The whole skit takes place in a living room setting. Mom is in chair with leg propped on a stool, wrapped up, she has a sprained ankle. She has a robe draped over her lap and the bad foot sticking out. She is reading the Bible. The room has some decorations piled in the corner, could be an undecorated tree, box of decorations, wreath. There should be a table in the room for the manger scene.

Mother: Oh, Lord, (prayerfully) why did I have to sprain my ankle now. there is so much to do for Christmas. I haven’t gotten much decorating done. The tree is undecorated and I have not gotten the nativity set out yet and Christmas is just a couple days away. (pauses and sighs) I couldn’t even go to the Christmas program at church tonight.

Children come in - taking off coats, hats and throw in a corner or on a chair.

Children: "Hi Mother"

Mother: "Hi children", so how was the Christmas Program."

First Child: " Oh, the church was soo pretty with all the decorations."

Second Child: "The punch was orange and the cookies were delicious."

Third Child: "My teacher gave us each a gift and some candy."

Fourth Child: "I really like the Christmas songs".

Mother: "Is that all...

Fifth Child: "Oh, yeah, the Chrismon Tree was beautiful."

Mother: "But. I meant..." (children cut Mom off)

Oldest Child: "Mother, we were so sorry that you couldn’t go tonight, but we have a surprise for you."

Mother: "A Surprise?"

Children: (together) "Yes, a surprise, be back in a minute." They rush from the room.

Mother: (to herself): " The tree, cookies, punch, candy and gifts, They really don’t understand the real story of Christmas do they. How sad."

Children return carrying or or two boxes whatever it takes to carry the manger set. Children - put the boxes down.

One Child: "We want to tell you the real story of Christmas that we learned in Sunday School."

(The children will take out the appropriate figures for themselves and when they talk about it they will sit it on the table.) They will hold the figure while they talk and then put it down.

The Joseph figure (sits at the end of the table, later will be moved to the stable.)

Child: Joseph figure: " A long time ago there was a man named Joseph who lived in the town of Nazareth. Joseph was a kind and gentle man. He was a carpenter. He was in love with a girl named Mary, who he was going to marry."

Child places Joseph on the table.

Child: Mary figure "Mary was a young girl, before she married Joseph an angel came and said to her, fear not Mary, you shall have a very special baby, a boy and you will call him Jesus. At first Mary was afraid, but the angel said don’t be afraid. Mary didn’t understand but she trusted God."

Child: Donkey Figure: "After Mary and Joseph were married they had to make a long trip to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. Mary rode on the donkey most of the time. Mary would soon have the baby. Joseph was worried about Mary, but Mary said, don’t worry Joseph. God will take care of us."

Child: Holds the stable - "When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem - there were a lot of people there. The Inn keeper didn’t have a room, but he would let them sleep in his stable."

Child: Cow figure and donkey figure (could be done by two separate children. "The cow and the donkey slept in the stable and ate clean hay. Their body heat would help to make the stable warm for Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus"

(The children put Mary and Joseph in the stable and the donkey and cow in the stable.

Child: Baby Jesus Figure: "The baby is born. They call him Jesus like the angel said.

Joseph and Mary know he is a very special baby. He is the son of God. Mary wraps him up warmly and puts him in a box where the animals eat, called a manger."

(Child puts Baby Jesus in the manger)

Child: Shepherd figures: "There are shepherds watching their sheep in the fields, It is cold and lonely at night. Then angels appear out of nowhere, telling them a baby is born in Bethlehem. He would be their savior. The shepherds said, let us go to Bethlehem and see this baby. So the shepherds hurried and found the baby in the manger at the stable."

(Puts shepherds in or near the stable, depending on size of stable).

Child: "Later three wise men came from far away, they followed a bright star to the stable in Bethlehem. they bowed before the baby and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."

A child: " And the birth of Jesus was the first Christmas"

Children: (Kind of together:) So Mother, what do you think?"

Mother: "Oh children, that is the real story of Christmas, you do know the real story!"

Children: (Going over to Mother) "Merry Christmas Mother!"

Mother: (Touching children's hands and welcoming them) "Merry Christmas Children".

Everyone can look at the audience and say: "Merry Christmas - May Christ be in your Christmas."

At this point someone will say the following and read the poem, One Solitary Life.

"This is the story of the beginning of one life that has as much influence today as it did when He burst forth into the lives of men, this "One Solitary Life":

He was born in an obscure village.

He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty.

He then became an itinerant preacher.

He never held an office.

He never had a family or owned a house.

He didn’t go to college.

He had no credentials but himself.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race.

All the armies that ever marched,

And all the navies that ever sailed

All the parliaments that ever sat,

and all the kings that ever reigned

have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life.

(Copyright 2000- Faith Scott-All Rights reserved-Not for resale or distribution without consent.)

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