1 “A Heavenly Christmas Morn” ©2013 byRev. Jenna L. Couch Setting: Heaven, early Christmas morning. The angel Gabriel is sleeping. The children angels rush on the set to wake him up, in Christmas excitement. Characters With Speaking Parts: Angel 1, Angel 2, Angel 3, other angels (for “Heavenly Chorus) Matthew, Luke, Non Speaking Parts; Joseph, Mary, Wisemen, Shepherd Children: Gabriel! Gabriel, wake up! It’s Christmas!!! (shout excitedly, jump up and down, high five) Gabriel: (waking up in a panic, and confused) What? Huh? What’s the matter, kids? Angel 1: Nothing’s the matter, Gabriel! It’s CHRISTMAS!! Gabriel: (tiredly, yawning) Oh yeah. That’s right. Merry Christmas! (another yawn, rubbing his eyes, stretching, trying to wake up) Angel 2: Yeah, it’s Christmas! Yahooo!!! Angel 3: We want you to tell us the story! Gabriel: The story? What story? Angel 3: You know; the Christmas Story! Gabriel: (smiling, more awake now) Ohhh! THAT story. Ok, well kids, gather ‘round. (the kids sit on the floor by him) Gabriel: ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house…..” Angel 1: No, no no, Gabriel. Not that story! Gabriel: Well what story are you talking about? Angel 2: Think about it; We’re in Heaven and it’s Christmas morning….what other story would we want to hear? Gabriel: Rudolf? Angel 3: Ok guys, next year, let’s just let him sleep in….. Gabriel: OH! I think I know!!!! All the angels: DUH!!!! The story about when JESUS was born!!!!! 2 Gabriel: Yup! That’s the one I was thinking of. Sure. I knew that…I was just testing you to make sure you knew the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Angel 1:Surrrrrrrre, Gabriel…whatever you say……. Gabriel:(Smiling) Alright… but to make it more fun, how about I ask my friends Matthew and Luke to come help us out with it? They did write them, with God’s help, after all….. (Matthew and Luke come up behind Gabriel and taps him on the shoulder) Matthew and Luke: You called? Gabriel: Wow, that was fast! Good to see you, friends! Want to help us out with telling your versions of the Christmas story? Matthew: I’d love to! Luke: Me too! This is one of my favorite times of the year! I suppose you want to be the voice of the angel… Gabriel:Well, That would make the most sense…. Matthew: Sounds good. I’ll be, well, me; the narrator. Luke: And I’ll be the other narrator. Angels: (together) That would make the most sense… (Matthew, Luke, and Gabriel laugh) Matthew:Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah* took place in this way. (ENTER JOSEPH) When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Gabriel: (clears throat; and makes a show of saying his line) ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ Matthew:22All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ Song Break: Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel? Congregation? Bells? Angel 1:Wait, wait wait. What’s this Emmanuel stuff? Joseph and Mary named their baby Jesus. If the prophet said they should name the child Emmanuel, then why did they name him Jesus? 3 Gabriel: Well, that’s a good question. You see, God gave Mary and Joseph a baby. And God had the angel tell Joseph to name the baby Jesus. Because the name Jesus means “to save.” Angel 1:Ohhh. And that’s what Jesus did! Jesus saved us all from our sins! Gabriel: That’s right! Good question though! Let’s let Matthew continue his story! Matthew:Well, actually, I was about to turn it over to Luke. All I have left to say is that24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took Mary as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;* and he named him Jesus. Actually, Luke has some pretty cool stuff to say about this too! Luke: Well thanks, Matthew! Indeed I do! In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (enter Mary) And he came to her and said, (points to Gabriel) Gabriel:‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’* Luke: But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.The angel said to her, Gabriel:Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Luke:Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’*The angel said to her: Gabriel:The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born* will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Luke: Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her. Angel 2: Wow. Mary must have been scared, but she sure had a lot of faith that God knew what he was doing! Gabriel: She seemed a little scared at first. That’s why I tried to reassure her by saying “Do not be afraid.” Angel 3:Gabriel, you also told her that God was with her too. I’m sure that made her feel better. Gabriel: It did. It helped a lot. Doesn’t it help you to know that God is right here with us when we’re scared? Even when we’re not scared, God is always with us. That’s what Emmanuel means, after all! 4 Angels: (together) Ooohhhhh!!! Angel 1: That makes a lot of sense! Angel 2: And God came to be with us through Jesus, right? Gabriel: That’s exactly right! Angel 3: See, Gabriel; this story is WAY better than that Santa Claus one! Angel 1: Yeah! Santa Claus only comes once a year; but God is with us ALL the time! Gabriel: That’s very true! Good point! Gabriel; Well, we gotta keep going with this story! We haven’t gotten to the best part yet! Luke; I think it’s your turn! Luke: (clears throat) In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Gabriel: Ya know; even being born in a manger, that was still a beautiful night. An incredibly Holy Night. Luke: It really was. Break for hymn, special music, OR, (Someone begins to play O, Holy Night on piano as story continues.) Luke: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them: Gabriel: Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,* the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ Luke: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,* praising God and saying, 14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’* Song Break? Congregational Hymn? Hark the Herald Angels Sing? Luke:When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 5 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.