A Christmas Experience

Celebrant: Welcome one and all to Bethlehem on this holy night. This is GNN, God Network News, and I am Katie Cleric. On your way in you should have registered and picked up a Chambers of Commerce booklet and welcome bag. Throughout your stay in Bethlehem you will need several items from the bag. So if by chance you did not get one, please see our customer service desk at the entrance. Also, please take your time to familiarize yourself with the contents as you will need them at various times tonight. Please stand and join in the singing of Hymn #83 O come all ye faithful

Celebrant: We are here tonight because there have been some amazing things happening here. The town is filled to capacity. Some of you have traveled a long way to be here tonight. Anyone who is a descendant of David is here. You had to come back to this town if your family tree included the man who defeated Goliath and wrote the psalms. You might have come from Jerusalem, Mount Sinai, or even as far away as New Jersey. You had to come because of the old tax man, the Roman government.

Congregation: Boo. No more taxes! (Open your chocolate gold coins and enjoy them...Caesar doesn't get these coins!)

Celebrant: After all, where else are they going to get the money for all their building projects, like the coliseum. From us the people. Give them your name and they’ll give you the bill. But enough about that. I hope you made your reservations early for our fine hotels.

Congregation: No Hiltons. No Holiday Inn. No single rooms!

Celebrant: That's right. In Bethlehem hotels are really just one large room so we can accommodate parties of any size. Besides you have your animals with you and this way you can keep an eye on them, too.

Hay Vendor: Hay...get your fresh hay here.

Bag Vendor: Remember to pick up after your donkey. Five bags for a denarius.

Animals in the congregation please make your sounds. Some of you have sound cans that work by pressing the button. Others may feel the urge to bray, moo, or oink. If you have an animal in your bag please make that noise. Feel free to make your sounds throughout this experience.

Celebrant: Tonight's events seem to have started at the inn. Let's go to the innkeepers and see what they have to report. Innkeepers can you tell us what happened.

Innkeeper #1: I sure can. A couple showed up after hours. We were already booked. I had to turn them away. I just did not have any room.

Innkeeper #2: Same story with me. There just isn't any space.

Congregation: We have no room.

Celebrant: With no room, what did they do?

Innkeeper #2: I told them they could use the barn. It's not really a barn, it's a cave, where we keep our animals.

Celebrant: And where is this cave?

Innkeeper #2: Its just on the outskirts of town.

Celebrant: As we make our way to the cave, we will take a commercial break. Please join in the singing of Hymn #79 O Little Town of Bethlehem.

Celebrant: It’s been brought to my attention that an unusual event is happening the sky. We have star expert with us. Can you tell us what is going on?

Astronomer: It is quite amazing. My team and I have been following the developments. Here’s what we can tell you. A new star has been formed. And what’s more, the star has moved across the sky and has come to a stop right here above Bethlehem.

(Take out your stargazer/kaleidoscopes and look for the star)

Celebrant: Can you tell us what it might mean?

Astronomer: We believe that when someone great is born, their birth is signaled by a new star. Its happened before but what makes this star special is that is has moved across the sky and seems to have stopped right here above Bethlehem.

Celebrant: So do you think someone special, like a king, was born here?

Astronomer: The star does not lie. So I would have to yes, definitely yes.

Commotion among the angels as they flap their wings

Celebrant: There seems to be a flutter of activity happening. Excuse me, excuse me, who are you?

Harold: Why, I am Harold the Angel. Usually I am known for my singing…surely you’ve heard of me…hark…Harold the angel sings. In fact, let’s have some traveling music as the rest of my company joins me at the manger and let's sing my theme song: #87 Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Celebrant: So Harold, can you fill us in. What has brought you to Bethlehem?

Harold: God sent me to the shepherds in the fields.

Celebrant: Shepherds? What on earth would God want with those people? They are scoundrels, the dregs of society. Good folk stay far away from them.

Harold: The world might think shepherds are the worst people around. They’re poor, they sometimes steal, they certainly don’t keep Jewish rules, but God wanted them to know the wonderful news.

Celebrant: Wait a minute. What exactly are you saying?

Harold: God wanted the poorest and the outcasts to know that God loves them. It doesn’t matter what people have done, God loves them, and wants to be with them.

Agnus: Excuse me Katie…Katie…I can fill you in.

Celebrant: And who are you?

Agnus: I am Agnus the shepherd. My buddies and I were stitting around the fire trying to keep warm. When all of a sudden Harold shows up. Well, let me tell you, we did not know what to make of it. Harold said something about a Savior. Suddenly a whole bunch of angels showed up. And they shouted:

Congregation: Glory to God in the highest!

Agnus: They shouted again, even louder:

Congregation: Glory to God in the highest!

Agnus: They told us:

Congregation: Go to Bethlehem!

Agnus: The angels said a Savior was born for us. They shouted:

Congregation: This is good news for all people!

Agnus: The angels were so happy they shouted with great joy:

Congregation: This is a Savior for all people! Rejoice and shout hooray!

Agnus: The angels said that this was a Savior for us. Do you know where he is?

Congregation: We have come to find him.

Celebrant: This is just too amazing. Shepherds told that a savior is born. A star moving across the sky. Could it be…the cave..the manger. Let's take a closer look.

Animals make your sounds. If you are dressed like an animal come to the manger. Little Angels come to the manger and place baby Jesus in the manger.

Celebrant: And Mary brought forth her first born son and laid him in a manger. A manger, a feeding trough for animals, because no one could make a place for him. God came any way...to a bunch of people with bad reputations, to people who have done less than good things, to people who have made mistakes. For anyone who has made mistakes, for those of us who have hurt others, for us who have wanted our own way so much that we broke community. The Savior who comes for us even if we have no status, no degrees, no wealth. The Savior who comes for us even when we have not made room for him. The Savior has come to show us that no matter what has happened to us we are never beyond his reach, never not loved, never not cherished. That's the message of the star. That's the message of the angels. That's the message of the manger. That's what Christmas means. So come shepherds. Come angels. Come inn keepers. Come one and all. Come to the manger and place your name in the manger. For Christ has come for you and me. Christ has come for us.

Congregation comes forward and leaves their name card in the manger. Then, as a sign of our joy, join the dance.