Christmas programAmongst a mess....comes Christmas

Children’s Christmas Program

Characters
Mum
Child
Innkeeper
Mary
Joseph
Angel (s)
Shepherd 1
Shepherd 2

ORDER OF SERVICE

Welcome
Carol: O Come All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him,
Born the king of angels:

O come, let us adore Him,O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God
In the highest:

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Call to Worship
Pastor: The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them.

Person 1: Lord, you will make our nation larger. You will increase their joy. They will show you how glad they are. They will be as glad as people are at harvest time. They will be as glad as soldiers are when they share the things they've taken after a battle.

Person 2: You set Israel free from Midian long ago. In the same way, you will break the heavy yoke that weighs us down. You will break the wooden beams that are on our shoulders. You will break the rods of those who strike them down.

Pastor: Every fighting man's boot that is used in battle will be burned up. So will every piece of clothes that is covered with blood. All of them will be thrown into the fire.

ALL: A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.

Person 4: The authority of his rule will continue to grow. The peace he brings will never end. He will rule on David's throne and over his kingdom. He will make the kingdom strong and secure. His rule will be based on what is fair and right. It will last forever. The Lord's great love will make sure that happens. He rules over all

ALL: We live under and worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Prayer of the Day

Song: AT 302 Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
We're going to see the King!

No more crying there, we are going to see the King!...

No more dying there, we are going to see the King!...

Andraé Crouch 1978


LHS 629 Silent Night
1 Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round the virgin mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

2 Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories streams from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing: Hallelujah!
Christ the Saviour is born,
Christ the Saviour is born.

3 Silent night, holy night!
Wonderous star, lend your light
With the angels let us sing
Hallelujah oto our king
Jesus, Lord, at Your birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Your birth.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht
Joseph Mohr (1792-1848)
Tr. Anonymous, 1871

The scene opens with a box opened paper torn……and the Stable, and characters of animals, mary and joseph, angel(s), shepherds and baby Jesus all scattered over the floor…
The child is looking down at them, scratching his/her head….
Mum walks in….

Mum: What’s going on here? I can’t take my eyes off you for five minutes

Child: mmmm….its Christmas….you know that box you said not to touch
Mum: yes
Child: well I wanted to find out about Christmas…… you said it was the Christmas box So I opened it…..(said quickly) But I don’t see what use it is?
Mum:: At every birthday there are gifts, sometimes parcels and sometimes boxes. Tonight we celebrate Jesus’ birthday and this box has a special gift about Christmas. It contains things to remind us of the special gift that came down at Christmas time. It comes in several parts so lets pick them up and see what they mean.

The Birthplace
Mum: First, lets start with the easiest….the cattle shed
Child: What use is a Cattle Shed, I rather a motel or a caravan park with a pool and trampoline. What use is a cattle shed??
Mum: lets wait and see??

Carol: Once in Royal David’s City
LHS 632

1 Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

2 He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor,mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.


The Innkeeper
Mum: What should we pick up next?
Child: How about that fellow over there?
As child goes to pick up the innkeeper, the innkeeper springs to life….
Innkeeper: That’s my cattle shed. It’s just behind my inn in Bethlehem. My animals stay in the shed and sometimes guests at my inn have animals too. Animals come to life and walk over to sit in the stable. One night my inn was so crowded I had to put some people out in the shed with the animals. You’ll hear that story tonight.

The Parents
Child: (rubbing eyes) Did you see that?
Mum: See what the cattle shed, inn keeper and animals?
Child: yes, but…
Mum: what should we pick up next?
Child: How about the man and woman over there….points to Mary and Joseph,
Mum: That’s Jesus’ mother and father, Mary and Joseph, lets put them in the cattle shed
(as they go to lift them they spring to life and walk to the stable)

Carol: LHS 741 Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
1 Infant holy,
infant lowly,
for his bed a cattle stall;
oxen lowing,
little knowing
Christ the babe is Lord of all;
swift are winging
angels singing,
nowells ringing,
tidings bringing,
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Christ the babe is Lord of all

2 Flocks were sleeping,
shepherds keeping
vigil till the morning new
saw the glory,
heard the story,
tidings of a gospel true;
thus rejoicing,
free from sorrow,
praises voicing,
greet the morrow,
Christ the babe was born for you.
Christ the babe was born for you

W Zlobe Lezy
Polish carol
Tr. Edith Margaret Gellibrand Reed 1885-1933

Child: Mum why are they in the cattle shed…isn’t that where animals go? Why didn’t the innkeeper give them a room, with a nice warm bed?
Mum: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire, and everyone went to register, each to his home town. Joseph and Mary went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem, to the town of David, because they were descendants of David. Joseph took his wife Mary, and stayed in a cattle shed because there was no room for them in the inn.

Child: Ummm….sleeping in a shed…..i don’t think I would do that?
Mum: They had no choice
Child: What next?
Mum: How about the angels
Child: Ohhh Yes I like angels.
Mum: Let’s put them near the cattle shed.
(As they go to pick up the angels…..they spring to life and move towards the cattle shed)


Carol: LHS 744 The first Nowell

1 The first Nowell the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay;
in fields where they lay, keeping their sheep
on a cold winter’s night that was so deep:

Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
born is the king of Israel.

Child: What did the angels do?
Mum: On the night when Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem, some shepherds were in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks. The angels appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angels said to them,

Angels: “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 Saviour has been
born to you: he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You
will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger”.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased”.

Carol: LHS 33 Hark the Herald Angel Sing

1 Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful, all you nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim:
Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.

3 Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail, the sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Revised by George Whitefield (1714-1770),
Martin Madan (1726-1790) and others.


The Visitors
Mum: So when Jesus was born, it was good news in heaven and on earth. The angels celebrated his birthday in the heavens and they told the shepherds the good news of His birth, so that it was celebrated on earth too. There is still more to pick up.
Child: What about the shepherds?
(as they go to pick up the shepherds they spring to life)

Carol LHS 624 While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night
1 While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.

‘To you in David’s town this day
Is born of David’s line
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:

‘The heavenly babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swaddling clothes,
And in a manger laid.’

‘All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace;
Good-will henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease.’

Nahum Tate (1652-1715)

Shepherd 1: When the angles had left us and gone into heaven, we said to one another,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about”.
So we hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby who was lying in the manger. When we saw the Baby, we told people everywhere what we had been told about this child.

Shepherd 2: Well, how could we keep the angel’s message to ourselves? We had to tell all the people we met about this special birthday. The angels of heaven had told us that the child was the promised Saviour. We heard the angel choir sing praise to God who had brought his peace to people on earth.

The Child
Child: I have nearly picked it all up. I should be rewarded for picking up this mess.
Mum: There is still one more piece to go
Child: The baby in this crib
Mum: That’s baby Jesus

(child places Jesus in the manger)

Carol: LHS 634 Away in a Manger

1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

2 The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

3 Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.

Anonymous, U.S.A., c.1883
St.3: John Thomas McFarland (1851-1913)

Child: Baby Jesus is in the manger now. He looks like any other baby. Why is He so special that you have all come here to celebrate His birthday?

AT 329 This Kingdom version 2
Jesus God's graciousness revealed

The love of God, the heart of God,revealed to us.

Jesus, redemption's sacrifice our hope revived,

lives reconciled, His grace has come.

And his kingdom will know no end

and his mercy shall know no bounds

for the grace and the compassion

Of this kingdom's King has come.
And now forgiveness reigns

And his love now rules

Our hope and trust for all eternity

Jesus God's graciousness revealed.

Jesus the expression of God's love

The Grace of God,

The Word of God, revealed to us

Jesus, God's heart of love displayed Our hope revived,

lives reconciled, His grace has come.

And his kingdom will know no end

And his mercy shall know no bounds

For the grace and the compassion

Of this kingdom's King has come.
And now forgiveness reigns

And his love now rules

Our hope and trust for all eternity

Jesus God's graciousness revealed

Geoff Bullock 1995

Stating our faith

Apostles or Nicene creed)

Address

Song: The King of Christmas by Colin Buchanan


Prayers

Pastor: At birthday parties we always have a cake and candles.

It is especially good to light candles at Jesus’ birthday, because he is the light of the world.
(candle is lit beside manger scene)

Carol: LHS 627 Joy to the World

1 Joy to the world! the Lord is come:
Let earth receive its king;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.
And heaven and nature sing.
And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

2 Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns:
Let us our songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.
Repeat the sounding joy.
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love.
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Blessing

AT 194 Christmas Blessing
May the feet of God walk with you
And His hand hold you tight,
May the eye of God rest on you,
And his ear hear your cry,
May the smile of God be for you, and His breath give you life.
May the Child of God grow in you, and His love bring you home.

Copyright Robin Mann and Aubrey Podlich