CHRISTMAS PAGEANT 2007

Scene 1

Delia welcomes everybody introduces Father Richard Futie for blessing.

All players come forward slowly from both sides of podium

While Soft background music plays

All players go backstage.

Soft music plays enter

Mary and kneels by the fireplace.

Music Still Still Still

Narrator: Marisa -In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The Angel went to her and said:

Madison ( Angel Gabriel) Madison - "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Giulia -Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

Madison (Angel Gabriel) -"Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Giulia ( Mary) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

Madison- "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

Giulia _ "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."

Marisa sings White Chrismas --Bianco Natale. Mary exits quietly

Sing – Silver Bell

Marisa ( narrator) Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; 5 to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child. 6 And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: 11 for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased.

15 And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about”

Marisa and Joseph Sing- “Away in the Manger”

Soft background music plays as Mary and Joseph

Come in from back

Enter Mary and Joseph

Travis -Joseph: come Mary; look there is Bethlehem we have arrived we will rest at the Inn I’m tired and you are too.

Joseph knocks at the inn.

Joseph: Have you host del Cavallo Grigio a palce for me and Mary that we may rest.

Allison I innkeeper : I do not. The inn is full. I have people in the basement and

Under the roof try the Cervo Bianco .

The church bell rings 10 O’clock

Joseph- knocks at second inn: Oh` host of the Cervo Bianco, please a little place that we may rest under the stairs or under the roof Mary is exsoste and I can’t go on anymore.

Innkeeper II Alison K You? Poor people host you for free?? … My inn is full of knights and dames. They will not mix with the likes of you.

Church bell rings 11o’clock

Joseph: takes Mary’s arm and goes to find a place.

Mary points to a stable: There we can stay in the stable with

The ox and the donkey. They will keep us warm.

Sing O’ Holy Night in Italian and in english

Zachary Narrator And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be ign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Sing “ Do you Hear What I hear” “Mille Cherubini in Coro”

Elizabeth- ( lead Shepherd) The light of the star this night is beautiful

O` young shepherds let’s fallow the light-

For sure it will take us the birthplace of the Lord.

ALL: we are all shepherds humble and good awaken by the star

bright. We come with joyous soul and gifts.

Dante : I am the littlest shepherd most timid and most good

The littlest of all; to the Heavenly Bambino I will play Ninna nanna. ( Ninna nanna Gesu`)comes forward and plays flute

Deem light –All quite _Angel Nina brings Baby to manger turn lights back on one at the time

Maddie F. very exited …. Rings bells 12 times

It is midnight …..The star has stopped the Redeemer

Is born. Blessed be the lord.

All Angels ring bells.

Sing “Gloria” and “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle.”

Luca and Isabella: Caro Gesu Bambino

Caro Gesu Bambino, io sono piccino piccino

Ma il bene che voglio a te e` tanto piu grande di me

Sing- Caro Gesu Bambino

MAGI SCENE

We the tree kings music only

Narrator Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

Zac- We are three kings of Orient We come from afar bearing gifts We have crossed fields and mountains we have fallowed the Star.

“Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews”?we have come to worship

Second part of we the tree kings music only

ENTER ANGEL WITH STAR

Zac : points the Star to other 2 Kings and says: There is the place let us Adore the new born King. Walks over to the manger .

Come Gaspar offer your gift to the Born King

Dylon: (Gaspar) comes forward to the stable. He bows shows his gift of gold

Zac : (Balthsar) looking at Melchior and showing him the way to the stable: Come give your gift to the born King

Dante : (Melchior)comes forward and offers the gift of Myrrh

All the children show their gifts then Balthsar Gives his gift all together they bow to baby Jesus and exit

Sing “Caro Gesu` Bambino” “Adeste Fidelis”

Travis Solo “ the table cloth”

Tommy- Drummer Boy: comes from end of the room with a drum. When the music starts

Boy starts playing the drum, comes forward followed by all the little children carrying a flower to give to baby Jesus.

Delia closes with “ One Solitary Life”

All children on stage ~ Delia introduces them. They bow. Thanks Tina all that helped and all that came.

Father Futie will distribute gifts to the children.

Program ends with a sing along

Solitary1a Solitary1c Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office.

He never owned a home. He never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He had no credentials but Himself.

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves.

His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while HeBack was dying -- and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that One Solitary Life.

by James A. Francis

THE TABLECLOTH

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities.

When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc. and on Dec 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On Dec 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm - hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry.

The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up theentireproblem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.

The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone
at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike? He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35
years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid Who says God does not work in mysterious ways.

back next