In the 42 years I was a minister in the Presbyterian Church we oversaw almost as many Christmas Children’s Pageants. I wrote many of them myself and adapted them and reframed them with the youth available to be the actors.
Here are highlights of 3
1 Joy to the world
Our church in Logan Utah had a wonderful faithful Korean congregation that met in our sanctuary. We decided to include their children in the Children’s program. We were so thankful we did. There were two little ones 4 or 5 years old. Both of the girls wore the traditional dresses the Hanbock. They looked so lovely. We had the little ones stand on the stairs in the front. These two stood on the right side with big smiles. We sang the children’s song we’d practiced and then we all started singing Joy to the World. These two little girls got so enthusiastically involved they started jumping up and down. It seemed the perfect response to this joyful hymn. Expressing Joy with their whole selves. Suddenly in their excitement the fell off the step in a pile on the floor. I was seated not far away and started toward them. They leapt up, straightened their dresses and jumped back on the step to finish jumping and singing to the hymn. It made me so happy to see them so completely involved in this moment.
2. The Baby Jesus. Sometimes on Christmas Eve if we had a little baby in the congregation we’d have a tableau of the nativity scene with Mary and Joseph and a real baby for the baby Jesus held in the tap of Mary. This year we had a baby about 3 months old and the parents were thrilled to be asked to have her be the baby Jesus. I was standing in the back helping to start out the characters walk down the aisle as they should go. Someone came up and said, The baby Jesus is sick. We need another baby Jesus. Ok. I looked around and Sarah was about 6 months old but still looked like a baby. I asked her mother if we could use her for the baby Jesus. Sure. I picked up Sarah and walked her up in front and put her in the arms of Mary. She sat up smiling. Back in the pew was Jim her brother, who some years before himself was the baby Jesus. When I got about half way up the aisle carrying her he realized I’d taken his sister Sarah. In that little child, clear, high pitched voice said. Mommy! Where is Sarah going. His mom whispered, She’s going up to be the baby Jesus. There was a pause and then in his fullest volume Shouted clearly,
BABY JESUS! BABY JESUS! I WANT TO SEE THE BABY JESUS! We could not have staged this better. Imagining how there were who went to greet the newborn savior with the same enthusiasm.
3. Daddy Daddy look at Baby Jesus, At another church in Oklahoma this time, we had the play and then set up the tableau. We had little angels in the front with their arms held up so they looked like they had wings. There were shepherds and kings and animals. The little baby who was Jonelle was our baby Jesus. She was dressed in adorable fancy Christmas dress with tulle and a red sash and bow. I gave her mom the little blanket and said when it’s time you can take her up and hold her as Mary. The mom thought that was a good idea because she wasn’t an infant but still under one year. The four little girls under 5 years old were in place on the front of the chancel with arms up as the Luke passage was being read. They were smiling and just being precious. Mary and Jesus came up and sat down and all of the angels turned to look at the baby Jesus. One little girl’s eyes just popped out and her mouth opened and she said OH! She jumped off the chancel, ran to her Daddy in the 7th row and in the perfect little child’s voice hollered,
“DADDY! DADDY! Baby Jesus has a BOW! She turned around and ran back, jumped up on the chancel and put her arms up in perfect angel pose.
Let the season’s joys and surprises continue to bring you delight, hope and peace.
God abides, Bobbie Giltz McGarey, @ Easton PA, 12.27.22
bobbiemcgarey@bobbiemcgarey.com The Spirit Will Tell You
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