by Jim Payton
will be little star. Thank you.
Choir Leader:
All together, let us sing new words to Twinkle Twinkle little star.
(Little Star stands at the front of the cast and waves while the song is sung).
To the tune Twinkle twinkle little star:
Twinkle twinkle little star
Seen by Wise men from afar
Up above a crib so crude
Pointing to a baby true
Twinkle twinkle little star
Seen by wise men from afar
When the blessed babe was born
When the age of faith did dawn
It was then your shinning light
Did say come and all unite
When the blessed Babe was born
When the age of faith did dawn
Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your guiding spark
He could not see which way to go
If you did not twinkle so
Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your guiding spark
As your bright and shiny light
Guides the traveller through the night
We really know just who you are
Twinkle twinkle little star
As your bright and shiny light
Guides the traveller through the night.
(Backdrop is removed to reveal the Nativity Scene).
Choir Leader:
Now let us all sing The First Nowell
During The First Nowell, all leave the stage but during verse five the King and Wise people return to give their gifts to the baby Jesus.
God:
The stars will forever be in the sky and each morning the morning star, and each evening the evening star will remind all creation that I, GOD, gave my son Jesus to the world.
Play 2 The Barbeque
A Christmas play suitable for teenagers.
Outline:
A group of teenagers are at a barbeque drinking alcohol and fooling around. A discussion begins covering the Christmas story. They travel through time to the birth of Jesus. While the play is written for four actors, it can easily be adapted for a greater or lesser number.
The Barbeque
Scene:
Four teenagers are standing around a barbeque. They have cans of beer in their hands. Behind a backdrop is a nativity scene not visible to the audience.
Boy 1:
Drink up boys, plenty more where this came from.
Boy 2:
Sure is. There’s enough to see us right.
Boy 3:
Right into trouble, I reckon.
Boy 4:
What are ya mate?
Boy 3:
You know who I am. I’m the guy you work with, the guy you play rugby with, and the guy who’s your mate.
Boy 4:
Yeah, but it’s Christmas. Let yourself go a bit. Live a bit. Hey, let it all hang out for once in your life.
Boy 3:
Well I will, but I don’t have to write myself off ya know.
Boy 4:
Little do you know.
Boy 2:
Aw, leave him alone, if he doesn’t want to drink then it leaves more for us.
Boy 4:
I suppose.
Boy 1:
Look, it’s only Christmas once a year.
Boy 3:
I’d disagree with that.
Boy 1:
What?
Boy 3:
That it is Christmas once a year.
Boy 2:
What are you on man? Of course Christmas is only once a year.
Boy 4:
Oh no, you’re not off on that bible bashing bit again are you?
Boy 1:
Are you a bible basher? What the hell are you doing bringing one of them around here (Boy 4).
Boy 4:
Well he usually keeps it to himself.
Boy 2:
If you’re one of them then what are you doing having a beer?
Boy 3:
There is nothing wrong with a beer.
Boy 4:
He’ll tell you there’s nothing wrong with anything as long as it is in moderation.
Boy 3:
You’re not quite right there.
Boy 1:
Okay mate. You tell me why I shouldn’t get wasted. You tell me.
Boy 2:
Yeah, you tell us.
Boy 3:
Look, I don’t think this is either the time or place to get into this.
Boy 1:
No, no. You started it so you’d better carry on. I say if I want to get wasted then that’s my business. It ain’t (Boy 2)’s business, it ain’t (Boy 4)’s business and it certainly ain’t your business. God you people make me sick.
Boy 2:
Yeah, me too.
Boy 4:
Hey, hold on. Let’s not get too carried away about all this.
Boy 1:
Well he brought it up, saying that we shouldn’t be drinking.
Boy 3:
I did not say that.
Boy 1:
Oh, no, of course not. You lot never say anything do you? You are all a bunch of hypocrites. You are all for nothing and then go and do what you say is wrong. Bible bashers the lot of ya!
Boy 3:
This is why I did not want to go down that track at this time. Look (Boy 4), I think it is time I headed off.
Boy 2:
Yeah, that’s right, run away.
Boy 3:
I am not running away.
Boy 1:
Hey, I know what started this. You said Christmas isn’t only once a year. Now I’ve got you there. Next, you will be saying there weren’t three wise men.
Boy 3:
There may not have been three wise men. The actual number’s not known. It might have been more, it might have been less.
Boy 2:
Hey (Boy 4), I thought you said this guy knew his bible. Here he is saying there weren’t three wise men.
Boy 4:
Well I don’t know.
Boy 1:
‘Cause there was three wise men, they brought those presents, what were they? Gold and something else.
Boy 2:
Frankenstein.
Boy 1:
Frankincense you idiot, not Frankenstein, and one other.
Boy 3:
Myrrh.
Boy 1:
So there. Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Three presents, three people, checkmate.
Boys 2 & 4:
Yeah.
Boy 3:
Just because there were three different types of presents doesn’t mean only three people brought them. Maybe one brought two presents, maybe a dozen brought different amounts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Boy 1:
Yeah? Well I dunno. I reckon there were three of them and I’m sticking to it.
Boys 2 & 4:
So are we.
Boy 3:
Hey, I don’t mind. Just look it up sometime. Well, I had best be going.
Boy 1:
Yeah, you better.
Boy 2:
All the more for us.
Boy 4:
Wait a minute, what did you mean about Christmas being more than once a year?
Boy 2:
No, let him go, we don’t want to know.
Boy 4:
Well I do. What do you reckon (Boy 1)?
Boy 1:
Sounds like rubbish to me. I think Christmas was about Jesus being born.
Boy 3:
Indeed it is. Come with me. Let us step back 2,000 odd years.
(Open or remove backdrop to reveal the Nativity scene.)
All four boys enter the Nativity scene.
Boy 2:
Hey, that’s cool.
Boy 4:
That’s gnarly man.
Boy 1:
Where are the three wise men?
Boy 2:
Where’s Frankenstein?
So, here we are. That is the baby Jesus and they are Joseph and Mary. They cannot see or hear us.
Boy 1:
Where are the wise men?
Boy 3:
I’m not sure. Perhaps they haven’t arrived yet.
Boy 2:
I can’t see Frankenstein.
Boy 4:
I can’t see any presents so either they’ve not been, they’re not coming, they don’t come, or they’ve hidden the presents.
Boy 3:
O.K, O.K. Let’s not worry about the presents. Who does baby Jesus remind you of? (Boy 4), who does he remind you of?
Boy 4:
I dunno, who?
Boy 3:
(Boy 1), who does he remind you of?
Boy 1:
He looks a bit like those baby photos of me Mum keeps showing people.
Boy 2:
Hey, yeah. He could be me. Look at his red face. Hey, he’s bald too.
Boy 4:
He looks just like any baby to me.
Boy 3:
Indeed. He looks just like any baby. He could be just any baby.
Boy 1:
Yeah, but he’s not is he? He is Jesus.
Boy 3:
But at this stage, at this time, he’s a baby boy. He cries, sicks up and poohs, just like all babies. As you said (Boy 1), he could be you to look at.
Boy 4:
Yeah, but his father was God and his mother was a virgin.
Boy 2:
Yeah, yeah that’s right ain’t it?
Boy 1:
(Boy 3)?
Boy 3:
Yes.
Boy 1:
And the point of all this is what?
Boy 4:
The point is that the baby is Jesus, he was born, and at Christmas, we remember him being born.
Boy 2:
And we have a holiday, get presents and drink beer.
Boy 1:
The point (Boy 3)?
Boy 3:
The point is that God is Jesus’ father. Every time a person accepts God as his father, he is born again. He becomes a baby in the faith, just as if he were newly born. Each one of us has the possibility of being like Jesus. Few do though. Therefore, every time someone accepts God as their father, it is like Christmas all over again.
Boy 2:
So Christmas could be several times a year.
Boy 3:
I think so.
Boy 1:
Yeah, well I see what you’re on about. Interesting. I’ll have to think about it.
Boy 3:
O.K. Time for me to go. You guys with me or do you want to stay here.
Boys 1, 2 & 4:
We are with you.
(The four boys leave the Nativity scene. As they leave Boy 2 turns and raises his beer can.)
Boy 2:
Cheers Jesus. I wonder where Frankenstein got to?
****
About the Author
Jim Payton lives in Masterton, New Zealand with his wife. Their five children have all left home (thank goodness), and they have 12 Grand children. Jim has lead a varied life prior to retiring which included time as a Royal New Zealand Air Force Avionics fitter, a Detective in the New Zealand Police, several years as a Licensed Private Investigator, a carver of Greenstone (Pounamu, to New Zealand Maori), and nearly every other occupation you could think of if you put your mind to it.
You can connect with Jim on Facebook as Pilgrimjim, his blog at pilgrimjim08.blogspot.co.nz., or by email at mailto:[email protected].
