|
Christmas
Program ‘08
Written by Bev Kennell, Kayley Kennell and Miles Pruett
A
Light Shining in the Darkness
Prelude:
Renel Kennell (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).
Child characters are:
Angels-Delaney & Sarah
Shepherds-Devyn, Nathaniel, & Jesse, then change to wise
men;
Elizabeth –Anna
Mary & Joseph- Ashley & Philip
Isaiah:
(Pres) reads prophesies:
|
|
“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:
(Christina)
“ 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.” (Ashley bows to the ground; Delaney 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:
(
Vernon
)
“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 Philip 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.
.”
(Philip gets up and Ashley comes and stands beside him and takes his
arm). SPOTLIGHT OFF |
|
Isaiah: (Pres):
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”.
| Song by Landis
family: “Lo, How a Rose E’er
Blooming”
|
|
SCENE TWO
Isaiah:
(Pres)
“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
: (Pat)
“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 1:13-17)
|
|
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: Pres:
“See, I will send my
messenger, who will prepare the way before me.” (Mal.3:1)
SPOTLIGHT OFF
(Philip & Ashley exit Tim’s office to come up
the aisle later)
CONGREGATIONAL
SONG: “O Little Town of
Bethlehem
”
(Someone will carry
manger to center stage during last verse).
SCENE THREE
Isaiah:
(Pres)
“But you,
Bethlehem
, though you are small among the clans of
Judah
, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over
Israel
, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
| Amanda sings: Breath
of Heaven
|
 |
Joseph
(Vernon): (spotlight on Philip & Ashley going up 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 to
Bethlehem
with Mary. But when we finally arrived, it came time for the baby to be
born. But there was such a crowd in
Bethlehem
, that all the inns were full. The only place we could find was a stable.
Mary
(Christina):
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.
(Ashley 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:
(Luke Landis) (spotlight on shepherds at right of stage: Devyn,
Jesse & Nathaniel)
“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! (Delaney appears as angel) 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 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.”
(Other angel appears- Sarah 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) |
|
|
|
|
Delaney &
Karl: Joy
to the World |
 |
| Children sing:
“Isn’t He Wonderful”
|
|
|
YOUTH GIRLS
standing at piano: Cradle Hymn
(During this song, all the kids exit Tim’s office door except
Philip & Ashley). (Shepherds immediately change to king’s outfits). |
 |
SCENE FIVE
| Anna:
(Dorcas-starts
out kneeling at the cross; then Philip & Ashley approach with the
baby) Luke 22& 23
Isaiah:
(Pres):
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.
(Spotlight also on Wally as he walks up the aisle).
|
|
Isaiah:
(Pres)
There was also a man in
Jerusalem
called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the
consolation of
Israel
, 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.
(Pres whispers
over the sound system)
“Go to the temple. You will see the Messiah, Go to the temple,
You will see the Messiah.”
Simeon:
(Wally walks up the aisle)
|
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 people
Israel.”
Simeon:
(Wally gives baby back to parents. He puts his hands on their shoulders
and looks at Ashley):
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 of
Jerusalem
. This is the child we have waited for! He will be our Savior! Praise be
to God!
(Wally lights last candle- the gold one. He raises
his arm and shouts): “Fulfilled!”
(Dorcas gives baby back; goes down center aisle and
stops halfway back.)
”I saw the child! Redemption has finally come!”
Wally 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.
|
|
2
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 Tim will pray
and dismiss and invite for snacks.
|
