Proclamation
Drama
Seven Advent Programs for Children
Object:
Synopsis And Stage Directions For
Proclamation
A comfortable chair sits on the side of your stage for the "storyteller." A large Bible is placed on a small table or stand nearby out of which he will read the scripture.
This production has been written for older children, probably 8 to 12 years old. It is designed to provide an opportunity for your children to study in depth the Christmas story. Each child is to research a character that was involved in the Nativity. A storyteller relates the story from a large Bible, then introduces each participant.
Dressed as the person he is portraying, Mary, Joseph, Isaiah, King Herod, or a Shepherd, each enters and tells the congregation about the person he or she is portraying. This lesson needs to begin early in the fall so that the teachers may help each do the necessary research so that he or she can bring his/her character to life in an interesting way. Following his or her talk, each takes his or her place in the manger scene. After all have spoken, the stage then becomes the Nativity scene.
Proclamation
"For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace."
-- Isaiah 9:6
This production was written with older children in mind. It is a way to encourage each child to research the character that he or she is to portray and to tell us something about who he or she is representing. The players will design their own costumes using their research. Work on this play needs to be started several months before the program to give participants time to do the research.
Characters
Storyteller
Mary
Emperor Augustus
Angel
Angel Three
Choir
Isaiah
Gabriel
Innkeeper
Angel Two
Shepherd
Choir: "We've A Story To Tell To The Nations"
(Action: The Storyteller sits on a rocker which is elevated at the front of sanctuary. There is a large Bible on a stand next to chair. Storyteller is relaxed, smiles, and greets audience.)
Storyteller: (Lifts large Bible and places it in lap. Turns pages thoughtfully till he finds his place) Good evening, children, Mothers, Fathers, and friends. We have a story to tell you. So sit back and relax.
Long, long ago, in a land far away, in the land of Judah, there lived a great prophet whose name was Isaiah. Now, Isaiah listened to what God said to him and tried to tell others God's message. Now, this was not a good time for the people of Judah as there was a cruel King that was threatening them, and the people were very frightened.
(Action: Isaiah walks slowly up the aisle to side stage. He is a bent old man in flowing robes. As he walks, he stops several times to gaze over the audience as if to understand them.)
Isaiah: (From his research, student describes Isaiah [Helps: Isaiah 6]) Isaiah was a prophet of God. He told his people that God was more powerful than their King and that their real problem was that they did not trust God enough. He also told them that God would send a special King (the Messiah) who would bring peace to all the world.
Isaiah: (Possible dialogue) Dear friends. God said, "A child is born to us! A son is given and he will be our ruler. He will be called, 'Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.' His royal power will grow and his kingdom will be at peace. He will rule like King David with right and justice for all time. The Lord Almighty has spoken."
(Action: After Isaiah speaks, he makes his way over to the center stage where Storyteller is sitting and sits on a chair near the base of the elevated stage.)
Storyteller: Many years later God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a girl promised in marriage to Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. The girl's name was Mary.
(Action: Mary walks quietly up the aisle and sits on a chair to side of stage. She is wearing soft flowing clothes of a light color.)
Mary: (Tells about herself [Helps: Matthew 1:18-24 and Luke 1:26-38]) Mary was the mother of Jesus who is the promised Savior, the one through whom God fulfilled the promises he made to his people in the Old Testament.
(Action: Gabriel appears suddenly on right side stage. He is wearing a simple pure white robe.)
Gabriel: (Tells about himself [Helps: Luke 1:26-38]) Gabriel was an angel of God who spoke directly with people on earth.
Gabriel: (Calls softly, gently) Mary, Mary.
Mary: (Surprised ... opens eyes wide) What? Who calls me?
Gabriel: Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!
(Mary is deeply troubled and a bit frightened. Mary shrinks back in her chair and looks around. Then she looks questioningly at the Angel.)
Gabriel: Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.
Mary: Are you God's messenger? Are you an angel?
Gabriel: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Mary: Me? A son?
Gabriel: He will be called the Son of the Most High God and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.
Mary: But, I am a virgin. How can this be?
Gabriel: The Holy Spirit will come to you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.
Mary: (Stands, as if in awe) I am the Lord's servant. May it happen to me as you have said.
(Gabriel departs as suddenly as he appeared.)
(Mary, quietly and thoughtfully, sits down on the chair.)
Storyteller: At that time, Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
Emperor Augustus: (Tells about himself [Helps: Luke 2:1-3]) About 27 B.C., Augustus assumed the rank of emperor of Rome. The city of Rome was truly the center of the civilized world.
Emperor Augustus: (Possible dialogue) Citizens of Rome, Servants of the Holy Roman Empire, slaves and free men. I have decreed that a census be taken, a count of every man, woman and child. People of Judea, you are to go to the town from which your family originated. I will send a centurion who will record your names. This will be done under penalty of death.
Storyteller: Everyone went to register himself, each to his own hometown. Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David because he was a descendant of David. Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, went with him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.
Innkeeper: (Innkeeper tells about himself [Helps: Luke 2:1-7]) The Innkeeper represents the owner of the Inn who, the Bible does not say, either turned the holy couple away in their time of need or offered them the stable when he had no other place for them.
Innkeeper: (Possible dialogue) I am the Innkeeper in Bethlehem, a small village in Judea. As was my custom, I would stand at the door of the Inn toward evening and watch as people walked past on the roadway. Many people were arriving to register for the taxes because it was the home of their ancestors.
It was beginning to get dark and cold. The Inn had been filled much earlier in the day. Every room contained several families. In one room we had twenty people scattered across the floor. I would have to tell each new traveler to move on even though I knew many would have to spend the night on the cold ground against the city wall. Then, I saw this young couple. She was riding on a small donkey and her husband looked as if he had walked for many miles. There was no room, but my heart went out to her -- she was so tired and obviously very pregnant. (Pauses) There was something very special about the couple. I thought about the stable at the back of the Inn. It was really just a cave where we kept the animals, but it would be shelter for this man and woman. (Walks slowly over to the elevated stage and takes his place on a lower step)
(Action: After the Innkeeper speaks, the Storyteller picks up his Bible and comes quietly to the chair previously occupied by Mary. Mary gets up and sits in rocking chair holding baby.)
Storyteller: And while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her baby and she gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, for there was no room for them to stay in the Inn.
(Action: Light comes on Mary and the baby. She rocks baby.)
Choir: "What Child Is This?"
Storyteller: There were some Shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid.
Angel: (Tells about him/herself [Helps: Luke 2:8-14]) God's angels were seen and heard by the Shepherds as they rejoiced at the birth of God's son.
Angel: Don't be afraid! I come with good news of great joy to all the people. This very day in David's town your Savior was born ... Christ the Lord. And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
Angel Two: (Stands next to Angel) Glory to God in the highest heaven.
Angel Three: And peace on earth to all.
(Action: Angels take their place in the back of Mary.)
Storyteller: Suddenly, a great army of heaven's angels appeared and began to sing praises to God: Choir: Chorus of "Gloria" from "Angels We Have Heard On High"
(Action: Several children, dressed as Shepherds, come forward and take their places on the higher steps of the elevated stage.)
Shepherd: (Shepherd tells about himself [Helps: Luke 2:8-20]) It was the custom in those days for men to stay out in the fields to protect the sheep.
Storyteller: When the angels went away from them, the Shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. When the Shepherds saw him, they told them what the Angel had said about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the Shepherds said. Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.
Gabriel:
When the song of the angel is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.*
The End
*Written by Howard Thurman, from the Mood of Christmas (HarperCollins).
Proclamation
A comfortable chair sits on the side of your stage for the "storyteller." A large Bible is placed on a small table or stand nearby out of which he will read the scripture.
This production has been written for older children, probably 8 to 12 years old. It is designed to provide an opportunity for your children to study in depth the Christmas story. Each child is to research a character that was involved in the Nativity. A storyteller relates the story from a large Bible, then introduces each participant.
Dressed as the person he is portraying, Mary, Joseph, Isaiah, King Herod, or a Shepherd, each enters and tells the congregation about the person he or she is portraying. This lesson needs to begin early in the fall so that the teachers may help each do the necessary research so that he or she can bring his/her character to life in an interesting way. Following his or her talk, each takes his or her place in the manger scene. After all have spoken, the stage then becomes the Nativity scene.
Proclamation
"For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace."
-- Isaiah 9:6
This production was written with older children in mind. It is a way to encourage each child to research the character that he or she is to portray and to tell us something about who he or she is representing. The players will design their own costumes using their research. Work on this play needs to be started several months before the program to give participants time to do the research.
Characters
Storyteller
Mary
Emperor Augustus
Angel
Angel Three
Choir
Isaiah
Gabriel
Innkeeper
Angel Two
Shepherd
Choir: "We've A Story To Tell To The Nations"
(Action: The Storyteller sits on a rocker which is elevated at the front of sanctuary. There is a large Bible on a stand next to chair. Storyteller is relaxed, smiles, and greets audience.)
Storyteller: (Lifts large Bible and places it in lap. Turns pages thoughtfully till he finds his place) Good evening, children, Mothers, Fathers, and friends. We have a story to tell you. So sit back and relax.
Long, long ago, in a land far away, in the land of Judah, there lived a great prophet whose name was Isaiah. Now, Isaiah listened to what God said to him and tried to tell others God's message. Now, this was not a good time for the people of Judah as there was a cruel King that was threatening them, and the people were very frightened.
(Action: Isaiah walks slowly up the aisle to side stage. He is a bent old man in flowing robes. As he walks, he stops several times to gaze over the audience as if to understand them.)
Isaiah: (From his research, student describes Isaiah [Helps: Isaiah 6]) Isaiah was a prophet of God. He told his people that God was more powerful than their King and that their real problem was that they did not trust God enough. He also told them that God would send a special King (the Messiah) who would bring peace to all the world.
Isaiah: (Possible dialogue) Dear friends. God said, "A child is born to us! A son is given and he will be our ruler. He will be called, 'Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.' His royal power will grow and his kingdom will be at peace. He will rule like King David with right and justice for all time. The Lord Almighty has spoken."
(Action: After Isaiah speaks, he makes his way over to the center stage where Storyteller is sitting and sits on a chair near the base of the elevated stage.)
Storyteller: Many years later God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a girl promised in marriage to Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. The girl's name was Mary.
(Action: Mary walks quietly up the aisle and sits on a chair to side of stage. She is wearing soft flowing clothes of a light color.)
Mary: (Tells about herself [Helps: Matthew 1:18-24 and Luke 1:26-38]) Mary was the mother of Jesus who is the promised Savior, the one through whom God fulfilled the promises he made to his people in the Old Testament.
(Action: Gabriel appears suddenly on right side stage. He is wearing a simple pure white robe.)
Gabriel: (Tells about himself [Helps: Luke 1:26-38]) Gabriel was an angel of God who spoke directly with people on earth.
Gabriel: (Calls softly, gently) Mary, Mary.
Mary: (Surprised ... opens eyes wide) What? Who calls me?
Gabriel: Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!
(Mary is deeply troubled and a bit frightened. Mary shrinks back in her chair and looks around. Then she looks questioningly at the Angel.)
Gabriel: Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.
Mary: Are you God's messenger? Are you an angel?
Gabriel: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Mary: Me? A son?
Gabriel: He will be called the Son of the Most High God and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.
Mary: But, I am a virgin. How can this be?
Gabriel: The Holy Spirit will come to you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.
Mary: (Stands, as if in awe) I am the Lord's servant. May it happen to me as you have said.
(Gabriel departs as suddenly as he appeared.)
(Mary, quietly and thoughtfully, sits down on the chair.)
Storyteller: At that time, Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
Emperor Augustus: (Tells about himself [Helps: Luke 2:1-3]) About 27 B.C., Augustus assumed the rank of emperor of Rome. The city of Rome was truly the center of the civilized world.
Emperor Augustus: (Possible dialogue) Citizens of Rome, Servants of the Holy Roman Empire, slaves and free men. I have decreed that a census be taken, a count of every man, woman and child. People of Judea, you are to go to the town from which your family originated. I will send a centurion who will record your names. This will be done under penalty of death.
Storyteller: Everyone went to register himself, each to his own hometown. Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David because he was a descendant of David. Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, went with him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.
Innkeeper: (Innkeeper tells about himself [Helps: Luke 2:1-7]) The Innkeeper represents the owner of the Inn who, the Bible does not say, either turned the holy couple away in their time of need or offered them the stable when he had no other place for them.
Innkeeper: (Possible dialogue) I am the Innkeeper in Bethlehem, a small village in Judea. As was my custom, I would stand at the door of the Inn toward evening and watch as people walked past on the roadway. Many people were arriving to register for the taxes because it was the home of their ancestors.
It was beginning to get dark and cold. The Inn had been filled much earlier in the day. Every room contained several families. In one room we had twenty people scattered across the floor. I would have to tell each new traveler to move on even though I knew many would have to spend the night on the cold ground against the city wall. Then, I saw this young couple. She was riding on a small donkey and her husband looked as if he had walked for many miles. There was no room, but my heart went out to her -- she was so tired and obviously very pregnant. (Pauses) There was something very special about the couple. I thought about the stable at the back of the Inn. It was really just a cave where we kept the animals, but it would be shelter for this man and woman. (Walks slowly over to the elevated stage and takes his place on a lower step)
(Action: After the Innkeeper speaks, the Storyteller picks up his Bible and comes quietly to the chair previously occupied by Mary. Mary gets up and sits in rocking chair holding baby.)
Storyteller: And while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her baby and she gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, for there was no room for them to stay in the Inn.
(Action: Light comes on Mary and the baby. She rocks baby.)
Choir: "What Child Is This?"
Storyteller: There were some Shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid.
Angel: (Tells about him/herself [Helps: Luke 2:8-14]) God's angels were seen and heard by the Shepherds as they rejoiced at the birth of God's son.
Angel: Don't be afraid! I come with good news of great joy to all the people. This very day in David's town your Savior was born ... Christ the Lord. And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
Angel Two: (Stands next to Angel) Glory to God in the highest heaven.
Angel Three: And peace on earth to all.
(Action: Angels take their place in the back of Mary.)
Storyteller: Suddenly, a great army of heaven's angels appeared and began to sing praises to God: Choir: Chorus of "Gloria" from "Angels We Have Heard On High"
(Action: Several children, dressed as Shepherds, come forward and take their places on the higher steps of the elevated stage.)
Shepherd: (Shepherd tells about himself [Helps: Luke 2:8-20]) It was the custom in those days for men to stay out in the fields to protect the sheep.
Storyteller: When the angels went away from them, the Shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. When the Shepherds saw him, they told them what the Angel had said about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the Shepherds said. Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.
Gabriel:
When the song of the angel is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.*
The End
*Written by Howard Thurman, from the Mood of Christmas (HarperCollins).
