to the others: Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the Lord has told us about. (Shepherds go to manger) There, we found everything just as the angel had said. We spread the news around about the child, and people were amazed when we told them what had happened! All praise and glory be to God for this baby, the Messiah! (Luke 2:14)

Congregational Song:  Joy to the World 

Children sing: “Isn’t He Wonderful”  

YOUTH GIRLS standing at piano: Cradle Hymn  

(During this song, all the actors exit except Joseph and Mary).

*****

SCENE FIVE

 

Anna (Actor):  Kneeling at the cross; then Joseph and Mary approach with the baby) Luke 22& 23

 

Isaiah: (From side of stage):

 

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was very old and she never left the temple, but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.

Isaiah: (Reads from side of stage)

There was also a man inJerusalemcalled Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation ofIsrael, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

(Isaiah whispers over the sound system)

“Go to the temple. You will see the Messiah, Go to the temple, You will see the Messiah.”

Simeon: Walks up the aisle (spotlight on him)

Simeon: (Wally takes the baby in his arms and looks at him, then raises his head towards heaven and loudly says):

“Lord, now you are letting me die in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your peopleIsrael.”

Simeon: (Gives baby back to parents. He puts his hands on their shoulders and looks at Mary):

Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And Mary, a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Anna: (Dorcas gets up and goes to parents and takes the baby in her arms, while Wally raises his hands and prays):

“Thank you God for granting me this privilege of seeing your Son, the Messiah.”

Praise be to God! (looks at audience) And to all of you who have been looking forward to the redemption ofJerusalem. This is the child we have waited for! He will be our Savior! Praise be to God!

(Simeon  lights last candle- the gold one. He raises his arm and shouts): “Fulfilled!”

(Anna gives baby back; goes down center aisle and stops halfway back.)

”I saw the child! Redemption has finally come!”

Simeon follows her back the center aisle as they say:  Praise God………..

Young Adults sing from back of church : FOLLOW THE STAR

(Wise men enter and join the Nativity scene and offer their gifts during song)

Isaiah  (Pres):

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. To those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death a great light will shine” Is.9:2

The young adults who are still standing in thee back will pass the mic down the row as each reads a verse SLOWLY.  (All of the following verses and their references will come up on the overhead one at a time).

  • Isaiah 9:2 : The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
  • Isaiah 42: 6-7: I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.  I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people,Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them.  And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
  • Micah 7: 8b:  Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
  • John 1:9: The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
  • John 1:4: The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
  • John 8:12: Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
  • John 12:46: I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
  • II Corinthians 4:6:  For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
  • Ephesians 5:8: For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
  • 1 Peter 2:9b: You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
  • 1 John 1:5: This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
  • Isaiah 60:19: “No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
  • Revelation 21:23: And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.
  • Revelation 22:5:And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Pastor will pray and dismiss and invite for snacks.