Merry Christmas!

They did a Christmas play in church Sunday morning as part of the special program. The service lasted three hours instead of two, complete with lots of enthusiastic and joyful singing. 

They had communion during the service for those who had been baptized, and then afterwards they served juice and bread to anyone who wanted it.

Some of the children did the Christmas play, complete with costumes. It went off smoothly without a hitch - except for a few small variations. 

Mary entered the scene and had to call the angel Gabriel in. He was loitering outside the chapel and didn’t hear his cue. 

The three wisemen made their entrance too early, before Mary and Joseph had even made it to Bethlehem, and the whole scene with Herod had to be repeated. 

The second time the third wiseman was missing his long grey beard and they were threatened harshly for trying to avoid an audience with Herod.

When the decree went out from Caesar Augustus for the census there was a long line of people being interrogated. “What’s your name? Where are you from?”  Mary and Joseph were somewhere at the back of the line. 

Finally they squeezed into a little stable and I think the birth of Jesus caused the whole flimsy structure to shake.

The shepherds came in a large group from the back of the church, with loudly bleating sheep. 

The angel fumbled with his lines and the sheep were told to wait while the shepherds went to see. 

The shepherds all tried to crowd into the stable at once, which was unsuccessful. Baby Jesus was waved in the air so all could see.

The wisemen arrived and presented their gifts, nearly knocking the stable down. When Mary and Joseph were warned in a dream, they fled bringing the manger with them. 

And thus ended the Christmas play.