A Christmas presentation, using an on-going thread of two people discussing the possibilities of peace in the 21st century, combined with presentations from all age groups including Childrens Sunday School. Based on the fear and concerns of a world struck by terrorism and war in the 21st century. Can there ever be peace on earth? Includes two original songs. Since Sunday School segments are self-standing there could be any number in the cast.
Parts for each class can be added or trimmed back, contact DramaShare with exact requirements and we can custom write these for your church.

Cast:
Marv (singer)
Tim – middle age
Narrator
Pastor
Zachariah
Herod
Shepherd 1
Simon (shepherd)
Matthew (shepherd)
any number of shepherds for crowd
Mary
Joseph
Five readers
Senior Sunday School group
Primary Sunday School group

Set: Nothing elaborate is needed. Have chairs or bench for Marv and Tim at side of stage.

Costumes: shepherds would be in traditional attire, Herod in a rich robe as would a king

Original Songs:
How Many Souls
Troubles and Trials

Sample of script:

Tim and Marv enter from rear of sanctuary.

Marv: Come on in, Tim, you will enjoy this.

Tim: Haven’t been to a church Christmas concert in years.

Marv: Here, over here, Tim. Two chairs, just for us, let’s sit here.

Tim: Whoa, hey, time out there big fella, I don’t do church front rows!

Marv: Sorry, somewhere you would rather sit Tim?

Tim: Yeh, matter of fact, in front of my TV watching the Chargers annihilate the Rams.

Marv: Football can wait for this one week, come on, sit down, it’s about to start.

Tim: Good, that should give us time to find decent seats at the back, like I said, I don’t do front row church seats.

Marv: Sorry, but I’ve got a little part in the concert, I need to be at the front. If you go back there you will be all alone.

Tim: Is this why you offered to bring me? So that if I didn’t enjoy it, which, may I mention, I am not, but since you drove me here I have no way to get home.

Marv: No, I offered to bring you because I wanted you to hear the message today. It’s all about the joy and peace of Christmas.

Tim: Surprise, surprise! Now that’s a new one! As if there is any other message in church at Christmas! “Joy to the world!” Yeh right! “Peace on earth, goodwill to men!” Up to our ears in peace in the world this year, aren’t we? The churchy Christmas message never was significant, and it has taken another major tumble this Christmas.

Marv: What happened Tim? You used to be so committed to the Lord. What happened to make you turn away from the Lord?

Tim: OK, that did it! Marv, all you brought me here for was to get another notch on your Christian six-gun. Well, I tell you, I’m not interested. Should have never let you talk me into this anyhow.

Marv: It’s about to start, let’s sit down here, OK?

Tim: Fine, I stay here until half-time, then I leave.

Marv: Half time? This is a church service, not football.

Tim: Whatever! Why did I ever let myself get talked into this foolishness?

Marv: Just sit, I have this song to sing right now.

Marv moves to centerstage, sings:

Song – Troubles and Trials first 4 verses, pictures of NY WTO attack and terrorism, 3rd world pictures of famine on screen

Tim: Some song.

Marv: Tough time for everyone, seems like.

Tim: Thought that you people who had the, (emphasize), joy of the Lord, were above all this.

Marv: Nope, Christians hurt the same as anyone else. Here comes Pastor Nelson.

lights down on Marv & Tim, up on center stage, pastor comes on stage from audience

Pastor: Good morning, it’s good to welcome you to (name of church) Christmas program, glad to have you with us. Our message this morning is old but ever new, the story of the peace and joy, the peace and joy which came that first Christmas. Yes, that’s what I said, “peace and joy”. I am sure there are those this morning who are questioning the relevance, the timeliness of the message of peace this Christmas. The word peace seems sadly out of place this year, doesn’t it? And recent happenings around the world and close at hand seem to have done a number on the joy in our lives.

Tim mimes agreement, Marv motions for Tim to be silent.

Pastor: Trial and conflict comes our way but the message never changes, the message of the birth of Jesus has always been a message of joy, and so it still is today. Jesus said, I have come that your joy may be complete. Perhaps we need to rethink our perception of peace and joy. We tend to equate peace with the absence of war and strife, and joy as the euphoric feeling that comes about from peaceful exterior circumstances. We associate the story of the first Christmas with peace and joy, and so it was. Today we are going to revisit the circumstances involved in that first Christmas, both the overall climate surrounding the time, and also the inner conditions of some who were very personally involved. Perhaps what we will find about the peace and joy of that first Christmas may surprise us.

Pastor offstage as lights go low, in the near darkness Narrator speaks

Narrator: In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.

Speechless With Fear – Monologue

Zechariah tells of the visit of the angel Gabriel, who brought news that he would become a father.

Zechariah comes on stage from upstage so that as the lights gradually come up he is there

Yes, I was! I was gripped by fear!
I, Zachariah, at the pinnacle of my career as a temple elder, had just received the most prestigious, once in a lifetime honor, the right to serve in the temple. Most men went through their whole life with never being granted this offer. Oh, yes, truly Jehovah had blessed me. The highest temple honor! You should have heard the jealous tongues wagging in the village! Especially the widow Miriam, she was most outspoken of all. Her son Levi was the one most people expected to receive this honor.
“What credentials does Zachariah have,” shouted out Miriam to all who would listen. “Such an honor wasted on the husband of a barren woman!”
Such jealousy! Yes it was true, my wife Elizabeth was unable to have children. But we constantly prayed that God might bless us with a child.
It was hard being the husband of a childless wife. Men talked behind my back, made jokes. And since a large number of children, a full quiver, is equated with all things desirable in Jewish men, it was not unusual for prospective customers to avoid a merchant based on his childless state.
As a business man I knew this all too well.
My most vigorous competitor, Levi, he would say, “You would probably not want to entrust your business matters with Zachariah”, and again he would say, “Zachariah is not even able to produce a daughter, let alone a son.”
Elizabeth prayed constantly for God’s blessing. As did I. In fact, I was in prayer when the angel appeared to me.
“Zachariah,” said this majestic being. “Zachariah! I have news for you, Zachariah!’
Now I must tell you, angels appeared to people, this wasn’t all that remarkable. They would bring messages of direction and correction for the people Israel. And the one to whom the angel appeared would then go and relay this news to our people.
But this message was not for the people Israel, the message was for . . . . . me. Me alone, no one else.
The angel told me that Elizabeth would become pregnant and present me with a son. Immediately my mind thought of Elizabeth, and the great joy this incredible news would bring. Yes, and I must admit, thoughts of retribution came to my mind as I savored the moment of announcing this great news to all those who had previously mocked me.
“Now I have a fine son, just as all the rest of you do. So on that level I am equal with you. Ah, but let me tell you something that sets me apart. You, Levi, was your son pre-announced by an angel of the very Lord God Jehovah?”
And suddenly this, the cause of my terror, struck me. Not only was it a miracle that Elizabeth and I were to have a child. Much more, the birth of this child was announced . . . by God’s angel!
This was not normal. This simply did not happen.
Why then, the reason for this angelic announcement?
Suddenly my mind caught the truth. This would be no ordinary child.
This child had a purpose under God.
And the fear gripped my soul.
Leaving me speechless with fear.

Lights down on centerstage as Zachariah moves to nativity scene position, lights up on Tim & Marv

Tim: I have been scared like that. Reminds me of how I felt when my son was killed.

Marv: How long ago was it that Corey was killed in the car accident.

Tim: It was a long time ago.

Marv: Care to talk about it?

Tim: I don’t need counseling.

Marv: Good! I didn’t plan to counsel you.

Tim: Soon as a guy mentions problems, churchers break loose into, (emphasize), “being a blessing” to the unsaved.

Marv: Are you unsaved, Tim?

Tim: That’s none of your business.

Marv: That’s the way I see it as well, but you brought it up.

Tim: I brought it up?

Marv: There’s only two of us here, and it wasn’t me.

Tim: You baited me to bring it up.

Marv: I think I missed that.

Tim: Look, I am aware of what you guys try. . . . . . there’s no use in. . . . (pause)

Marv: . . . . . . in . . .?

Tim: Oh, forget it. . . . . look, someone is coming on stage.

Lights down on Marv & Tim, up on centerstage

The Fearful King – Monologue

Herod discusses his involvement in the birth of Jesus.

Herod comes on stage from Upstage center

We are the King! King Herod is our name! We are the one and only King of this miserable wretched nation of Israel! Did we not so decree? Did we not make it well known, even putting it into law, we are the only King! Do you understand? Never has there been such a King as we are, nor is there now, now shall there ever be! Never! Do we make ourselves clear?
Nation of Israel? (laughs) Nation? Some nation! Imbeciles! Lunatics!
(pause) Strong words you say? Strong words indeed we reply!
Judge for yourself then, this . . .this . . .this people, this so-called nation . . . people who have, so it seems, lived their entire history under the delusion of a king, a Messiah king, coming for the purpose of, . . . of . .what was it . . ah yes, (icy cynicism), delivering them from oppression! Oppression!
Poor, poor people! Oppressed are they? They feel oppressed, do they, well, (anger), we shall show them oppressed!
There shall be no other king! That is firm , that is final. Our former wife, Mariamne, the daughter of the high priest, was our wife, and with her we had two sons. But we ordered that she and our sons be killed. Why did I do so you foolishly ask? They shall not be king! (laughs) Caesar Augustus once said it was safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son, so jealous are we that anyone might replace us. Is the evaluation accurate? Perhaps. But not jealous . . . . we would prefer to say . . cautious. Vigilant. What right did our sons have to dream about being king? Only by accident of birth could they considered to be king. And there is only one manner in which they could attain kingship of this miserable threadbare province, and that would be upon our death or our departure! And we shall not die and we shall not depart! We are the king, the only king! Is that fully understood! There shall never be anyone to rule over this land other than I, King Herod. Yes, yes, yes . . . . go ahead, you may bow before us!

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