Archive for tag Christmas
June 20, 2010 at 09:00 AM
- Angel 1
- Ok – here's the one thing I don't
understand...
- Angel 2
- (Mockingly) The one
thing?
- Angel 1
- Oi – I'm being serious! Chief
priests. Scribes – you know the top notch theologians.
- Angel 2
- I wouldn't exactly call them
top-notch? We've seen stuff they haven't even begun to dream of...!
- Angel 1
- Yes – but they know their
scriptures. You remember how the wise men turned up? They had all
answers to their questions. But they couldn't even be bothered to go
the 4½ miles to see the messiah? To see the one that the Almighty
promised would come to save them?
- Angel 2
- (Thoughtfully) Once again,
you have a point. (Pauses) It was the most significant event
since … well ... since the world was created.
- Angel 1
- What makes someone so indifferent
to what the Almighty is doing?
- Angel 2
- Beats me – I mean, we've seen
bucket loads of this kind of indifference – but still I'm never
ready for it.
- Angel 1
- It's like they just think it's a
puzzle or a story. Or for the fanatics.
- Angel 2
- They spend their days look so
“righteous” and respectable. But their hearts are colder than
something … something that's really, really cold.
- Angel 1
- It's like they ignore the treasure
that the Almighty offers because they're too busy chasing the wind.
They play with the wrapping paper, and throw out the present.
- Angel 2
- Humans. (Unimpressed) Huh.
- Angel 1
- Hey – careful how you say that –
the Almighty's pretty fond of them, you know...
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June 19, 2010 at 09:00 AM
- Angel 1
- There's that evil scheming
black-hearted villain?! He's the reason I put in my application to
become an angel of wrath and destruction!
- Angel 2
- He's a slimebag, if ever there was
one...!
- Angel 1
- Power hungry.
- Angel 2
- Backstabbing.
- Angel 1
- Greedy.
- Angel 2
- Lying.
- Angel 1
- Murdering.
- Angel 2
- Stealing.
- Angel 1
- You remember his line... you know
the “that I too may go and worship him” thing? I actually wanted
to vomit. Grrr. How does he sleep at night?
- Angel 2
- I think he just wants control. His
biggest fear is a rival King. He knows he's the most hated man in
the country – did you know that he's actually left instructions
that the day he dies, a whole bunch of popular guys, you know Rabbis
and so-on, will be executed.
- Angel 1
- Why? That makes no sense?
- Angel 2
- Apparently he wants to make sure
that there'll be people mourning when he's dead.
- Angel 1
- Filthy rotten scumbag.
- Angel 2
- Yeah – but he's not the only one.
He's driven by his fear and his need to be in control. His position
just gives him more opportunity to do evil...
- Herod
- (Laughs)
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June 18, 2010 at 05:22 PM
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,
during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?
We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and
all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's
chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ
was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for
this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for
out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my
people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out
from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to
Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child.
As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and
worship him."
After they had heard the king, they went on their
way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until
it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the
star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child
with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then
they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and
of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go
back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matthew 2:1-12
- Angel 2
- Check out that lean, mean,
blinged-up beast of a camel?! I tell you – if I ever have to go
for a mission on earth disguised as a human, I totally want one of
those!
- Angel 1
- And doubtless, if you are, you
won't get one.
- Angel 2
- Your pessimism won't stop me from
asking!
- Angel 1
- Strange, don't you think? The
difference between these guys and the shepherds? They were
uneducated, underprivileged and unwanted. But these guys look like
they've got it made?! How many servants have they brought with them?
- Angel 2
- 1 … 2 … 3 … 4 … wait –
did that guy move? Where was I? 4.
- Angel 1
- (Interrupts) That was a
rhetorical question?! I was saying they've got loads of of servants.
Did you notice how they waltzed into Herod's palace without even an
invitation? Who turns up like that?
- Angel 2
- (Sarcastically) Uh... the
Magi?
- Angel 1
- These guys are loaded, ridiculously
well connected and yet they trudge miles through the desert until to
visit a baby whose parents couldn't even afford a crib to put him in?
- Angel 2
- You put it like that... but that
“baby whose parents couldn't even afford a crib” is the Almighty,
the one who made the universe. And you, for that matter?!
- Angel 1
- Yes – and I mean Him no
disrespect, but to see a guy with that much wealth, that much power
go so far to worship the Almighty... I'm not sure I've ever seen that
from a human before.
- Angel 2
- (pauses) You may have a
point there. You may have a point.
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June 17, 2010 at 09:20 AM
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 Saviour has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a
baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host
appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and
on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into
heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has
told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him,
they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this
child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to
them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her
heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all
the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been
told.
Luke 2:8-20
Angel 1Oh look - there's Nathaniel. Poor
guy. Heart of solid gold. (pauses and then says with sadness)
He was never the same after his wife left him. Why do these humans
look down so much on shepherds?
Angel 2Beats me. They're looking after
the lambs to be sacrificed next passover, and yet sometimes it seems
like only lepers get treated worse.
Angel 1Sometimes I just want to go and
give Old Nat a hug!
Angel 2(Laughs) Wouldn't try that if I
were you! Did you see how freaked out they were when you appeared to
give them the good news about the birth of Jesus? The shepherd boy –
you know – Simeon – I swear he actually wet himself! You try
hugging Nathaniel and you're liable to give him a full blown
heart-attack!
Angel 1I didn't say I would! Just that I
sometimes want to!
Angel 2Anyway – you can't tell me you
didn't see him smile as he went down to Bethlehem....!
Angel 1Yeah - I hadn't seen him smile like
that since he became a Dad!
Angel 2He hasn't really stopped since...
the news that the messiah was born has done him a power of good.
It's the first piece of good news he's had in decades.
Angel 1Who'd have thought it? I was
expecting them to be excited and go see Mary & Joseph – but the
way they hit the town afterwards? I never saw that coming!
They
were telling everyone... people who'd snubbed them the day before,
old friends and acquaintances they'd lost touch with.... well, anyone
and everyone they met?!
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June 16, 2010 at 05:00 PM
This is from a sketch I wrote for use at church, which, in the end, was never used. It may be freely reproduced or performed etc.
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:
His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they
came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not
want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her
quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a
son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his
people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had
said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and
will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which
means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the
Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no
union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the
name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-24
- Angel 1
- What a cute couple...! Do you see
how excited they are?
- Angel 2
- Huh! It was a different story a few
months ago.
- Angel 1
- (Annoyed) When will you let
that go? Joseph didn't know what was going on then? He was only
trying to do the right thing?!
- Angel 2
- Ok – point taken. He's been
great about it ever since his “dream.” You're right – he is
genuinely excited! Do you think he'll be this excited when he has a
child of his own?
- Angel 1
- It's rare – isn't it? We've
spent so many thousands of years watching these humans... but it's so
rare, so special, to see someone so excited by what the Almighty is
doing?
- Angel 2
- It's beautiful – they've not just
got that new parent aura – they've got that inner glow that comes
from being happy to be part of the Almighty's plans. I haven't seen
that in so long... it reminds me of King David in his better days.
Nice to see it again in his descendants.
- Angel 1
- I do wonder how long it'll last
though – they've already had snide rumours to deal with – and in
a small town like Nazareth that stuff's not going to disappear any
time soon. It's not going to be easy.
- Angel 2
- Don't despair too soon – you
remember what that guy said, you know that Nehemiah guy, “the joy
of the Lord is my strength”? I reckon if they keep their eyes
fixed on Him they might just make it.
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