‘Christmas uncut’ Christmas uncut is a re-telling of the most wonderful story of all time, of how God came to Earth that first Christmas. We wrote, then performed it…
‘Christmas uncut’
Christmas uncut is a re-telling of the most wonderful story of all time, of how God came to Earth that first Christmas. We wrote, then performed it at St Thomas’s Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire, UK, on Sunday morning, 18th December 2011. It would need some adaption to your situation, but essentially the stories are timeless. It is aimed at everyone from about 7 to 100+. It is ‘uncut’ to help us appreciate what actually happened here on Earth, when God became vulnerable and shared our vulnerability, as we shall see. But the story does not end there, because when ‘Emmanuel’, God with us, comes then life is not the same again.
The service should flow without instructions. Stand when instructed on the sheet, sit afterwards. Then after the verse of ‘In the Bleak Mid-winter’ at the end we shall say one of God’s blessing and the very end is sharing God’s peace together. It took 75 minutes including songs – we think you will want to choose your own and insert them as you wish.
Cast: It needs about 24 people, although we doubled up some parts
People in A-in-M and Inn at Bethlehem 2 or 3 men, 2 or 3 women
Mary’s mother
Mary’s father
Mary
Joseph
Children 1 or 2
Narrators 2
Angel(s)
Elizabeth
Zechariah
Shepherds 3
Herod
Magi 3
Simeon
Anna
Optional Dancers
Scene 1 Christmas, A-in-M, 2011
(This scene, and the Inn at Bethlehem, could well be largely ad-libbed. You will find some Lancashire dialect in this version.)
Man 1 Christmas again. Presents to find. Booze to buy. Christmas lights to get working. Never enough money.
Man 2 At least you’ve got a job. Christmas at the job centre – what a gloomy place. It’s like death warmed up.
Man 3 Ey, it could be worse. At least there’s food on the table and a roof over our heads.
Man 2 Huh. I’ll be glad when its over again. It just makes me depressed.
Man 3 You’ll never be happy if you want Christmas over before it’s started.
Man 1 It must have been loads easier for Mary and Joseph. Not much for them to worry about. Just a donkey to feed and a couple of bags to carry.
Man 2 Are you kidding? I bet they were even more depressed than I am. Mary in the family way and a journey of goodness knows how many miles.
Man 3 I’ve never really thought about it...
Man 1 They weren’t like us. It was easy then. A simple life, ‘shepherds abiding in the fields’, marvellous....
Man 2 Marvellous!! What planet are you on? Where was God in all of that First Christmas business I’d like to know?
Man 3 The trouble is we keep wondering. But I suppose I’d like to know if they were like us. Were they ordinary people? Did seeing an angel make everything easy and straightforward?
Woman 1 (carrying shopping bags) Christmas, Christmas. Too much to do. No help from anyone.
Woman 2 I’m shattered, can’t wait to sit down. Where’s all my money gone? (looks in purse)
Woman 1 I wish the Government would ban Christmas, or at least stop us having to spend so much money each year.
Woman 2 Yes, it’s the money that’s the problem. Never enough, and sometimes when you’ve spent a fortune people aren’t happy.
Woman 1 [Pause] Mary. Do you think she was happy?
Woman 2 Mary who?
Woman 1 Mary in the story! Mary and Joseph.
Woman 2 Oh her. Happy? I’ve never really thought about it. Probably she was happy to be expecting a baby, like I was.
Woman 1 I think I’d have been worried sick, travelling on a donkey and all that. Was it like life now, though?
Woman 2 No idea. Could have been I suppose. How are we to know?
Woman 1 Perhaps if we read what it says we might find out a bit more...
Woman 2 And use our brains to imagine what it was like; what ordinary people were thinking and saying.....
Woman 1 You know, I’ve never thought about that before. Perhaps they were just ordinary people at an extraordinary time?
Scene 2 - Mary’s family at their Sabbath meal
[Mary’s family is gathering round their Sabbath table, set with two candles, a glass of wine, and two loaves of challah bread covered with a towel. At the back of church is the sound of hammering and sawing...]
Joseph (rushing in) Sorry, just made it.
Mary (smiling broadly at him) Don’t worry, we knew you’d come in time.
Children Yes, we knew you’d come Joseph. You are only here to see Mary.
Father Don’t be cheeky. Joseph is here to celebrate our Sabbath evening meal with us. Let’s begin.
(The candles are lit by Mary’s Mother. After lighting, she waves her hands over the candles, welcoming in the Sabbath.)
Mother Blessed are you, Lord God of the universe,
who has sanctified us with His commandments
and commanded us to light the lights of Sabbath.
All Amen.
Father (holding a cup of wine)
And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
The heavens and the earth were finished, the whole host of them.
And on the seventh day God completed the work that he had done
and he rested on the seventh day .
Blessed are You, Lord God, King of the Universe.
All Amen.
Father (removes the cover from the two loaves, lifts them and says....) ‘You have lovingly given us your holy Sabbath in memory of the exodus from Egypt. Amen.
All Amen. (The loaves are broken into pieces and passed around the table.. )
Children Where’s Egypt?
Mother It’s a long way away, hundreds and hundreds of miles south of here.
Children Are there dragons and monsters there?
Father Who knows? No-one in our family has been there, but our ancestor Jacob and his sons lived there, and our forefathers came from Egypt over a thousand years ago.
Mother Well I hope no-one in our family will ever go there again. It sounds very dangerous and full of plagues and nasty things.
Joseph I don’t know. It sounds exciting, and a man might make his fortune there.
Mary [to Joseph] I’d go if you’d go.
Children [laughing] We knew you’d say that Mary. You just want to be with Joseph.
Father Enough of this; time for you children to get off to bed.
Scene 3 -The angel appears to Mary
Narrator It was a cool Saturday in late March, or ‘Nisan’ as the people of Galilee called it. Mary was outside in the courtyard since she could not sleep and she did not want to wake the rest of her family. Somehow she felt closer to God outdoors. On the ground was the blossom that had blown off the apricot and almond trees. But it was still very early and being the Sabbath nothing stirred. The wind blew around the courtyard and a feeling of awe was growing inside her.
It was the feeling she had in the synagogue when she heard of when God had miraculously brought His people out of Egypt; ....multiplied by the wonder she had when she sat on the nearby hilltop and looked many miles North to Mount Hermon with its white, snowy cap; multiplied again by the peace she felt as the blessing was pronounced each Sabbath night
……. and more.
Why this early morning she did not know. But she was shocked out of her thoughts when someone suddenly appeared to her. Someone the like of whom she had never seen before. Powerful, authoritative, commanding, holy....
Angel “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”
Narrator The sense of awe grew even more in her, but to it was added perplexity. She felt stirred up and troubled. Questions flooded her mind. Greeting? What kind of greeting might this be?
Angel “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour 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 for ever; his kingdom will never end.
Mary ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?
Angel ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.
Mary I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said.
(The angel leaves her.)
Narrator What happened next no-one alive today knows. Since it was still very quiet perhaps she stole away to the hilltop, to feel nearer to God. Within a short time, possibly only a few days, her body started to feel different. The perplexity she had experienced as the angel spoke to her troubled her more and more. During the worst moments she was terrified since she knew what commonly happened to girls who were pregnant before they were
Scene 4 - Mary talks to Joseph
Mary Joseph, I’ve something to tell you. The other week, the morning after you shared our Sabbath meal with us…
Joseph I remember it, it blew a gale that night.
Mary Yes. I couldn’t sleep. So early in the morning I went into the courtyard whilst it was still very quiet. It felt awesome somehow. Then suddenly this person in white appeared to me out of nowhere...
Joseph It sounds like an angel?
Mary Joseph, yes, it was. And what’s more the angel said I had found favour with God and I would have a child called Jesus who will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of our father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end.
Joseph So this is what is going to happen to a child of ours after we are married?
Mary No Joseph! A baby is already inside me, I can feel him already. The Holy Spirit has given him to us.
Joseph PAUSE Mary, you have never lied to me. I believe what you have said about the Holy Spirit. But I need to think about this, we need some time to think what is right to do before God.
Narrator Being a righteous man, Joseph did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, so he thought it best to divorce her quietly. He felt so vulnerable – all his plans for their wedding and the life they would live together seemed dashed. He thought about it long and hard for several days. And then, one night, as he still slept alone, an angel of the Lord appeared to him too, this time in a dream.
Angel [perhaps unseen] 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.
Narrator When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But they did not sleep together until she gave birth to a son.
Sometime around then Mary obtained her parent’s permission to visit their relative Elizabeth, married to a priest named Zechariah. Perhaps Joseph left his work behind for a few weeks and accompanied her, since a journey of 60 miles or so would not have been safe for a young woman scarcely into what we call teenage?
All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had promised through the prophet Isaiah: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel— which means, God with us.
Scene 5 - Mary Visits Elizabeth
Narrator As she travelled south Mary would be reminded that April in Hebrew is named the month of flowers, since it is the greenest and most beautiful of all the months. The peach, pomegranate and olive trees would be in blossom. Beside them on the road pilgrims were on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover.
Finally she would be relieved that her journey of a week or more was over when Mary reached Zechariah's home.
Mary ‘Shalom Aleichem, Elizabeth ‘
Elizabeth ‘Shalom Aleichem Mary’ . Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!
Mary's Song = Magnificat ( we suggest this may be sung as a solo, or by a choir. Your choice) ‘
Narrator Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Elizabeth doubtless appreciated Mary’s company since the Angel Gabriel had told Zechariah he would be silent, unable to speak since Zechariah had not believed Gabriel who stands in the presence of God himself. We know little about that time, but at the end of it John the Baptist was born.
But what if their stay ended with both couples at last able to converse together, separated in age by 30 years or more, but united by the experience of unexpected babies? Perhaps they talked at the end of the day. John was eight days old and circumcised according to the Jewish law?
Joseph What a day! How is does it feel to be speaking again Zechariah, after being silent for the best part of a year?
Zechariah It’s good to be able to say what I think, rather than have others put words in my mouth all the time.
Elizabeth Suddenly this place will be very noisy with two men, father and son, able to make a racket. But I will appreciate noise a lot more than I ever did. The silence before you two came could get me down, even though I was excited about the baby inside me.
Mary I’m excited too, but it is also easy to be fearful.
Zechariah We are learning that we are all a lot more vulnerable than we care to think.
Mary What’s the answer, Zechariah? I just don’t want to be so vulnerable.
Zechariah The answer was given by Isaiah over 700 years ago Mary. God spoke through the prophet and promised us this sign, ‘The virgin will conceive and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel - God with us’.
Joseph How will people ever believe us? You know what they will say. That’s what we are afraid of to be honest.
Elizabeth ‘Do not fret because of evil men’, the Scriptures tell us, Joseph.
Zechariah We are also taught, ‘He who has a crooked mind finds no good,’. People will believe what they want, you can’t convince them otherwise. Joseph, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with all those you can.
Mary So we won’t be able to convince anyone?
Elizabeth ‘Convince’ Mary? No, when you are my age you’ll know you can’t convince anyone who has decided not to believe. Only the Holy Spirit of God can change hearts and minds. Our job is simpler: ‘To love the Lord our God with all our hearts and minds and strength….’
Joseph ‘....and to love our neighbours as ourselves’
Zechariah Exactly so. And now it is time for you two to be getting back to Nazareth. There’s a rumour about the Roman Emperor ordering a census to be taken, and you don’t belong here.
Elizabeth Besides, it will be winter before we know where we are and the roads will be bad. But we’ll miss you, we certainly will.
Scene 6 - The Inn at Bethlehem
Man 3 What a night. It’s blowing a gale out there.
Man 1 I pity any beggars out there tonight – I like a fireside.
Man 2 Well, it’s their own fault. They should be in their own homes.
Woman 1 What about all these people having to come here for the census? They didn’t ask Emperor Augustus to count everyone in the whole Roman world.
Woman 2 It’s heaving in here, let alone the whole Roman world.
Man 3 Well, keep that door shut and bolted and we’ll be OK.
Man 2 Emperor Augustus – it alright for him. Considers himself a god and everyone treats him like he is. Look, picture of him on these coins……..
Man 1 I’m not grumbling. He’s brought us more business in this inn that we’ve known for donkey’s years.
Woman 2 Its alright for you. “I like a fireside”. You should have been outside to the stable – only the animals there to keep anyone warm.
Woman1 You’ll be putting folk out there next.
Man 1 As long as they pay I’m happy with that.
Woman 2 What’s that. (knock on door) Surely there’s not more travellers at this hour. Nathaniel, go and take a look.
Man 1 (Looking out). A young couple with a donkey, and she looks like she’ll give birth any day soon.
Woman 1 (Pushing past) You’re right. “Hey, you, come back…”
Man 2 Just a minute. Not more census-seekers.
Woman 1 What do you mean? They can’t stay out in this. Come in love and get yourself warm. (Mary and Joseph enter)
Man 2 What did I tell you? These folks aren’t from round here.
Joseph We’ve come down from Nazareth.
Man 3 Northerners, just like me.
Man 2 Ay, and trouble too. Willing to eat ‘owt but never paying their way.
Woman 1 We’re going to have to put them up whether we want to or not.
Woman 2 I’ve already told you there’s no room in here.
Man 1 Well do what I said, stick them outside.
Woman 2 Outside! That would be criminal in this weather.
Man 1 Not ‘outside’ outside. In the stable.
Man 3 Better than nothing, I suppose, but you won’t get a penny out of them, Nathaniel.
Woman 2 Come on, love. You come with me. I’m ashamed we can’t find room for you here, but at least you’ll be dry, and I’ve delivered a few babies in my time. You’ll be alright with me.
Scene 7 - The shepherds in the fields
(Ample scope for humour here. We had lots of toy sheep in church which we ‘involved’ – eg, the congregation bleated ‘baa’ a couple of times when directed by someone with a sign behind the shepherds)
Shepherd 1 [older] Settle down lads. You’re making the sheep restless.
Shepherd 2 [younger] We’re bored and we’re too cold to sleep.
Shepherd 1 Wrap these sheepskins round you and keep quiet then.
Shepherd 2 (Pause) Zebedee, whats ‘ig-orant’?
Shepherd 1 ‘Ignorant’. It means when people don’t know what they ought to know. Why do you want to know?
Shepherd 3 [intermediate] Some kids in Bethlehem yesterday said we were ig-orant.
Shepherd 2 They said we were ig-orant because we did not know the alphabet. What’s the alphabet, Zebedee?
Shepherd 1 Well, I don’t know either. I think it is something to do with letters in words. But I can’t read or write - we don’t need to since we are shepherds. What did you do?
Shepherd 2 We hit them with our sticks then ran back here.
Shepherd 3 (Pause) But we are ignorant and it does get boring being a shepherd.
Shepherd 2 Why can’t we go to school and learn important things, Zebedee?
Shepherd 1 We don’t have any money to send you to school; and we need you to work here. And you are still learning important things.
Shepherd 2 Important! Don’t tell us being here in the fields is important.
Shepherd 3 No-body important has ever been a shepherd.
Shepherd 1 That is where you are ignorant. I’ve told you hundreds of times our ancestors Abraham and Moses were shepherds.
Shepherd 3 I remember you once told us the greatest king who ever lived, King David himself, was a shepherd right here in Bethlehem.
Shepherd 2 That was all in the past. Nothing important will happen here again.
Shepherd 1 You don’t know. It says in the scriptures, '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.'
Shepherd 3 I suppose one day, and it could even be tonight, God will send us new king, a ruler who himself will be a shepherd. And that King will come from Bethlehem. So we ought to keep our eyes open.
(Pause Drum roll getting louder >> cymbals)
Angel 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 Saviour 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.
Choir? 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 favour rests’.
Or Dance?
Shepherd 1 Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.
((Shepherds hurry off and find Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger.))
Shepherd 3 It is true. Here is a tiny baby.
Shepherd 2 Yes, just like the angel told us, he is wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
((Shepherds hurry off down aisles))
Shepherd 2 ‘We’ve seen a lots and lots of angels’.
Shepherd 1 ‘And there is actually a new baby lying in a manger’.
Shepherd 3 ‘And this baby will be our Saviour’.
Scene 8 - Mary & Joseph visit Jerusalem
Joseph (looking at baby) He’s getting bigger already. It’s time to take him to the Temple, Mary.
Mary He’s still very tiny.
Joseph The Law of the Lord says ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’. That’s plain and what we are taught.
Mary Well, we must go to Jerusalem then. LEAVE
Scene 9 - The Magi arrive in Jerusalem
Magi enter & ask congregation ‘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.
‘Where is he? Have you seen him?
Spread off down aisles asking congregation, ‘Where is he? Have you seen him?
Some people answer ‘No, never heard of any new king’
‘We don’t want anything new here’
We’ll make do with the king we’ve got, that rascal Herod’
(Herod is sitting on his throne, eating and drinking. 2-3 people come up to him in turn and whisper something to him. He stops eating and drinking and becomes increasingly disturbed. He paces up and down, then goes over to the choir (in our church sitting behind the actors).
Herod ‘You wise ones. You know the ancient scriptures. Tell me then, where is the Christ to be born?
Choir-person ‘In Bethlehem in Judea. 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.'
Scene 10 - Mary & Joseph in the Temple
Joseph Are these alright?
Mary We couldn’t afford to buy a lamb to sacrifice.
Joseph Our money was just enough to buy the cheapest sacrifice – two young pigeons.
Simeon I am sure they will be acceptable to God. Is this your first baby?
Joseph He is our son.
Mary And an angel told us to call him ‘Jesus’.
Simeon An angel....... [Pauses, looks at Mary and Joseph, who are about to leave]
Simeon Wait! It has been revealed to me that I would not die until I have seen the Lord’s Christ. Can I hold him? “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.
Mary (receiving baby back) What was that?
Joseph This man is a prophet.
Simeon Wait a few more moments. [Places his hands on Mary and Joseph] ‘This child is destined to cause the falling 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 a sword will pierce your own soul too’.
Anna (entering) Hello!
Mary You’re from the North too?
Anna From your accent I’d guess you are from Galilee?
Joseph And from your accent you must be from Lebanon?
Anna Nearly right. I am Anna from the tribe of Asher. My people live up North in Israel, near the border with Lebanon. But I have lived here in Jerusalem for many years now. I am eighty-four you know. People say I am a prophetess. Some people think that means I can tell the future, which I can’t. But the more time you spend with God the more you come to understand what His will is for the world and for His people. And telling people that again is what I call prophecy. Can I see your baby? [Holds baby, then addresses congregation]
‘This is a baby just like any other – look - little face, tiny hands, he is wriggling a bit.. But he is an extremely special baby, he is a great light for our people. This child, this tiny vulnerable baby, will one day redeem not only this great city of Jerusalem, and not only our ancient kingdom of Israel, but the very ends of the Earth, however far away they might be!
Some of you are probably thinking this means he will be another military commander like King David? But I mean he will do something far more wonderful - he will turn people’s hearts back to God.
All of you here in the Temple are making sacrifices, but this child of Israel will sacrifice himself for his people. How can we thank God enough for Him, and how can I thank God for letting me hold my Redeemer in my arms?
Scene 11 - The Magi visit Herod
Herod Come in. Welcome. You have come far I see.
Magi 1 We have come from lands far away in the East.
Magi 2 We have been travelling for over half a year to come here.
Magi 3 Yes, the star that appeared guided us to the vicinity of Jerusalem
Herod You are more than welcome. As you can see I am King over Jerusalem and Lord of all I survey.
Magi 1 But the Romans rule here.
Herod Yes, of course they do nominally. But my forefathers came to an agreement with the Romans. My family would retain power in return for keeping the Jewish people subdued.
Magi 2 A very poor arrangement .
Magi 3 It sounds like your forefathers sold their souls.
Herod What if they did? It has worked splendidly for us all.
Magi 1 For your family and friends I warrant.
Magi 2 But Herod, if we may... To business. What do you know about where the King of the Jews is to be born?
Magi 3 Or has been born already? He may be only yards away from us this very morning.
Herod I know absolutely nothing. That is why I was so keen to meet you myself. I suppose everyone wants to dine with such interesting visitors from the East?
Magi 1 We, or rather our enquiries, have indeed provoked uproar here.
Magi 3 So finally we decided that you, as King, ought to know what was going on in your realm.
Magi 2 Especially if your dynasty is coming to its predicted end.
Herod That exceptionally troubling idea had occurred to me, too. Tell me what you know.
Magi 1 Herod, we have devoted our lives to studying the ancient texts. We have sought the wisdom of the Lord God so that we may learn ourselves, and teach others also, the path of righteousness.
Magi 3 We seek wisdom wherever it may be found. We study the creatures around us; the courses of the seasons and years..
Magi 2 And the stars above us. It was in studying the heavens we first saw this great star.
Magi 1 Or comet, more accurately. It was clear it had been sent by the Lord God to guide us somewhere, and we set off not knowing where we would go. That is why we have come.
Herod You have come prepared I see.
Magi 2 We have brought appropriate gifts.
Herod May I see those gifts? They smell very, er, aromatic... ?
Magi 3 It would not be appropriate.
Herod I suppose you have gold? It would be safer in my treasury.
Magi 2 We will look after it ourselves thank you.
Magi 1 Herod, what does your understanding of your Jewish scriptures tell you about the coming Messiah?
Herod I, er, find I have little time for the ancient writings.
Magi 2 But all kings should have the scriptures read to them daily.
Magi 3 In our countries our kings take a pride in their knowledge of the wisdom of earlier generations.
Herod Ah ha! Pride goeth before a fall. That I do know, but where it comes from I can’t help you.
Magi 2 Pride goeth before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction. It is in your ‘Book of the Proverbs of King Solomon’.
Magi 3 Herod, flee from haughtiness before it destroys you.
Herod Quite so.
Magi 1 The haughty youth who passed in the courtyard without greeting us. Is he your son?
Herod He is indeed. A fine lusty youth would you not agree?
Magi 3 I dare say he is lusty enough from what we saw in just a few moments. But whether he is ‘fine’ or not will be shown in his character.
Herod I am sure this discussion is tiring you good men out. Let’s agree. You go and find this new ‘king’, then return to me so that I too may go and worship him. With, of course, some appropriate gift of my own…
Scene 12 - What happened next?
(dual narration, alternating between two narrators. We had a screen at the side of them with a powerpoint showing pictures of the actors taken at dress rehearsal, and then some pictures of crowds, money, gifts, an ambulance etc)
After they had heard the king, the Magi 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 worshipped 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.
The shepherds returned to their flocks. Life in the fields did not get any easier; the nights could be just as cold; they still lost sheep to disease and thieves and wild animals. Some people treated them with more respect as they remembered that God had chosen them to first hear the amazing news of the Saviour born in their little town of Bethlehem. Many continued to look down on them, but interestingly this no longer bothered them. And on starry nights they would gaze at the heavens and look forward to the day when they would meet Jesus again, and hear all those angels singing his praises.
Mary’s family were already very concerned when they realised she would have to make yet another journey during her pregnancy. Their concern grew to despair and grief when Mary and Joseph disappeared for two years, especially when they heard of the massacre in Bethlehem. But they remained faithful to God, and each Sabbath continued to pray for them at their meal together. They remembered God’s deliverance throughout history and believed God was still with them in their vulnerability.
Herod grew more bitter, suspicious and angry. Violence gripped his mind – those around him said the mass slaughter of innocent children had completely unhinged him. Mercifully for everyone he died two years later. Intriguingly, his son Herod Antipas did see Jesus 33 years later, on the first Good Friday, but Jesus remained silent in his presence.
An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up’, he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him’. So whilst it was still dark he awoke Mary and they left Bethlehem secretly, heading as far away from Herod as they could, to Africa. This little refugee family experienced the same fate as others throughout history: a mixture of hostility, indifference, but also, thank God, humanity at our best – the kindness of strangers.
Zachariah and Elizabeth had been promised that their son John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. That was indeed the case – not that that made him meek and mild, just the opposite. People said he would never to go round an object if tackling it head on was an option! Truth to tell they had their hands full, and since they were both well on in years, as the Bible tells us, they usually went to bed utterly exhausted at the end of each day.
Simeon and Anna were at the end of their lives and both died peacefully some time later. Their memory was honoured by those who knew them, and accurately recounted to Luke as he composed his gospel 30 years after the death & resurrection of Jesus. Without Luke’s diligence they would have been lost to history, as indeed would ¾ of what we remember each Christmas.
All these people were involved in the story of God sending Jesus to Earth – ‘God with us’ – which is, of course, what Emmanuel means. Their lives were never the same again. What we see 2000 years on is their vulnerability: tiny individuals in a world of danger, change, uncertainty, fear, doubt. Even Herod, for all his badness, was essentially just as vulnerable as everyone else, only in his case he consistently chose wrong paths that led him further and further from God.
The people of 2000 years ago would not recognise our world for its technology, its noise, its comforts, its communications. Yet they would recognise that we too are vulnerable people in a vulnerable world. What they gave us was their examples, and all these heroes and heroines are outstanding, not for their power or brilliance or giftedness, but for their willingness to trust that God was really with them, Emmanuel again.
Which brings us to the big question for ourselves – is God in our lives? We can do very little about our vulnerability – our wealth and strength and careers and friends may dampen our fears temporarily, but really the only solution is to share our lives with God. Only God is bigger than everything that makes us vulnerable. But the Christmas story is also about the huge effort God took to connect with us, and in a way how he made himself vulnerable too.
This Christmas we shall be giving and receiving gifts. God gave us one gift that exceeds all the others put together – Jesus who came that first Christmas. Jesus came that we might have life, and although he does not force himself upon us, we are promised that to all who receive Him, who believe in Him, God receives as His children. So this Christmas, why not receive the very greatest gift there is, Jesus Christ in our lives, Emmanuel?
As we have been speaking, ____ has been playing In the Bleak Midwinter. We are going to stand to sing the final verse, which indeed invites us to give God our hearts. And then we will have a blessing and will close by sharing God’s peace together.
And if God is indeed in your heart now, please tell someone.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Blessing We share God’s blessing of us as we say in celebration together:
'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 Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.'
Isaiah 9:6
Peace As we close our service we are all invited to share God’s peace together as we choose with a handshake, a hug, a few words...
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