A Nativity Play 1)

One of the (many) joys when I was minister in Cambridge was the church drama group, who would often write their own material for our worship services.  I have just found this play set in a Church Meeting in North Jerusalem around AD50.  I jump into the script after some early church meeting matters (like signing the minutes!) ...

SIMON: Right - well let's move on to our arrangements for Christmas shall we? Now, John, I believe that you've had an idea for the nativity play.  

JOHN: Well, yes, I have actually, I've been working on it for a while. I thought it would be good to think about the coming of Christ in cosmic terms.

MARTHA: Mmm - sounds exciting

JOHN: To recognize the Jesus' birth was a truly earth shattering event

JASON: Amen to that.

SIMON: So have you got a script then?

JOHN: Well, actually I have. I'm hoping I might be able to extend it eventually into a book about Jesus' life- anyway here's the opening bit, that I thought we could use for Christmas.  In the beginning....

JUSTUS: Good beginning

MARTHA: Sounds a bit familiar

JOHN: In the beginning was the WORD....

HE PICKS UP PAPER AND READS JOHN 1:1-14 -WITH GREAT AWE AND ENTHUSIASM. THE REST OF THE GROUP LISTEN GLASSY EYED. AT THE END HE LOOKS AROUND WITH EXPECTANT HOPE - THE REST ARE IN STUNNED SILENCE...THE WHOLE THING HAS GONE OVER THEIR HEADS

JOHN: (After a pause) Well, what do you think?