One Christmas we decided to have a more children-oriented program for the first service, and I came up with a play for "The Story Retold" from the point of view of two children. Four senior-highers played the speaking roles, and the children of the church school (about 50 5- to 12-year-olds) pantomimed the story. Minimal costumes were needed(construction paper ears on a headband and a white sheet for sheep, etc.) and we had only one big rehearsal plus the run-through just before the service, so it was easy to do. And lots of fun!

Cast of Characters
Deborah, a middle-aged woman
Jacob, her husband
Daniel, a middle-aged man
Anna, his daughter (about 10) In Jerusalem about 25 C.E.
Innkeeper
Innkeeper's wife
Little Deborah, age 10
Little Daniel, age 7
Deborah's & Daniel's families
Innspeople
Mary
Joseph
Infant Jesus
Shepherds
Magi
Animals
Angels In Bethlehem, at the time of Jesus' birth

DANIEL: Deborah! Imagine meeting you here in Jerusalem!

DEBORAH: This certainly is a surprise! I haven't seen you in years! Not since you moved away from Cana what was it, about 15 years ago! What brings you up to the city?

DANIEL: We've come to visit the temple. This is my daughter, Anna. Anna, this is my friend Deborah, who was my neighbor back when we were growing up in Canal

DEBORAH: It's nice to meet you, Anna. And I'd like you both to meet my husband, Jacob.

DANIEL: Pleased to meet you. And what brings you here?

DEBORAH: Our daughter is being married in the temple next week and we're here to make the final preparations. She and her new husband will be living in Cana, not far from where you and I used to live.

DANIEL: This is quite a coincidence. We've come here because Anna has never seen the temple, since it's such a long trip from our home in Capernaum. But, when we were making our Hanukkah plans, we decided this would be a good time to visit the place where that great miracle happened so long ago.

DEBORAH: I'd certainly agree with that. It was truly wonderful that, after we got the temple back from the Greeks, one day's worth of consecrated oil burned in the holy lamp for the eight days needed to make more.

JACOB: True, but remember that the real miracle was that the Jewish farmers actually won the war against the Greek armies and restored our religious freedom! That's what calls for joyful celebration!

DANIEL: You're absolutely right! So, how are things in Cana these days?

DEBORAH: About the same. The only news is about that traveling preacher who has been going around with a group of followers telling people that God is coming soon to rule on earth, and they'd better be getting prepared to live in God's kingdom. Yeshua of Nazareth is his name -- the Greeks call him Jesus.

DANIEL: I've heard of him. In fact, I've heard it said that he is the baby who was born in Bethlehem that year we all had to go there because Caesar Augustus was taking a census for tax purposes. Do you remember that?

DEBORAH: Do I ever! That was really a wild night! Do you think it could be the same Yeshua?

ANNA: What are you talking about, Daddy?

DANIEL: I guess I've never told you that story.

JACOB: I don't think I've heard it either, Anna

DEBORAH: Well, it's quite a story. It happened when I was about ten years old - King Herod was still alive - maybe 30 years ago. Caesar had ordered all the Jews to return to the city where their family had originated from so he could get an accurate census for the tax rolls. My family and Daniel's had to go to Bethlehem. Now I know you think of Bethlehem as a sleepy little town, but it sure wasn't then. I'd never seen so many people in one place before in my whole life. It seemed more crowded than Jerusalem at Passover.

(Innkeeper and wife come in. Animals come in. Cow under manger.)

DANIEL: Our families had managed to find a place to stay in a little inn -- more like a boarding house, really. There were several other families staying there, too. We were packed in like sardines. We kids didn't mind, though -- there was always someone to play with!

(Some innspeople come in. More come in. Little Daniel and Deborah in front with dreydls.)

DEBORAH: Remember when that young couple showed up at the door? She was really pregnant and we kids peeked and snickered until we saw how close she was to tears.

(Mary and Joseph come in.)

DANIEL: I guess they'd been looking for a place to stay for hours with no luck and she was scared that baby was going to be born right out in the street! The man that ran our boarding house said he was out of room, too, but they said they were really desperate for a roof and some protection from the cold wind, because they were sure the baby would be arriving soon.

DEBORAH: Everybody in the inn was concerned, but nobody volunteered to give up their space. I remember that my mother told my dad that she had little ones too, and that she wasn't willing to run the risk of their spending the night on the street.

(Innkeeper asks others to leave and shake their heads.)

DANIEL: My parents felt the same way. Finally, the innkeeper said he thought he could make a place for them in his stable, if he moved a couple of the animals outside. The young couple -their names were Miriam and Yosef, weren't they? -- were so grateful you'd have thought he'd offered them a room in the palace.

(Innkeeper looks in stable - goes back to Mary and Joseph.)

ANNA: You mean the lady and the man stayed in the barn?

DANIEL: Yep. The innkeeper took the cow out, swept up the floor of the stall and put in fresh straw. He found them a couple of blankets and got them all settled down in the stall.

(Little Daniel and Deborah sneak up close.)

DEBORAH: I remember watching him get everything ready, and thinking that at least they wouldn't be cold, because all the sheep and the donkeys in the stable were warming it up pretty well!

DANIEL: I'll bet Miriam was asleep the minute she lay down on that straw -- after the innkeeper shooed all us kids out!

(Little Daniel and Deborah go to inn and go to sleep.)

JACOB: So, did the baby really get born in the stable?

DANIEL: That's right. In the middle ofthe night. I was sleeping in the main room and I woke up when I heard Yosef come in to get the innkeeper's wife to help with the birth.

(Baby is born.)

DEBORAH: Me, too. Remember how we lay awake waiting for her to come back? It seemed like hours, but I guess it really wasn't, because it was still dark when she returned and said that a baby boy had arrived.

DANIEL: We were so curious we couldn't resist sneaking out to get a look at him. We didn't take a lantern but we could still see -- remember how very bright that big star was?

(Angels hold up star.)

DEBORAH: It seemed like such a magical night. That bright sky was so amazing! I could have sworn that heaven itself was shining down on that little baby and that the angels were welcoming him into the human community.

(Angels sing "Gloria in excelsis Deo.")

DANIEL: And not just angels, either. Remember all those shepherds who came to the stable? The night seemed special to them, too -- and they should know if a night is different, since the're often out with their flocks at night. They were pretty sure it was a sign that this was a special baby.

(Shepherds enter.)

ANNA: You mean the shepherds left their sheep and came to find out what special thing had happened that caused the bright sky?

DANIEL:; Yep. And not only shepherds. Most of the people in the inn came out to find out what was going on, too.

(Innspeople go near stable.)

DEBORAH: I remember thinking what special people Miriam and Yosef must be also, to put up with all those people when the baby was just born. They too must have thought there was something really special about their little boy.

DANIEL: And remember those Magi from Persia who arrived at just about dawn? I just stared at their fancy clothes.

ANNA: Why did they come? DANIEL And they brought presents, too! They must have been really rich, because they brought gold and frankincense and myrrh. I guess that's an indication of just how special they thought the baby was.

(All but readers hold still.. Readers move back to center and look at tableau.)

JACOB: Well, if that baby is the Yeshua or Jesus I've heard preaching in Capernaum, he certainly grew up to be a special man. I heard him just a couple weeks ago, and he is quite a remarkable rabbi.

DEBORAH: I agree. He always attracts big crowds of people who are willing to spend the whole day listening to him.

ANNA: What does he preach about?

JACOB: Mostly he encourages people to get ready for the coming kingdom of God by worrying less about obeying the Jewish laws and more about whether or not they are being truly good and kind people.

DEBORAH: Anyone who can get people to respect and help others and to think about how God really wants them to be is truly a special person.

DANIEL: He's certainly becoming well known all over this country.

JACOB: He sure is. You know, I'll bet people will still be talking about this man Jesus -- his teachings and his special birth -- many years from now.

(No pause - piano starts "The First Noel" and congregation sings.)