Category: Traditional Created by: St Heliers Number of speaking parts: +- 29 Duration: Long Includes: Carols and songs
Traditional Christmas Play
St Heliers Presbyterian Church
14th December 2008 9.00am
By Godzone with Teen Team and youth support Parts: Worship Assistants/Hosts: Hannah Nyce, Isabel Wilson, Selly Lee, Yoon Ju Musicians: Raewyn Dakers, Ellena Regan, Jade Regan, Eva Ding Narrators: Claudia Welsby, Blake Kayser, Spencer Johnson, Caitlin Harbrow Mary CHARLOTTE WILSON Joseph BEN MELESE Angels Rebecca & Victoria Stewart, Belinda Matthews, Annabel Hay, Anneke Smart, Inn keeper Katie Nyce Soldiers: William Roberts, Jack Cousins, William Eady Animals in stable: need cow, pig, bunny and two mice, donkey, sheep, rhino (alex harbrow) Shepherds: Liam Regan, Jacob Savage, Joseph North Sam Hill, Other shepherds: Kelvin, Alex Roberts Wise men: Liam Nyce, Matthew and Flynn Struickman, Sam Hill, Matthew Eady, Princes: Hamish Cruickshank, Oscar , Milo McFarlane, King Herod: Thomas Smart Herod’s Queen: Aziza Bakiev Soloists for different songs:
1 Who’s That Knocking – Ben and Katie Mary Had A Baby –William Roberts and Olivia Hay Wasn’t that A Mighty Day – Caitlin Harbrow & Liam Nyce Wise Man Rap – young people Lead Dancer: Molly Wootton, ******************************************************************************************* Welcome –by member of Teen Team (Hannah) & Pauline
JOY TO THE WORLD - brass accompaniment, piano and keyboard Joy to the world the Lord is come let earth receive her king let every heart prepare him room let heaven and nature sing let heaven and nature sing let heaven and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world The saviour reigns; Let all their tongues 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.
Host(s): make announcements - * Small miracles pageant that afternoon 2PM and * carols by candlelight in the evening 6.30P at st heliers school, morning tea afterwards strawberries and Ice cream for every child * Announce offering – suggest - Young people do this Offering prayer – ANNA ROBINSON
INTRODUCE PAGEANT: (Hannah, Yoon J u and Selly)- 1) OUR PAGEANT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. CHILDREN FROM THE AGE OF TWO to 13 ARE GOING TO PRESENT FOR YOU TODAY THE CHRISTMAS STORY – 2) WE HOPE IT GIVES YOU PLEASURE AND REMINDS YOU OF DAYS PAST WHEN YOU TOOK PART IN A CHRISTMAS PLAY. WE ALSO HOPE YOUR HEART IS TOUCHED BY THE LOVE OF GOD.
2 3) REMEMBER THAT JESUS CAME TO EARTH FOR YOU. PLEASE JOIN IN SINGING AS THE ACTORS AND SINGERS ENTER. Come On Ring Those Bells - children enter ALL SING CHORUS – WE COULD HAVE THREE SOLOISTS FOR THE VERSES V.1 Everybody likes to take a holiday, Everybody likes to take a rest, Spending time together with the family, Sharing lots of love and happiness
Chorus: Come on ring those bells Light the Christmas tree Jesus is the King Born for you and me Come on ring those bells everybody say Jesus we remember this your Birthday.
V.2 Celebrations come because of something good Celebrations we love to recall, Mary had a baby boy in Bethlehem, the greatest celebration of them all
Chorus: Come on ring those bells light the Christmas tree Jesus is the King born for you and me Come on ring those bells, everybody say, Jesus we remember this your birthday Repeat
HOPE, PEACE AND JOY - SUNG AS A ROUND – Hope – Yoo Ju, Peace Hannah, Selly Lee - Joy LIGHTING OF THREE ADVENT CANDLES – HOPE, PEACE AND JOY BIBLE READING: –
SONG: CHRISTMAS IS LOVE - BY ST HELIERS YOUTH CHRISTMAS CHORAL GROUP
NARRATORS SET THE SCENE 4 NARRATORS(CLAUDIA, SPENCER, BLAKE, CAITLIN) Narrator 1: Do you know what I am holding here? Yes it’s a calendar. What has the calendar got to do with Christmas?? We’ll show you.( ONE SMALL CHILD HOLDS CALENDAR)
3 Narrator 2: before Jesus was born people had all kinds of ways of measuring time, but there was no set calendar by which all people knew the days and months and years. After Jesus had died, those who worshipped him and followed him believed that his birth was so important that they decided to call the year Jesus was born, NOT 0000 BUT 1A.D. Over hundreds of years, this was adopted throughout the known world. ( 2 CHILDREN HOLD UP NUMBERS) Narrator 3: Everything that happened before Jesus was born was now called BC – which means “Before Christ” (HOLD UP LETTERS) and everything after Jesus was born was called “in the year of our Lord or Anno Domini - that’s Latin. Narrator 4: so this year 2008 is two thousand and eight years “in the year of our Lord” or two thousand and eight years after Christ lived on earth.(CHILDEN HOLD UP 2008) You might like to know that when they worked out the calendar in this way, they didn’t get it exactly right – there’s a difference of about three years. Narrator 1: Also not every country follows this calendar. For example - Ben’s Dad ( MARCOS MELESE STANDS UP NEAR THE FRONT AND IS DRESSED IN ETHIOPIAN COSTUME)comes from Ethiopia and their calendar is 7 years behind us. This is Marcos Melese. Narrator 2: It is believed that at least one of the wise men in the story of Christmas came from Ethiopia. Narrator 3: But what is important to know is that when it comes to the first Christmas we are talking about the beginning of our calendar. Jesus birth marks the beginning of that calendar; his birth was of great importance to the known world. (Children holding up letters take a bow and exit)
SONG: What Is BC? led by Teen team soloists or small group and Godzone children do the echo What is BC? What is BC BC is before Christ BC is before Christ What is AD? What is AD AD is anno Domini AD is anno Domini What’s anno Domini? What’s anno Domini? In the year of the Lord In the year of the Lord Who is the Lord? Who is the Lord? The Lord Jesus Christ, praise God
4 The Lord Jesus Christ praise God!
NARRATOR 1: A long time ago in a town called Nazareth there lived a young woman called Mary and a young carpenter called Joseph. They loved each other very much and Mary was expecting a baby.
MARY ENTERS AND SITS ON STOOL AT THE SIDE OF THE STAGE
NARRATOR 2 : One day an angel appeared to Mary. Enter angel(s) ANGEL: Mary, you are the chosen one. Soon you will have a baby boy, he will be very special. He will be the Son of God and you must call him Jesus. MARY: How can this be so. I am not married?? ANGEL: Don’t worry. With God all things are possible. CD music - Ave Maria - Rebecca and Victoria and Annabel Hay
NARRATOR 1: Soon after the Angels visit, Herod, the ruler of the land, gave an order. ENTER ROMAN SOLDIERS( JACK COUSINS AND WILLIAM ROBERTS and Matthew Eady SOLDIER 1: Hear ye!! Hear ye!! By order of the Roman Emperor, everyone must return to the place where they were born. SOLDIER 2: Hear ye! Hear ye! Each person has to register his or her family name and pay a special tax. SOLDIER 3: Hear ye! Hear ye!!! SOLDIER 1: Every citizen must do this before the turn of the season.
NARRATOR 2: Joseph was worried. He was born in a place called Bethlehem. It was a long journey and Marys baby was due any time. Joseph and Mary knew they had to go and they prepared for the long journey. (JOSEPH ENTERS AND READS DECREE WHILST NARRATOR IS TALKING – HE GOES TO MARY AT SIDE OF STAGE AND THEY CONSOLE EACH OTHER AND THEN BEGIN TO PACK. MARY: It’s the wrong time to travel Joseph, what shall we do?? JOSEPH: Don’t worry Mary. God will protect us.
NARRATOR 3: Mary rode to Bethlehem on a donkey with Joseph walking beside her. Remember Mary was about to have a baby so it was a difficult, long and dangerous journey.
SONG: Little Donkey (sung by Godzone and Jigglers
Little donkey, little donkey on the dusty road Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load Been a long time, little donkey, through the winters night Don’t give up now, little donkey,
5 Bethlehem's in sight
Ring out those bells tonight Bethlehem, Bethlehem Follow that star tonight Bethlehem, Bethlehem
Little donkey, little donkey, had a heavy day Little donkey, carry Mary safely on her way Little donkey, little donkey, journey's end is near There are wise men waiting for a sign to bring them here Do not falter little donkey, there's a star ahead It will guide you, little donkey, to a cattle shed
Ring out those bells tonight Bethlehem, Bethlehem Follow that star tonight Bethlehem, Bethlehem
Little donkey, little donkey, had a heavy day Little donkey, carry Mary, safely on her way Little donkey, carry Mary, safely on her way
NARRATOR 4: It took many days to reach Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph needed a place to stay urgently. But the town was crowded with lots of other travellers who were also returning to the places where they were born. NARRATOR 1: Every inn was full. They were almost too tired to continue. . SONG: No use knocking on the window (DUET BY MARY AND JOSEPH WITH SUPPORT IN CHORUS) Chorus: Standing in the rain, knocking on the window Knocking on the window on a Christmas day There he is again knocking on the window Knocking on the window in the same old way.
V.1) No use knocking on the window There is nothing we can do, sir All the beds are booked already There is nothing left for you, sir.
V.2) No use knocking on the window Some are lucky some are not sir, We are busy men and women And we’re keeping what we’ve got sir.
6 V.3) yes we do have a manger Yes we do have a stable We are faithful men and women Always willing, sometimes able
JOSEPH AND MARY APPROACH THE INN DOOR - KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
JOSEPH: would you have any room sir for my wife and me? She is going to have a baby TONIGHT! INN KEEPER: I have no room here, not even on the floor, but you could stay in the stable with the animals. It is dry and warm. JOSEPH: we’ll take it – thank you. MARY AND JOSEPH GO THROUGH DOOR TO BACK OF STABLE SCENE
NARRATOR 2: Meanwhile a long way away in the east there were some wise kings who studied the stars. They studied the sky for signs and some weeks earlier, they had seen a star, a new very bright star. NARRATOR 3: This meant that a great ruler had been born. They set out to follow that star.
ENTER WISE MEN AND CAMELS. THEY MOVE UP THE AISLE AND BACK AGAIN TO THE RHYTHM OF THE MUSIC - CD MUSIC– “we three kings” (REQUIRE PEOPLE IN THE CAMELS AND THREE WISEMAN TO LEAD THEM) – I suggest Shaun Dunningham, Sam Hill
NARRATOR 4: Meanwhile there is THE GREATEST EVENT happening back at the stable in Bethlehem . PLAY RECORDING OF BABY CRYING NARRATOR 4: During the night Mary gave birth to Jesus. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger full of hay.
MARY CUDDLES BABY, WRAPS HIM IN CLOTH AND THEN PLACES HIM IN THE MANGER.JOSEPH PUTS ARM AROUND MARY
SONG: Mary had a baby – William Roberts and Olivia Hay sing. Children join in on “Yes Lord” FIRST VERSE – GODZONE AND JIGGLERS Mary had a baby, yes Lord, Mary had a baby yes my Lord Mary had a baby yes Lord The baby that was born in Bethlehem.
SECOND VERSE – SOLO What did she name him, Yes Lord What did she name him, Yes my Lord
7 What did she name him, Yes Lord The baby that was born in Bethlehem
THIRD VERSE - SOLO She named him, King Jesus, yes Lord She named him King Jesus, yes my lord Wonderful counsellor, Yes Lord The baby that was born in Bethlehem
LAST VERSE GODZONE AND JIGGLERS Mary had a baby, yes Lord, Mary had a baby yes my Lord Mary had a baby yes Lord The baby that was born in Bethlehem.
NARRATOR 1: The animals in the stable are very pleased with their special guests. (SUGGEST OLDER ONES DO VOICES AND JIGGLERS CHILDREN BE THE ANIMALS) DONKEY: It’s a boy!! COW: Moo, moo, my, my - isn’t he cute SHEEP: Baa Baa! He needs a lambs wool to keep him warm. (Derek Dixon) PIG: What a babe!! Rhino: Ssh! Not so much noise!!! Jesus is sleeping!!(alex harbrow) Bunny: Bunnies don’t make noises. They just cuddle! (Henry Wilson) Mice: We should tell the human race about this!! NARRATOR 2: Nearby on a hillside overlooking the town, some shepherds were watching over their sheep. A very bright light suddenly shone all around them. They were afraid. The light filled the sky! NARRATOR 3: – the light of a host of angels!!! THE SHEPHERDS BOW DOWN BEFORE THE LIGHT ANGEL 1: Do not be afraid for we bring you good news. (REBECCA STEWART) ANGEL 2: This night In Bethlehem, the Son of God has been born.(BELINDA MATTHEWS) ANGEL 3: You will find him wrapped in cloth and lying in a stable. (VICTORIA STEWART) ANGEL 4: Peace and goodwill to everyone on earth
ANGELS SONG (to the tune of I’m in the Lords Army) CLAP ON THE WORD “GODS” ANGELS WAVE ARMS AND TURN AROUND we love to sing of gods great glory god’s great glory god’s great glory we love to sing of god’s good news
8 do not be afraid (clap, clap) for god loves you (clap, clap) god loves you(flap,flap) oh yeah - sing it again we love to sing of gods great glory gods great glory gods great glory we love to sing of god’s good news do not be afraid. (flap, flap)
SHEPHERD 1: (THEY RISE TO THEIR FEET) Hurry!! Lets go to Bethlehem and find the child. SHEPHERD 2: This way everyone, follow the angels!! NARRATOR 4: When the shepherds found Jesus, they were filled with joy. They told Mary and Joseph about the angels. SHEPHERD 1: Your baby must be the Son of God. SHEPHERD 3: The angels told us that he would be the Saviour of the world THE SHEPHERDS BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP THE BABY JESUS AND MARY AND JOSEPH SMILE AND NOD
SONG: Wasn’t that a mighty Day. Song to be sung by Caitlin and Liam 1) Wasn’t that a mighty day ( Wasn’t that a mighty day Wasn’t that a mighty day When Jesus Christ was born
2) Star rose in the east (SOLO) Star rose in the east Star rose in the east When Jesus Christ was born
3) Angel Choir rang out (SOLO) Angel choir rang out Angel choir rang out When Jesus Christ was born
4) Wasn’t that a mighty day ANGELS DANCE WHILST EVERYONE SINGS) Wasn’t that a mighty day Wasn’t that a mighty day When Jesus Christ was born.
SHEPHERDS LEAVE STABLE
NARRATOR 1: The wise men have been following the star for some time, and finally it leads them to Jerusalem where King Herod is in his palace. .
9 SONG: Behold That Star (find two people to lead this song perhaps the Stewart girls) Chorus: Behold that star Behold that star up yonder Behold that star This is the star of Bethlehem
1) There was no room found in the inn (duet) This is the star of Bethlehem For him who was born free from sin (duet) This is the star of Bethlehem
2) The wise men came from the east (duet) This is the star of Bethlehem To worship him, the Prince of Peace (duet) This is the star of Bethlehem
WISE MEN RETURN DURING THE LAST CHORUS WITH CAMELS And ARRIVE AT THE FRONT OF CHURCH
WISE MANS RAP (3 teen team members lead this but wise men also sing if they can or else just do a kind of dance) Chorus: Jump up, clap hands, turn round, and sit down Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down
Now I’m about to tell ‘bout a fabulous star How it shone like a beacon, led us from afar. We were just three guys, though we’re pretty smart When we saw that star, it was time to start
Chorus: Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down
WISE MEN COME TO THE PALACE AND BOW IN FRONT OF KING HEROD AND HIS QUEEN
WISE MAN 1( Liam Regan) : We have come to find the new King of the Jews! HEROD: New King? You tell me there’s a new King? What do you mean? WISEMAN 2 (Flynn Struickman): There is a new King born. We have seen it in the stars HEROD: Really!! Well I am the king! There is no new king here. QUEEN: Please go and find him and then return and tell us where he is HEROD: Yes, I want to go and honour him and bring him gifts. WISE MEN: We shall see your majesty! WISE MEN BOW AND EXIT WISE MEN 3(Sam Hill) He wont be seeing us again. We will protect this new King when we find him
10 NARRATOR 2: Although Herod had told the wise men he wanted to take gifts to the newborn King. He was lying. He thought this new King would take away his throne. The wise men knew from their dreams about this and they never returned and told King Herod where they found Jesus.
RAP BEGINS AGAIN Chorus: Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down
We had studied all the books, done the homework thing So we knew we were looking for a mighty king, In the palace in Jerusalem we took a look Didn’t trust that Herod, didn’t fit the book. Chorus: Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down
It was late at night when the star it stopped Over Bethlehem, a stable, so in we dropped Now listen good, it’s the strangest thing We found baby Jesus and just wanted to sing Chorus: Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down
From the buzz in our heads and the feeling of joy We knew it was the king; this was the boy So we gave our gifts to the little Lord Gold, frankincense, myrrh, the best we could afford. Chorus: Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down Jump up, clap hands, turn round, sit down
NARRATOR 3: The wise men were finally in Jesus’ presence; they presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and bowed down to worship Jesus. NARRATOR 4: All through that night local people visited the baby with small gifts. NARRATOR 1:They came to see and worship the Saviour of the world.
EVERYONE GATHERS AROUND MARY. JOSEH AND BABY
SONG: Away In A Manger V.1 Away in a manger no crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus Lay down his sweet head The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
11 The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
V2. Be near me Lord Jesus I ask you to stay Close by me forever And love me I pray Bless all the dear children In your tender care And fit us for heaven To be with you there. NARRATORS: (together) Well that’s the Christmas story. We believe it. And we want to live it! God bless you!!!
ST HELIERS YOUTH CHRISTMAS CHORAL GROUP - THIS CHILD
People are thanked etc and a prayer said - Pauline
The Calypso carol 1. See him lying on a bed of straw; A draughty stable with an open door, Mary cradling the babe she bore; The prince of glory is his name.
Chorus:Oh, now carry me to Bethlehem to see the Lord appear to men; Just as poor as was the stable then, The prince of glory when he came.
2. Star of silver sweep across the skies, show where Jesus in the manger lies. Shepherds swiftly from your stupor rise to see the Saviour of the world.
Chorus: Oh, now carry me to Bethlehem to see the Lord appear to men; Just as poor as was the stable then, The prince of glory when he came.
3. Mine are riches from thy poverty, From thine innocence, eternity; Mine, forgiveness by thy death for me, Child of sorrow for my joy.
Chorus: Oh, now carry me to Bethlehem to see the Lord appear to men; Just as poor as was the stable then, The prince of glory when he came.
12 4. Angels, sing again the song you sang, bring God's glory to the heart of man; Sing the Bethl'hem's little baby can be salvation to the soul.
Chorus: Benediction EXIT: narrators and then all the cast., then mary, joseph & baby
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