A Journey to Bethlehem: Christmas Eve Crib Service 1999
Hello- my names Harry & this is my car [do you like it. It is red. What is your fav colour?]
Harry: I’m going on a journey, but I like driving in my car, I’m going to Nazareth (There’s a real place called Nazareth - show on a globe.
I’m going to meet my friend Carrie [car noises – to Nazareth]
Hello is Carrie there, get in the car !{Carrie pops up]
What do you know about Nazareth Carrie (Cant remember) (Help her)
Angel Gabriel lived in the land of eternity & God is boss there (God made our world) God saw that our world was full of darkness - darkness which stopped people from seeing God’s brightness (called SIN).
So God sent Gabriel to Mary (not by car) journey but came from the land of ETERNITY to our world, the land of TIME. He told Mary she w/have a baby who w/be born in Bethlehem.
Harry “I have a friend in Bethlehem, shall we drive there? [car noises – go around the globe]
Hello is Barry there? Get in the car. Barry what do you know about Bethlehem (help him out)?
Barry: Baby Jesus was born, after a long journey by donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Jesus made the journey by ‘Tummy.’ Jesus w/be the one who c/take away the darkness which stopped people seeing the brightness of God [SIN].
What happened then Barry? Well, some shepherds out in the hills had a visit from a choir of angels. I have a cat that likes to wander in those hills, shall we go and find her? [Car noises] – [Call for cat “Kitty”] – (Kitty arrives) – so Kitty, these are really the hills where the shepherds first heard about Jesus.
Kitty: Yes, and they made their own journey to see baby Jesus.
Is that it?
Kitty: No there were some wise people from the east who made a journey to see Jesus.
Oh I have a wise friend from the East, shall we drive to pick her up to finish our journey – Yes! [Car noises] What’s her name – Marie.
Hello Marie have you come from the East, climb in, Marie pops up (in the car).
So all these people made their own journey to Jesus. Wow.
And we can make our own journey to Jesus – Not just in my red car, but by praying to Jesus and telling him we want to be one of his followers.
That’s how we really get to know Jesus – It’s as simple as asking Jesus into our hearts!
(Quote from ‘In the bleak mid Winter’ - last verse)
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb,
if I were a wise man I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him, give my heart.
