leadinginworship

Zooming to Bethlehem: A Virtual Christmas Pageant

Zooming to Bethlehem: A Virtual Christmas Pageant 

by Carol Penner   www.leadinginworship.com 2020

(email me and I can send you this as a Word document   [email protected])

based on Luke 2:1-14, Matthew 2:1-12

Characters:     Announcer
Innkeeper (in this version she is female, but you can change that)
Leah:  Innkeeper’s daughter
Aaron:  Innkeeper’s son
Guest 1
Guest 2
Guest 3
Mary
Joseph
Cow
Donkey
Sheep
Rooster
Shepherd 1:  Larry
Shepherd 2:  Darryl (can be male or female)
Shepherd 3:  The Other Darryl (can be male or female)
Wise Person 1:  Balthasar
Wise Person 2: Melchior
Wise Person 3: Casper

This pageant would work for children, or with an intergenerational cast. Casting a senior as a star, or adults as some characters would work fine, (and might make your virtual rehearsals a little less chaotic!)

Props:              Headgear for actors to reflect their character. 
The Star should be made of big yellow construction paper, with glitter, and a hole for someone’s face in the middle.

Flashlights in the homes of all the actors, so their faces can glow when they are in the presence of angels or the baby Jesus. The star always has a flashlight on their face.

Signs: “Zooming to Bethlehem”,  Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4, Act 5

A baby doll wrapped in a plain cloth

A package wrapped in shiny paper

Instructions: 

1. Have an administrator on the call who will explain to audience that it is essential that everyone who is watching the pageant has their microphone muted and their camera off.
2. For this play to work, audience must have their Zoom settings set to Speaker View. [This means that the speaker’s face is featured in a big window.]
3. The actors keep their microphones on, but they have to be told to be very quiet when they are not speaking. Don’t even try to do the play with actors turning their microphones on and off because you know they won’t remember and they will say their lines and you won’t hear them.
4. Actors must speak loudly so the microphone picks them up and Zoom automatically makes them the speaker. As you practice, make sure people don’t rustle their script papers by the microphone of their computer, or it will cause interference.
5. It’s a good idea to have an extra person with a script who can jump in if someone’s internet connection goes down. If they jump into a new part, have them just say, “I’m Leah…” so people know who they are.
6. Alternatively, you could perform this play on Zoom, with no audience and record it, and then it could be played for the church at a later time (the participants could then watch themselves). This might be a lot less stressful.

Act 1

Announcer:     Welcome to our zoom pageant, today’s performance is called

“Zooming to Bethlehem”. [they hold up the title to the screen]  We are starting, predictably, with “Act One.” [they put a sign with Act One very close to their screen.]  Let me introduce the pageant players in Act One   We have the Innkeeper, the Innkeeper’s children Leah and Aaron, as well as Mary, Joseph and three guests at the Inn.  Act One Begins Now! 

Innkeeper:       [calling] Aaron?  Leah?  Aaron?  Leah?  Leah, are you there?  Where are my children?  They always disappear when you need them.

Leah:               Hello!  Can you hear me, mom?

Innkeeper:       I think you’re muted! I can hardly hear you!

Leah:               Oh, I was in the backyard. Now can you hear me?

Innkeeper:       Finally!  I’ve been looking for you and your brother Aaron!  We have this whole inn to take care of, and we have visitors up to the ceiling, why aren’t you helping me?

Leah:               I just went to the well to get some extra water. There were lots of people lined up, so I had to wait my turn.

Innkeeper:       Well, that’s a good thing you went for water.  With this crowd, you can’t have too much water. I’m boiling water for the laundry right now.

Guest 1:           [loudly] Excuse me, Innkeeper, I need extra towels.

Guest 2:           [whining]  Innkeeper, these candles are burnt down, don’t you have new ones?

Guest 3:           [angrily] I thought I was getting the deluxe suite!  You call that a view? My window faces onto an adobe wall!

Innkeeper:       Yes, yes, and yes, that is the best view! I will be right with you…Leah, I have to run.

Leah:               No, mom wait…  When I was at the well, just now, I met such a nice couple.

Innkeeper:       What were you doing wasting time chatting with who knows who when I needed you here?

Leah:               They looked to be in trouble, I just wanted to help.

Innkeeper:       What kind of trouble?

Leah:               Well, the woman is expecting a baby, and she was holding her stomach and kind of groaning.

Innkeeper:       Oh, that kind of trouble!

Leah:               I asked if I could help…I didn’t recognize them so I figured they are here for Caesar Augustus’s census.

Innkeeper:       I told you not to mention that man’s name in this house.  If he takes one more shekel in taxes I’ll…

Voices This Christmas

The earth’s soundscape 

roars and lifts these days

as we listen for God’s voice

at Christmas. 

 

Marketers trumpeting,

drawing our attention

to all that we lack,

claiming only they can save us.

 

Politicians posturing,

those with power telling us

soothingly, “All is well;”

their opponents yelling, “All is lost!”

 

Protesters chanting,

outrage in their voices,

as they call for justice,

accountability and change.

 

Social media buzzing

with the world’s gossip,

the doings of the rich and famous 

and the fall of the glamorous.

 

News announcers reporting

the bad news from everywhere,

every evil thing done under the sun

and the daily list of casualties.

 

And then there are our own to-do lists,

that haunt our days and nights

reminding us with insistent voices

of all we have failed to accomplish.

 

Words clatter all around us,

and we wonder if, this Christmas,

we will have ears to hear

the message of angels on any level.

 

This Christmas will teenage girls

drop their phones as they see light, 

not from a screen, and respond,

“Here am I, a servant of the Lord”?

 

This Christmas, will men dream dreams,

that speak of things to come 

and safe paths in dangerous times,

and will they wake and take them?

 

This Christmas will seniors,

who are long past childbearing,

hear prophesies in a personal way,

and have their lives changed by that revelation?

 

This Christmas, will construction workers 

in the field drop their tools

and fall face down

overcome by the glory of God?

 

Will they hear the message “Fear not,”

and the rock solid words,

“Look, I am bringing good news

of great joy for all people.”

 

This Christmas will we hear 

the bold words of the angels

still ricocheting through space,

“A child is born this day, the Messiah, the Lord.”

 

This Christmas will we leave our business

abandoned on the ground,

dropping everything for the chance

to worship for a moment on our knees?

 

This Christmas will we be amazed 

at what God can do,

will we treasure these things,

these amazing things, in our hearts?

 

This Christmas will we go to our homes,

our bodies humming with the vibrations

of the harmonies of heaven 

sung by ageless choirs?

 

Listen!  They are still singing,

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace,

good will to all people.”

 

God who brought to life 

this story of salvation,

give us ears fine-tuned 

to the message of hope.

Like a mother who can hear

her baby crying through any crowd,

give us all ears to hear

the voice calling to us, 

the voice of Jesus this Christmas.

 

contact me at [email protected] if you would like this in Reader's Theatre format for 4 voices.

In the Name of Christ Litany

1.          In the name of Christ, First Born of all Creation,
2.          in the name of Jesus, the Second Adam, born of Mary,
3.          in the name of Immanuel, the Nazarene, who lived among us, 
1.          in the name of Christ, the Baptized One, first in obedience,
2.          in the name of Jesus, Wilderness Dweller, tried and tested,
3.          in the name of Immanuel, Word of Love for all people,
1.          in the name of Christ, Healer of our Every Ill,
2.          in the name of Jesus, Welcomer of Children,
3.          in the name of Immanuel, Beloved Teacher,
1.          in the name of Christ, Transfigured Son of God,
2.          in the name of Jesus, Bread of Life for the whole word,
3.          in the name of Immanuel, Bearer of our Sins, even unto death,
1.          in the name of Christ, the Resurrected One,
2.         in the name of Jesus, First Born from the Dead,
3.         in the name of Immanuel, the Morning Star,
                    seated at the right hand of God,
All:      in the power of these holy names we stand.
1.         Lies be gone, you cannot stay, Christ reigns here.
2.        Shame be gone, you cannot stay, Jesus reigns here.
3.        Hate be gone, you cannot stay, Immanuel reigns here.
1.        Where Christ reigns, there is on earth peace.
2.        Where Jesus reigns, there is on earth love.
3.        Where Immanuel reigns, there is on earth hope.
All:     Christ reigns here!
1.         Amen!
2.        Amen!
3.        Amen!

A Manger Scene

A manger scene,
our manger scene,
a tiny little manger scene.
Everywhere we go, we see them.
Mary kneeling, Joseph standing
shepherds with their trailing sheep watching,
wise men with their robes and gifts adoring.
Everyone’s eyes pointing to the baby Jesus,
lying on a bed of hay in a manger.
The wooden beams of the stable sheltering,
the golden angel heralding
and a star shining.

Everywhere we go we see them;
manger scenes made of wood
or clay or glass or cloth or plastic,
on living room tables, Sunday school platforms,
people’s lawns, department store windows.
The manger scene freezeframes the moment of contact,
God made flesh, dwelling among us,
a baby, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

You came to dwell among us, Lord,
on that long ago Christmas day,
yet this year I want to dwell with you.
I want to find myself in the manger scene,
I want to lose myself in the manger scene,
wrapped up in the story,
the story wrapped up in me.
And so, God of all the Hosts in Heaven,
hear my prayer.

Give me strong legs like Joseph,
standing at Mary’s side, supporting, protecting.
He walked on those legs to Bethlehem,
those legs will take him to Egypt, carrying a baby,
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give me eyes to see like the animals,
eyes like the cow, the sheep, the donkey,
patiently watching, simply being,
waiting to see what will happen next to
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give me hands like the wise men,
always filled with rich gifts
that are carried over long distances,
hands that fold in prayer when they meet
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give me a voice like the angels,
so that I can share good news,
of peace on earth, good will to all people,
telling everyone how to meet
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give me feet like the shepherds,
racing down from the mountains,
feet that seek good news
and will bear good news of
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give me a belly like Mary’s
receptive to love growing inside me,
sheltering that love, nurturing that love,
no barriers between my body, and the body of
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give me a heart that shines
like a bright star twinkling on a dark night,
like a north star over a fathomless sea,
pointing, always pointing truly to
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give me a mind like this stable,
holding this community of faith,
embracing this company of worshipers
whose centre is always, only Jesus,
Immanuel, God with us,
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Give us a body like Jesus,
that grows in wisdom
and speaks the truth
and feeds the hungry
and loves the rejected
and heals the wounded
and comforts the brokenhearted
and gives freely, as freely as the one who is
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

It’s all right here.
In a manger scene,
our manger scene,
a tiny little manger scene.
Everywhere we go, we see them.

[For a reader's theatre, a narrator would read the first three stanzas and the last one,
with nine other people reading the parts of the manger scene.
If you have a manger scene with movable parts,
each person could pick up the figure they are speaking about.
The narrator would gesture towards the manger scene at the beginning and ending.]

The Confession of Dirk Willems

What I remember most
is the joy of God’s words on our lips,
in our hearts.
That good news bubbling out,
freely shared with any person we met,
old categories of friend and foe forgotten.
I remember the power of God changing us,
from empty Christians
to disciples full of fire.
I confessed my faith
and chose baptism, freely, consciously,
my prayer as the water trickled over me,
“O my Lord, my God!”
My family and friends,
my neighbours near and far,
they flocked to my house to hear that story.
We read from the Bible,
we prayed together.
And always every meeting,
their words echoing in my ears,
“Can I too be baptized?”

Yes, there was danger.
It was a crime for us to baptize
since we weren’t priests,
and the authorities were out to find us.
But we Brethren were quick,
our feet given godspeed.
So often we escaped
even when escape seemed impossible:
ducking out windows,
fleeing to the fields in the dark,
our pursuers’ lanterns bobbing behind us.
So often God protected us from evil.

The persecution became more severe.
First one brother, and then a sister,
another and another,
arrested, tortured, brought to trial,
made an example.
They were an example to us,
so many, so faithful,
freely bearing their cross, like Jesus.
A witness to God’s glory even in death. 

And then it was my turn to be arrested.
They were there waiting for us
hidden in the darkness as we gathered,
no time to run, just a quick whispered prayer,
“O my Lord, my God!”

Into the prison, and there I had time
to sit and think and pray,
to prepare myself for the ordeal to come.
I was more surprised than anyone
when the opportunity arose
for me to escape.
God works in mysterious ways,
and like Paul before me,
the way was open and I took it.
I ran like the wind;
I could hear shouts behind me
and I knew I was being pursued.
Over that wintry river I fled,
the ice creaking ominously below me.
Even as I ran I prayed,
“O my Lord, my God,
let me run on water this day,”
Cracks formed with every step I took,
and like Peter I doubted.
I pictured them fishing
my frozen body with a hook
out of the cold river.

But God be praised,
my feet reached solid land
and running still, I spared a glance behind me.
I saw my pursuer stepping on the ice,
one of the guards sent to catch me.
I doubled my pace along the river
but my eyes were drawn to him
lumbering, lumbering along.
Suddenly there was no figure at all.
My legs kept running
but my whole attention shifted.
I saw the arms and head appear in the watery pit
bobbing and grasping, ice breaking, splashing.
I could hear his frantic call for help.
I stopped, and looked to his friends.
They all hugged the shore,
afraid to venture to him on the ice.
They were not going to help him.

Having just crossed that wide white river,
having feared that icy grave,
my heart went to him.
I turned around.
It was I who would be a fisher of men this day.
Running back toward my pursuer this time,
I reached that treacherous surface,
and when the cracks seemed louder than my heartbeats,
I dropped gently down on my stomach, sliding sideways,
arms spread wide, reaching for him.
Him reaching for me with freezing fingers,
and then our hands locked,
and the slow, slow, pull to safety.
We did it. I saved him.

We both lay on the ice for a long moment.
Me totally spent from the chase and the rescue,
he totally spent from being immersed in fear,
dazed at returning to the land of the living.

The voice of the burgomeister shattered the silence,
calling from the safety of the shore:
“Arrest that man. 
Arrest that man right now! 
Do your duty.”
I looked at him,
my companion on the ice.
Our eyes held each other,
frozen there on that hard river.
We both watched transfixed
as his hand slowly reached out
and grasped my elbow.
I closed my eyes,
“Oh my Lord, my God.”

And so I am here in the prison again.
They have convicted me,
and today I am to be burned.
In the icy river or in flames of fire,
I am not alone.
Jesus is with me as I take up my cross.
Be with me now,
Oh my Lord, my God.

 

Love Story Reader's Theatre

[If you would like a copy of this poem divided into parts for three readers, just email me.  This poem takes approx. 7.5 minutes to present...it was presented in a worship service preceded by the gospel hymn "God is Love"]

It was a love story from the beginning.
Come let us all unite to sing, God is love!
Love of Creator for day-by-day creation,
love of Adam for Eve,
love of Eve for knowledge,
love of apples, red and juicy ripe.
We wonder, was it love that sent the couple packing?
Was it love that barred the gate?
What’s love got to do with it?
We wonder as we wander out under the sky…
on a night filled with stars,
is it love that stretches us up into the heavens?
Love lifts us up where we belong?
Or love that holds us tight to the earth?
How deep is your love?
The world compels with the colours of its countries,
its sounds and tastes, its invitations to drink deep.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
my soul can reach.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

As part of creation, I create too.
In creating a baby, I discover that mother love
is simple and uncomplicated and wild and pure.
I love you forever, I love you for always.
A concentrated longing to have and to hold
from the moment the baby comes sliding out
covered in goo and looking strangely human.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

Two roads to Emmaus: Luke 24:13-35

Narrator:  Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  And he said to them,

Jesus:  “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?”

Narrator:  They looked at each other, and then at the stranger.  Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him,

Cleopas:  “Actually, it’s none of your business. 

Disciple:  Can’t you see we are overcome with sadness.  Please let us grieve in peace.

Narrator:  And the men hurried on. They said to each other,

Cleopas:  I just want to be left alone, one day’s peace, is that too much to ask?

Christmas Reader's Theatre: For unto us a child is born!

[I wrote this for a Christmas Eve service and I had different congregants take the parts; they got up from where they were sitting in the congregation and came to the front to say their part, then they each lit a candle and placed it at around the manger scene that was at the front of the church.]

Narrator:  Waiting, watching, hoping against hope,
the faithful have looked and longed for a Saviour.
Wrapped up in our own lives, in our own struggles,
consumed with our own desires and sins,
still, our hope was in God.
At long last, all generations cry out,
“For unto us a child is born”.

Abraham:   My name is Abraham.  I followed God’s call. 
I went from my own country to the land that God showed me. 
God promised to make a nation from my descendants
and bless all families of the earth through me. 
Now we see the fulfillment of that promise with the gift of this child…
today we are blessed indeed!
For unto us a child is born.

Hagar:  I am Hagar, I was Sarah’s Egyptian slavegirl
who bore Abraham a son, whom I called Ishmael. 
When I was at the end of all hope because of my suffering,
I fled into the wilderness.  
It was there that I met “the God who sees”;
the God who sees even those in slavery, crying in despair. 
This baby is a gift to people like me: 
for unto us a child is born!

Jacob:  I am Jacob, grandson of Abraham. 
Even though I was a liar and a cheater,
there was still room for me in God’s plan. 
I had a dream one night that a ladder filled with angels
went straight from earth to God.
In the morning I called that place Beth-el, the House of God.  
Today a child is born with the same message…
God has come to dwell with us!
We give thanks for Immanuel--God with us.
For unto us a child is born!

Moses:  I am Moses. I had excuses 
when God spoke to me from a burning bush.
I didn’t want to help God free our people from slavery. 
But God didn’t give up on me or on Israel. 
God’s power delivered us from the hands of the mighty Pharaoh.
We worship a God who delivers!
God gave us the law at Sinai to guide us.
We worship a God who guides us!
And today God gives a Saviour who will deliver us from evil,
a Saviour who is our guide.
For unto us a child is born!

Ruth:  I am Ruth, a foreigner from Moab,
who married one of the sons of Israel. 
When my husband died,
I followed my mother-in-law back to Israel.
I was her faithful friend,
and her God, the God of Israel,
was faithful in restoring our happiness.
I gleaned wheat in the fields near this town of Bethlehem. 
A man named Boaz married me, even though I was an outsider,
and I gave birth to a baby that brought great joy to my family.
This baby Jesus is one of my descendants,
he comes to bring great joy to the world!
For unto us a child is born!

Samuel: My name is Samuel.   
When I was just a small boy I heard God calling me.
 I said, “Yes Lord, your servant hears you.” 
And so I served God all my days, calling the people of Israel to faithfulness. 
It was a hard job, because the people did not always want to hear what I had to say.
But God never deserted me. 
Now I see that God sends his own son to call us to faithfulness. 
For unto us a child is born!

David: My name is David.
I was the Lord’s anointed, a man after God’s own heart.
I ruled Israel as a king for many years.
I was a sinner, like everyone else, and I disappointed God in many ways.
But God was faithful to me.
This night in Bethlehem, in my own city,
a new King is born, one of my own descendants.
This Ruler will bring peace to the world. 
He will be called the Prince of Peace.
For unto us a child is born!

Isaiah:  My name is Isaiah, and I was a prophet of the Most High. 
The people of Israel had turned from God. 
God allowed them to be conquered by the Babylonians. 
the holy city Jerusalem was in ruins, our temple was destroyed. 
Our people were taken in chains into captivity. 
How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. 
He will establish the throne of David
and uphold it with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore. 
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!  (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Joseph: Joseph is my name,
and it is my betrothed Mary who has given birth to a son. 
We have named him Jesus, as the angel instructed.
The angel told me that this child will save our people from their sin. 
The hopes of many rest on our child, our son.
For unto us a child is born!

Mary:  My name is Mary and I am a servant of the Lord.
God’s mercy is on those who fear God, from generation to generation. 
God has fulfilled the promise made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and Sarah and to their descendants forever. 
Jesus is a blessing for the world, that  comes through my life.
For unto us a child is born!

People:  Today we add our voices to the chorus of thanksgiving.
We sing our part in the song that rises through time,
around the world, in every language,
“Glory to God in the highest”.
We give thanks for God’s son,
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord!
For unto us a child is born!

 

Scriptural Sweep: And God Said! A Reader's Theatre

This poem was a reader's theatre presented at Mennonite Church Canada Assembly 2011. If you would like a copy of the divided script with directions, please email me, and I can send it to you.

And God said, Let there be…
And God said, Let there be…
And God said, Let there be…
a Word.
In the beginning was the Word: 
the voice of God…over the deep.
And God spoke and created dry land, 
God spoke and created light and dark,
God spoke and created evening and morning.
God spoke and created vegetation;
plants yielding seed, fruit trees of every kind.
God spoke and created  living creatures;
birds and sea monsters,
cattle and creeping things,
wild animals and…
humankind.  
And God saw that it was good!
The voice of God calling the Rocky Mountains—
good!
the arctic tundra, the sun-baked badlands--
good!
the wide flat prairie, the deep high forest—
good!
the streams and rivers—
grand!
the seas and lakes—
great!
All God’s creatures—the moose, the mosquito, the muskrat--
good!
The polar bear, the eagle, the sockeye salmon--
good!
Human beings of every hue,
differently abled, speaking different tongues--
good!
Creation, conjoined, inseparable,
joined together by the voice of God,
the voice of God over the deep.
 [sing verses 1 & 3 of hymn “Praise the Lord, sing Hallelujah”, Hymnal #50]

God created the heavens and the earth,
and God said that it was good.
And God said 
And God said
And God said to Cain, 
“Sin is lurking at the door, its desire is for you, but you must master it.” 
Sin is lurking at the door; you must master it! 
But Cain killed his brother Abel.
He killed his brother!
His brother Abel he killed.
And Sarah beat Hagar.
and Jacob lied to Isaac
and the people of Israel grumbled and turned away
and the people built a golden calf
and the people wanted to return to Egypt
and the people neglected the widow and the sojourner
and the people of Israel went after false gods,
crying  all the while,
Peace, peace
where there was no peace.
Our voices creating violence.  
Violent words becoming violent actions. 
Our words exploding like bombs in living rooms
and church meeting rooms.
Hateful hurtful words in political negotiating rooms. 
Words that name people as collateral damage, as casualties, as statistics.
Words in skyscraper boardrooms that translate into people without work,
people without homes,
people without food.
Violence grows and grows, in our hearts and in our world.
The violence against God’s good creation,
the violence against the poor, the marginalized, the helpless;
the violence against those we hate and against those we love.
And a voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter weeping.
It is Rachel crying for her children.
She is crying,
and she will not be comforted. 
Esau lifts up his voice and weeps.
In anger Moses throws the tablets from his hand and breaks them at the foot of the mountain.
And Tamar tears her clothes and goes away, crying aloud.
And the king cries out with a loud voice, “O Absalom, my son, my son.”
And the people lift up their voices and weep.
And the Lord said, 
and the Lord said,
and the Lord said,
“What have you done?
Listen!
Listen.
Listen…
your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.
[sing verses 1 & 3 of hymn “From the depths of sin” Hymnal#136]

And God said,
And God said, Let there be… 
And God said, Let there be… 
…a rainbow!
…a heavenly visitor!the hope for a son!
…a promise of descendants without number for a slave girl!
…a dream of angels ascending and descending!
Surely God is in this place!
This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!
and there was…a hope for freedom,
a  warning to Pharaoh,
frogs without number,
a river of blood,
a way through the wilderness,   
a deliverance from evil for Israel’s children. 
And there was manna in the desert, 
water flowing from the rock.
There was a Promised Land. 
And God spoke from the mountain. 
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
And the voice of God came to Deborah and Gideon
and Samuel heard God calling in the night.
And Samuel said,
“Here I am.  Speak for your servant is listening.”
Generation after generation we listen
we listen in our hearts,
we listen at church
we listen to the sound of the whirlwind
we listen for God’s voice.
And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah
and Jonah
and Job
and Jeremiah
and John.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way of the Lord.”
And the Word of the Lord came to Mary,
and Mary said,
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord.
Let it be with me according to your word.”
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
And a voice from heaven said,
‘This is my Son, the Beloved.”
And the people came to Jesus,
the people crowded around Jesus,
the people flocked to Jesus, and asked,
Are you really the Messiah? 
What is the most important commandment?
How can a man be born again?
Which of us is the greatest?
How often should I forgive someone?
When will the kingdom of God come?
Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners?
And Jesus said, 
And Jesus said,
And Jesus said,
I am the Bread of Life.
I am the Light of the World.
I am the true Vine.
I am the Gate.
I am the Way, the truth and the life.
I am the good Shepherd, the shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
I am the resurrection and the life. 
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
[sing “Obey my voice” Hymnal #163]

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
We beheld his face.
And the voice of the Pharisees said, 
and the voice of the Sadducees said,
and the voice of Herod and Pilate said,
and the voice of the people said,
Crucify Him! 
Crucify Him! 
Crucify Him! 
And Jesus said,
Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
Jesus cried with a loud voice
and Jesus gave up his spirit. 
And darkness came over the whole land.
They laid him in a tomb.
He had given up his Spirit, but on the third day, he rose again.
He appeared to Mary and the other disciples, who saw his hands and touched his side.
And Jesus said, I will send you a Comforter.
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth.
The Spirit will declare to you the things that are to come!
Let those who have ears to hear, hear!  

God Our Champion: A Reading for Mother's Day/Father's Day

Everyone needs a champion,
someone who will be in your corner, always,
someone watching your back,
someone watching you, treasuring you,
keeping you in their heart.

Parents are nature’s champions,
biologically led to love and nurture,
feed and foster,
support and sustain.
They can’t keep their eyes off you.

From Adam and Eve on,
parents creating babies,
caring for their offspring,
all part of God’s plan for fruitfulness,
the multiplication of love
from generation to generation.
And this is a true story,
a story for many happy people,
dearly beloved by happy parents.
Other true stories need telling;
parents who champion themselves
at the expense of their offspring,
parents who hate themselves and
have no room in their hearts for love,
parents who abandon children,
or who are forced to abandon children,
parents who die, leaving orphans.
Who will care for the motherless,
who will cherish the fatherless,
who will champion the neglected?

God our Father, Life-giver,
you cannot forget the child you created,
God our Mother, Life-sustainer,
you cannot forget the child you nurse.
God our Parent, our Protector,
you are an ever present help in times of trouble.
You are the champion of the orphan,
you seek out the lost and the lonely,
the smallest lamb will not escape your notice.
You carry us in your arms,
you speak tenderly,
you seek justice for us,
you pronounce judgement on those who hurt us.
You provide a place for us,
people who shepherd us and take us into their own flock.
You raise up communities of nurturers,
groups of people  who will not let a single little one be lost.
Guardian of us all,
we give you thanks for mothers, fathers
and all who foster us;
gifts from your tender hands,
our Divine Champion. 

This can also be read by three readers, perhaps people of different ages, here is  a breakdown of parts:

Light: A Christmas Eve Reader's Theatre

We are people of the light…

we say, “Let there be light!” And behold!

Lamplight, headlight, spotlight,

flashlight, floodlight, footlight,

searchlight, stoplight, streetlight,

windows cascading light,

skyscraper towers of light,

satellites that compete with starlight,

screens of all kinds lit with light,

light sabres, lighthouses and light bulbs;

halogen, incandescent, fluorescent!

We dodge deep darkness with twinkly lights.

We are a light hearted people!

We are a high wattage population,

rich with lumens!

Let me tell you,

we who walked in darkness have seen great lights!

Planet earth, home of the laser-light show,

cities glowing in space,

the earth ringed with the work of our hands;

we glow in our own limelight.

And so this Christmas,

we are our own angels of light.

We feel no need for heavenly light,

which everyone says was highly over-rated.

 

Maybe no one will be more surprised than us

when a Saviour comes

in a darkness that dawns when we least expect it.

 

Maybe Jesus will come,

in the moment when the power fails,

when all the blinking red lights flicker and pause,

when the batteries die

and the generators heave their last sigh,

when the TV and computer screens go blank,

when we are unplugged

and cast upon our own resources.

In this darkness, Jesus comes.

 

Maybe Jesus will come,

in the moment when compassion fails,

when all the milk of human kindness runs dry,

when relationships sour and hatred festers

and we see the devastation of war

in all its cruelty, with broken bodies,

broken dreams, broken lands;

when all we thought we had

comes crashing down.

In this darkness, Jesus comes.

 

Maybe Jesus will come,

in the midnight moment when hope fails,

when the darkness from the deep envelops us

(a darkness that comes from the inside out)

when we are mired in a depression

that cannot be avoided,

or turned off with any switch.

In this darkness, Jesus comes.

 

Jesus comes as a thief in the night,

stealing into our lives,

where he waits to be born again,

who knows how,

in the darkness of each human heart.

The world glistens with radiant possibilities,

while the angels sing in the starry night sky,

laughing at this craziest of Second comings.

“Jesus is coming again. Gloria!”

  

[You can divide this into parts as you see fit, depending on the number of readers you have.  If you email me, I can send you the way I divided it for three readers.]

 

This poem is indebted to Vida Scudder for the phrase, "the world glistens with radiant possibilities", and to Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "Christ climbed down" for the closing idea.