December 10, 2023 ~ Second Sunday of Advent ~ Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8

VIDEO OF THE FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/894185355

It should be noted this is a very visual presentation.


Seeing the video will be helpful.

An Instant Christmas Pageant

So, as promised— a very strange Christmas pageant— first I need to welcome my assistant. You’ll see what he is doing in a minute. But today is a very special day in this church and for our Christian Education Program. This morning we are asking everyone to help the children and the Christian Education folks stage a Christmas pageant. Indeed, anyone who in this worship space who wants to join in this exercise— no pressure is meant here; join in only if you want to join in— anyone in this worship space who wants to join in this exercise is going to have a chance to be a part of the program. This program, this pageant, is called An Instant Christmas Pageant.

Now, to make this all work we are going to need to assign parts and you are going need to know which part you will play and what you will be asked to do.

These are among the parts in this pageant. We have the people of the city— the city being Bethlehem. Another part is Joseph. But don’t worry. We will not ask just one person to play Joseph. All the men together will be asked to play the part of Joseph. As to who will play the part of Mary— this will sound familiar— all the women together will be asked to play the part of Mary.

Of course, we will also need a child, shepherds, angels. But no one needs to worry about what you will say or about memorizing lines or parts. When it is anyone’s turn to participate Eli will hold up a sign. The sign will tell you whose turn it is and what to say and what you’ll need to say. When your turn comes all you have to do is stand if you want to, stay seated if you do not want to stand, and do what the sign says. So this will be easy.

Let’s get just a little more detail about who will play each part. And some of you will notice you’re playing multiple roles.

The part of the people of the city called for in the script will be played by the Choir. Yeah Choir! You will get to make city sounds— or at least sounds you might hear in Bethlehem in the First Century Before the Common Era— sounds like people yelling or donkeys making snorts. I think they’re going to be good at that. I heard rehearsal. Between you and me some folks in the choir have rehearsed and their most fun came from making donkey sounds so if we don’t get any yelling you know what’s happened.

Now, when the part of Joseph is called for in the script we ask the men to stand, raise their right hands, and say, “O Holy Night.” So, let’s try that just so we can hear and see what it feels like. Eli— you’ll hold up that sign— all right— all the men— stand if you want to— there we go! All right!

When the part of Mary is called for in the script we ask the women to stand, raise their right hands, pretend to hold a baby, and say, “Ahhh.” See? That works. So I won’t ask any more rehearsal because that takes care of mostly everybody.

When the part of a child is called for in the script we will ask the children and all the CE Board and all the people who participate in Bible Study cause you’re all a part of CE to stand, place their hands over their hearts and say, “Love.”

When the part of an angel is called for in the script we will ask the people on the right side of the congregation— that’s stage left but your right O.K.— to stand up and wave your hands like angel wings and say, “Peace.”

When the part of Shepherds is called for in the script we will ask the people on the left side of the congregation to stand and shake their staffs in the air. And, oh yes— you folks on the left will need some staffs. After all, you’re shepherds. (Sticks are handed out.)

So clearly and by definition, some of you will get to play multiple parts!

Also and by the way, there are a couple hymns we’ll sing as we go through this. You can stand for the hymns if you want to but if you’ve done too much standing you can stay seated for them. So now we’re going to start the pageant. Are you ready?

This is from the Gospel we call Luke in the Second Chapter: In those days the Emperor Augustus published a decree ordering a census of the Roman world. This was the first registration and took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. And so Joseph… (pause)

SIGN # 1 – MEN – “O Holy Night.”

And so Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city… (pause)

SIGN # 2 – CHOIR – YELL, DONKEY

…went to the city of David called Bethlehem, being a descendant of the house, the family, the lineage of David.

HYMN— Once in Royal David’s City INSERT

…and so Joseph went to be registered with Mary… (pause)

SIGN # 3 – WOMEN – “Ahhh.”

…Joseph went to be registered with Mary to whom he was espoused and who was expecting a child… (pause).

SIGN # 4 – CE & CHILDREN – “Love.”

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver. And she gave birth to her firstborn, whom she wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a manger, a feeding trough for cattle, because there was no place for them in the inn.

HYMN— Away in a Manger INSERT

Now, in that region, there were shepherds… (pause)

SIGN # 5 – LEFT – SHAKE STAFFS

[I know— you got the fun part— right?]

…there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Then an angel… (pause)

SIGN # 6 – RIGHT – WINGS – “Peace.”

…then an angel of God, a messenger of God, suddenly stood before them and the glory of God shone around them— and the shepherds…

SIGN # 7 – LEFT – SHAKE STAFFS

…the shepherds were terrified. This messenger from God said, “Do not be afraid; for see— I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people. To you, this day is born in the city… (pause)

SIGN # 8 – CHOIR – YELL, DONKEY

To you, this day is born in the city of David a Savior, Who is the Messiah, the Christ. This will be a sign for you: You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel… (pause)

SIGN # 9 – RIGHT – WINGS – “Peace.”

…suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God in the highest heaven, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those with whom God is pleased, with those who keep the covenant!”

HYMN— Angel’s from the Realms of Glory INSERT

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds… (pause)

SIGN # 10 – LEFT – SHAKE STAFFS

…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.”

So they went with haste and found Mary… (pause)

SIGN # 11 – WOMEN – “Ahhh.”

…and Joseph… (pause),

SIGN # 12 – MEN – “O Holy Night.”

…and the child… (pause)

SIGN # 13 – CE & CHILDREN – “Love.”

…they found the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what they were told about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

HYMN— Go Tell It on the Mountain INSERT

Closing Prayer
Let us pray. Dear God in heaven, You richly blessed us with the most precious gift of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. Thank you that today, in this place, we have all relived this most blessed event. We ask that each of us carry in our hearts a piece of the story of the Nativity of the Christ and that we share its meaning with others through the coming year. Amen.

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “My guess is that was a very different kind of pageant and I hope you all had some fun. As this is Christian Education Sunday, I want to call your attention to the last hymn in the pageant— Go Tell It on the Mountain. ‘Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.’ The work of Christian Education is to spread the word that the birth of the Messiah is a sign onto us that God’s covenant of love with humanity is real and we are messengers of that covenant of love.”

BENEDICTION: Let us be present to one another as we go from this place. Let us share our gifts, our hopes, our memories, our pain and our joy. Go in joy for God knows every fiber of our being. Go in hope for God reveals to us, daily, that we are a part of God’s new creation. Go in love, for we rest assured, by Christ, Jesus, that God is steadfast. Go in peace for God is with us. And may the peace of God which surpasses understanding be with us this day and forevermore. Amen.