BETHLEHEM IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY samples

MESSAGE: During the holiday season, many become discouraged by their own hectic pace and the continued commercialization of Christmas. Does that glorious night in Bethlehem seem distant from your life? Maybe it is time for a trip. Get your Bible, gather your family together, and let the Holy Spirit take you back to the manger. I think you will discover that Bethlehem Is Not That Far Away.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

CHOIR

DAD, David Brown

RENEE BROWN, teen-age daughter

JOSEPH BROWN, (JOEY), Renee’s little brother

MOM, Anne Brown

GRANDDADDY, David Brown’s father

MARY, Mother of Jesus

GABRIEL, Angel

JOSEPH, Mary’s husband

Shepards

BABY JESUS

THREE WISE MEN

THE TIME: Present day Christmas time and the time of Jesus’ birth

THE SETTING: The Brown family’s home, the city of Nazareth and a stable at Bethlehem

Actual Bible verse texts: If you are more comfortable with a Bible translation text from your personal Bible, please feel free to substitute your translation for these specific chapter/ verses.

PROPS:

*Christmas decorations for decorated living room

*Recliner

*Newspaper

*Coffee table

*Christmas cards

*Pen

*Two candy canes

*Sound for doorbell

*Boxes from shopping

*Shopping bags

*Kitchen table and chairs

*Large cardboard box

*Coat for granddaddy

*Sofa

*Figure of Mary for Nativity scene

*Figure of Joseph for Nativity scene

*Stable for Nativity scene

*Two figures of shepherds for Nativity scene

*Simple manger for live Nativity scene

*Bright light for over the live Nativity scene

*Three figures of the three wise men

*Star that lights, for top of Christmas tree

*Christmas tree

Sample – stage direction

SCENE: Lights come up on stage left as song is ending. Members of the Brown Family are seated in their living room. The room is decorated for the Christmas holiday. Dad (David Brown) is seated in his recliner reading the newspaper. His teenage daughter Renee is sitting on the floor beside the coffee table attempting to address Christmas cards, while her little brother Joseph is running around singing "Jingle Bells." Renee is obviously annoyed.

Sample – children getting anxious at Christmas time

RENEE: Joey, will you pleeeeaaase quit?

(Joey sticks his tongue out at his sister and continues his singing.)

RENEE: (whining): Dad, make him stop.

(Dad lowers his paper.)

DAD: Renee, he's just excited about Christmas. You were the same way when you were that age.

(Joseph is holding two candy canes to his head as if they were antlers and is singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”)

RENEE: Dad, I was never like that. (She points to her brother.)

DAD: Joseph, settle down. You are annoying the Grinch.

(The doorbell rings. Dad puts down his paper, gets up from his chair and exits to the right.)

DAD: (yelling): I'm coming!!

(As Dad exits, Joseph puts the candy canes back up to his head, sticks his tongue back out at Renee and starts to sing "Rudolph" again. Lights fade on living room and come up on stage right where Mom has entered the kitchen. She is loaded down with boxes and bags. She has been Christmas shopping

.

Sample – Dad and Granddad discussing secularism of Christmas

SCENE: Lights come up in kitchen as Dad is talking to his father (Granddaddy) who has arrived carrying a big box. Granddaddy sets the box down on the kitchen table.

GRANDDADDY: Hello, Son. How are you doing? (He begins to take off his coat.)

DAD: O.K., I guess, Dad.

GRANDDADDY: (Concerned): You guess? (Pause) That doesn't sound too good. Especially right here at Christmas time.

(Granddaddy puts his hand on his Son's shoulder.)

DAD: Ah, Dad, I don't know. Christmas isn't the same as it was when I was a kid. Parties, shopping, crowds, bills and exhaustion seem to be taking their toll on Anne and me. It's just not the same anymore.

GRANDDADDY: Son, Christmas hasn't changed. . . . you just need to get away.

DAD: (Surprised and confused): Get away?

GRANDDADDY: Yea, take a trip.

DAD: (Shaking his head): A trip . . . this time of year? Impossible!

GRANDDADDY: (Winks at his Son and pats him on the back.) Maybe not.

(Granddaddy picks up the box he had set on the table earlier.)

GRANDDADDY: Look, I brought this for the kids, but I think you and Anne are going to need it too. (He begins to move toward stage left.)
Come on, Son.

Sample – Granddad tells the story of the first Christmas using the Bible

GRANDDADDY: (Speaking to his son): David, turn out the lights. We are going to Bethlehem in our minds. Right here, right now.

(Lights fade out in living room and come up dimly on the Choir.)

"O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM"

(Spotlight comes up on Granddaddy as he reaches into his cardboard box and pulls out figures of Mary and Joseph.)

GRANDDADDY: Who do we have here?

RENEE: Joseph and Mary.

(Granddaddy sets the figures on the table.)

GRANDDADDY: Let me tell you about these two.

(Light fades out on Granddaddy as he begins to recite Luke 1:26-35. As he is speaking, the lights come up on center stage where the encounter between Mary and the angel Gabriel is acted out.)

GRANDDADDY: 26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Sample – granddad uses Bible passages to re-tell the story of the First Christmas

(Lights fade on Choir and come up on the center aisle where the Shepherds are making their way toward center stage, where Mary and Joseph are in front of the manger. A bright light arises over the manger scene. As Granddaddy recites Luke 2:15-20 the Shepherds approach the Couple and kneel before the manger.)

GRANDDADDY: 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Sample – Conclusion

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

(Lights come up on center aisle as the Magi approach Mary, Joseph and the Child. During their entrance and while they present the gifts the Choir sings.)

“WE THREE KINGS”

(As the Three Kings turn and exit by another route the Choir sings.)

“JOY TO THE WORLD”

(Lights come up in the living room.)

GRANDDADDY: I've got one more surprise in my box, but you'll have to close your eyes.

(Everyone covers their eyes. Granddaddy pulls a star out of the box, lights it and sets it on top of the Christmas tree.)

GRANDDADDY: O.K. You can open your eyes.

(Everyone uncovers their eyes and comes up and hugs Granddaddy.)

RENEE: I love it, Grandpa! Can we sing “Silent Night”?

GRANDDADDY: Renee, that is a perfect idea.

(Lights fade until the Christmas tree is the only light. The Family begins to sing as the Choir joins them.)

“SILENT NIGHT” [verses 1 and 2]

(Lights come up in the living room. Mom is hugging Granddaddy.)

MOM: Thank you so much, Dad. I needed to hear this again.

DAD: This is the way I remember Christmas.

GRANDDADDY: Son, like I told you in the kitchen earlier, Christmas hasn't changed. Sure, the lights might be a little fancier, the crowds are bigger and the gifts seem to get more and more expensive, but the manger is still the same. When everything else that surrounds the holiday tries to rob you of the joy, just close your eyes and take a trip. Return to the stable and worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

(Lights burst on Choir.)

“HALLELUJAH CHORUS”