Highlights From the Christmas Play

“A Christmas Story, Simply Told” was presented in my church on Christmas Eve. The script was originally written by Maggy Cook based on the simple story of Christmas as told to us in the Bible.

One of the things I love about that script though is that it’s easily tweaked to add new parts based on the talents and skills of the adults and youth who volunteer to participate. I think the picture above shows the entire cast of worship leaders from this year’s play. Two little angels came running on stage at the last second, so it’s possible there were others that arrived too late to be in the picture.

More pictures below!

I love this shot from the costuming area. When I was that age, I’d have been looking out the window for Rudolf.

Grex, second from right. He did a fantastic job with his shepherd lines! All the shepherds did a great job. I give high praise to the shepherd leaders who helped everyone learn their lines this year!

I love this dramatic shot of the sheep. Several years from now, I wonder if some of those sheep will be playing the Innkeeper parts, Angel Gabriel or singing the Wise Men solos.

It takes a village to coordinate so many worship leaders. I took this shot a few minutes before the cast processed into the Sanctuary.

Sheep and shepherds on their way to the Sanctuary are walking by framed photos from past Christmas Plays.

Before the play begins, the Advent Candles are lit.

A little lost sheep. Baaaaaa!

I am so proud of all the young speakers. Speaking from that high pulpit can be quite intimidating.

The part where the townsfolk pray for the coming of a Savior was new to the play this year. We are always tweaking the service, adding something new or clarifying the lines. But we’ve been doing the same basic program for about 4 or 5 years I think. It’s so nice to see it come together every year on Christmas Eve though because it’s always new and exciting to see the young people of our church growing into their roles, memorizing their lines, reading from the Scriptures, singing favorite carols, and appreciating the simplicity of the Christmas story.

She is playing the part of Joseph’s Angel, which was especially cool since her uncle was playing the part of Joseph! She did an excellent job projecting her voice from the balcony with no microphone. There were well over 400 people in the congregation that night!

He sang an acapella solo from the balcony. So beautiful!

Can you spot the child of a mamarazzi in this picture?

Mary and Joseph have just brought Jesus to the stable.

Raphael, the angel choir leader, is asking the angels for their help in figuring out how to tell the world the news about the birth of the Messiah. I love this part of the play! Samantha Cook was fan-TAS-tic! as Raphael.

I love this picture!

It’s always so cool to hear the Wise Men sing. I think that having high school and college-age men in these roles is a great way to encourage the younger people to continue in the youth program.

We had a full compliment of awesome sheep this year! Many of them will be graduating to roles as shepherds and angels next year, then in a few years they’ll graduate to roles as Scripture readers, featured angels and soloists. Ok, that makes me all teary, remembering Brad’s first year as a shepherd. (Brad was never a sheep because we weren’t doing this play when he was that age. Greg was never a sheep either. But he was baby Jesus the year he was born!)

Senior pastor presiding over the flock.

We have the best costume crew this side of Broadway. Part of the reason I say that is because no matter how many people we put on the list, the costume crew always manages to have enough costumes for everybody! And they do it on a nonexistent budget.

When I was a child, the church I went to did not celebrate Dec. 25 as being the day Christ was born, so there were no Christmas plays, no Christmas Pageants, no Carols. My childhood Christmas memories have more to do with Rudolf and Charlie Brown and spending Christmas at my friend Susan’s house when my parents were working. (My mom was a nurse and my dad was a radio personality — both jobs that almost always required holiday work in those days.) I love knowing that being part of the Christmas Play in our church will be a part of these kids’ memories for the rest of their lives. I hope that as they grow up, they’ll always remember what Christmas is really all about. This is why I put so much of my time into directing the play every year. I love my church!

Since this year’s Holy Family also included some extended family members, I offered to take a portrait of any extended family members who participated in the play. So, the Holy Family had a Joseph, a Mary, a Jesus, two sheep, an angel and a shepherd! I love this picture!

That’s the Holy Family with baby Jesus and his big sister, the sheep.

I want to extend special thanks to our Holy Family, The Swensons. They did an excellent job memorizing their lines, and interacting with the children and youth. What a very special way to celebrate a child’s first Christmas!

Peace to all and Merry Christmas!

–jules