Christingle Service
at
St. Augustine's

December 24 2007

Key :

directions
instructions for congregation
movements during service
prayers and readings
sections of the service

Other information  :

There are some notes on our production of the service.

A rough plan of the church is available.

A note on copyright.

THE SERVICE

St. Augustine's Christingle Service

Narrator Welcome  !

We welcome you here in the blessed name of the Lord Jesus, Whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow.

No collection will be taken during this service. If you would like to leave a donation, you'll find a box at the back for this purpose.

If anyone would like the music for our hymns today, please put your hand up and we will bring it to you.

Reader Our theme for today's service is

"God is so good"


and that He loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but have eternal life
( John chapter 3 verse 16 ).
Narrator Please stand to sing the hymn

"How great Thou art".

( "God" goes up to balcony, Helper ready at back with orange. )

1.   O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
  Consider all the works Thy hand hath made;
  I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
  Thy power throughout the universe displayed;

Chorus :
  Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
  How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
  Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
  How great Thou art, How great Thou art !

2.   When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
  I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
  When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
  And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze;

Chorus

3.   But when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
  Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in -
  That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
  He bled and died to take away my sin;

Chorus

4.   When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
  And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart !
  Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
  And there proclaim, "my God how great Thou art !"

Narrator Please sit.

Tonight we will be making Christingles. ( Hold up Christingle and point to each part as it is mentioned. ) These are made up of four parts :

  • The orange, which represents the world which God created;
  • The four arms, which represent the four seasons, winter, spring, summer and autumn;
  • The red ribbon around the whole world, which represents the blood of Jesus given for all people;
  • The candle, to remind us that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world".
The first part of the Christingle is

the orange.

Helper brings the demonstration orange down centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face congregation.
Helper The orange represents the wonderful world that God created.
Helper places orange on stand and returns to seat.
Reader I'm going to read to you part of the creation story which is found in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. The part we've chosen to read tonight tells us about how God created us to be His servants. It's from Genesis Chapter 1 verse 26 to Genesis Chapter 2 verse 4.

Then God said :

God ( from balcony ) "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds and all the animals, domestic and wild, large and small."
Reader So God created human beings, making them to be like Himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said :
God ( from balcony ) Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you IN CHARGE OF the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided leafy plants for food.
Reader and it was done.

God looked at everything He had made, and He was very pleased.
Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

And so the whole universe was completed. By the seventh day God finished what He had been doing and stopped working. He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day He had completed His creation and stopped working.

Narrator Please stand to sing

"God is so good.".

( God returns to seat; Actor 1 ready at Hospital side, Actor 2 ready at organ side with piece of polystyrene, rings from cans and caps from milk bottles. )
God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us.

He made the world,
All that there is;
Made us as well -
He's so good to us.

Narrator Please sit for the play

"You're in charge".

Actor 1 comes from organ side and Actor 2 comes from Hospital side; they meet in front of the altar.
Actor 1 Did you hear that ?
God has put us in charge of the fish, the birds and the animals !
Actor 2 Yes, I heard that.
Actor 1 Does that mean we can go out and destroy them ? ( mimes pulling a catapult out of his pocket and aiming at an imaginary bird. )
Actor 2 No, of course it doesn't.
Actor 1 What does it mean ?
Actor 2 I think it means we need to look after them. After all when we're at school our teachers are in charge of us. But that doesn't mean they can destroy us. They are there to look after us to teach us and to ENCOURAGE us and to GUIDE us. And, if we're sick, to care for us until our parents can come and look after us.
Actor 1 I suppose that's right - but I thought "in charge" meant to do what you like with them. You mean I can't go out and kill birds just for the fun of it. ?
Actor 2 Well, no. Look, if I put you in charge of my car, do you think I mean you can smash it up if you want ?
Actor 1 Er ... not really.
Actor 2 You bet I don't - and if you're as doubtful about that as you sound, then you're not getting anywhere near my car. I mean that I'm trusting you to look after it just as I would - and I'm making you responsible for it. So when God puts us in charge of the world, that means taking responsibility for the fish, birds and animals and everything else in the world.
Actor 1 That's quite different. How can we do that ?
Actor 2 We can care for our environment.
Actor 1 Like cleaning our beaches ?
Actor 2 Yes, that's one way.
Actor 1 Dad made me do that last week. We all went to SUPPORT the "clean our beach" campaign. Was that really being in charge of the fish, birds and animals ?
Actor 2 Yes, it helps to make sure that they're not harmed by nasty rubbish. We can also be careful about not dropping litter.
Actor 1 How does that help ?
Actor 2 Well, things like polystyrene pieces are bad for birds ( holding up a piece of polystyrene ) - see, these small pieces fill up a bird's stomach and stay there so there is no room for their real food, and rings off cans and milk bottles ( holding up rings ) can choke and strangle birds, and pieces of plastic can smother small animals.
Actor 1 I suppose broken glass is bad too.
Actor 2 Yes - and things we spill, oil and paint and stuff, may go down the storm water drains and pollute the rivers and sea. We need to be responsible people.
Actor 1 I'll try to be more responsible now you've explained to me the role God has given us. Thank you.
( Actor 1 and Actor 2 go to back down centre aisle and return to their seats. )
Narrator Please remain sitting as we sing

"God is so good".

( Actor 3 in winter clothes ready on organ side, Mum also in winter clothes ready on Hospital side, Actor 4 ready on organ side with winter arm, Actor 5 ready on Hospital side, Actor 6 and Actor 7 ready on organ side with seed packets, Actor 8 ready on organ side with spring arm, Actor 9 ready on Hospital aisle with bowl of water, Actor 10 ready on organ aisle with summer arm, Actor 11 ready with rake or brush on Hospital side, Actor 12 ready with autumn arm on organ side. )

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us.

He trusted us,
Left us to care
For all He made -
He's so good to us.

Narrator Please sit.

The second part of the Christingle is

the four arms.


The four arms of the Christingle represent the four seasons of the year. Let's see how we can help God to look after His beautiful world through all the seasons.

WARNING : the writer of this section comes from England; please make allowances.

First, WINTER.

How can we SUPPORT and HELP the wonders of creation in Winter ?

Actor 3 ( dressed in winter clothes ) and Mum meet in front of altar.
Actor 3 Look, Mum ! I saw these winter bird seeds on sale in the shop and I bought some. Can I hang them on the tree for the birds ?
Mum That's a great idea. Wait while I get the kitchen steps.
( Mum gets kitchen steps from behind Christmas tree. )
Let's go and do it now.
Mum carrying steps and Actor 3 carrying the bird seed go down centre aisle; Mum returns to her seat.

Actor 4 carries winter arm from organ side, pauses in the centre, and shows it to the congregation.

Actor 4 The first arm of the Christingle represents winter. In winter we can help the birds and animals by making sure they have extra feed and the fish by making sure that fish ponds aren't completely covered by ice.
( Actor 4 places winter arm on Christingle and goes to back down centre aisle. )
Narrator Second, SPRING.

How can we SUPPORT and HELP the wonders of creation in Spring ?

Actor 5 ( coming to centre ) I love the spring, the birds busy building their nests, the warmth in the air, the colour of the new leaves on the trees, the early spring flowers, the longer hours of daylight. I just love it !
Actor 6 and Actor 7 come running in from Hospital side, waving packets of seed.
Actor 6 Look what Mrs Brown from down the road has given us ! Lots of seeds to plant in our garden !
Actor 7 She says she bought too many packets this year, and if she puts any more in her garden it will be too overcrowded.
Actor 6 She says overcrowding is bad for the garden.
Actor 7 Is that right ?
Actor 5 Yes, that's right. To help seeds grow we mustn't overcrowd them or plant them in poor soil. Farmers also have to be careful not to overcrowd or over-use their fields.
Actor 6 Can we plant these in our garden ?
Actor 7 Mrs Brown said they would be so pretty and attract the bees.
Actor 5 Yes, we can plant them over here. ( Points to Hospital side ) The garden will look great when they are in flower. Oh - and look, there are some vegetable seeds too ! We'll be able to have fresh vegetables straight from the garden. That will be lovely. After we've planted the seeds, perhaps you could make a "thank you" card for Mrs Brown.
Actor 6 and Actor 7 Yes, we'll do that.
Actor 5 , Actor 6 and Actor 7 go to back down Hospital aisle, and return to their seats;

Actor 8 carries carries spring arm from organ side, pauses in the centre, and shows it to the congregation.

Actor 8 The second arm represents spring. In spring we can help the world by planting flower and vegetable seeds and native trees and shrubs to help maintain the balance of nature, and we can be careful to make sure our gardens are well manured to maintain their goodness.
Actor 8 puts spring arm in Christingle and returns to his seat.
Narrator Third, SUMMER

How can we SUPPORT and HELP the wonders of creation in Summer ?

Actor 9 comes from Hospital side carrying a bowl of water.
Actor 9 Another lovely summer day, beautifully hot and dry - I'll be able to go for a swim later on. But look at the poor flowers ! - they're wilting in this heat. I must water them before I do anything else, and I'll put out a bowl of water for the birds to drink. Now, where can I put it to keep the birds safe from next door's cat ? I do wish we had a bird bath. Maybe next year. Perhaps I could put it on my Christmas present list ?

There's a good place for the water ( points to the back ) - the cats won't reach it there.

Actor 9 carries bowl to back of church and returns to seat,

Actor 10 carries summer arm from organ side, pauses in the centre, and shows it to the congregation.

Actor 10 The third arm represents summer. In summer we can make sure that the plants and birds have enough water to drink and also take care not to waste water in our homes.
Actor 10 places summer arm in Christingle and returns by organ side.
Narrator Fourth, AUTUMN.
How can we SUPPORT and HELP the wonders of creation in Autumn ?
Actor 11 comes to centre carrying a rake or garden brush.
Actor 11 The autumn colours are so lovely. I hope one year I'll be able to visit the South Island just to see the autumnal colours there. But just now my garden needs clearing of dead leaves, some of the plants need pruning to help new growth, there are so many things that need doing in the garden at this time of year to prepare it for the next growing season next spring.
Some of the birds are preparing to migrate to another place for the winter. I just love the changing seasons of God's wonderful world.
Actor 11 goes to back with rake or garden brush and returns to seat;

Actor 12 carries autumn arm from organ side, pauses in the centre, and shows it to the congregation.

Actor 12 The fourth arm represents autumn. In autumn we can help God's world by cutting and pruning and sweeping to prepare the garden for new growth in the spring.
Actor 12 places autumn arm in the Christingle and returns to seat.
Narrator Please remain sitting as we sing

"God is so good".

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us
Short days or long,
Hot days or cold,
All seasons round,
He's so good to us.
Narrator The third part of the Christingle is

the red ribbon

around the orange which represents the blood of Jesus given for all people in the whole world.

This year we have decorated the walls of this church with pictures relating to the birth of Jesus and above the pictures we've put the names of some of the qualities shown by the people who were part of the story. As well as these words and pictures we have added a red band to remind us that Jesus also died for us.

Please stand to sing the carol

"O Little Town of Bethlehem".

( Mary and Joseph ready at back - REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR HEADGEAR ON  ! )

1.   O little town of Bethlehem,
  How still we see thee lie;
  Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
  The silent stars go by -
  Yet in thy dark street shineth
  The everlasting light;
  The hopes and fears of all the years
  Are met in thee tonight.

2.   For Christ is born of Mary;
  And, gathered all above,
  While mortals sleep, the angels keep
  Their watch of wondering love.
  O morning stars, together
  Proclaim the holy birth,
  And praises sing to God the King,
  And peace to men on earth.

3.   How silently, how silently,
  The wondrous gift is given !
  So God imparts to human hearts
  The blessings of His heaven.
  No ear may hear His coming;
  But in this world of sin,
  Where meek souls will receive Him, still
  The dear Christ enters in.

4   O holy child of Bethlehem,
  Descend to us we pray;
  Cast out our sin, and enter in :
  Be born in us today.
  We hear the Christmas angels
  The great glad tidings tell;
  O come to us, abide with us,
  Our Lord Emmanuel.

Narrator Please sit.
Reader The Birth of Jesus
Luke Chapter 2 verses 1-7

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ( This was the fist census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria ). And everyone went to his home town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
( Mary and Joseph come down centre aisle and settle themselves in the stable. )
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first-born, a son,
( Mary gets out the doll representing Baby Jesus )
She wrapped him in cloths
( Mary wraps doll in cloths )
and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Please remain sitting as we sing :

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us

God loves the world
So that He gave
His only Son -
He's so good to us.

Narrator Please stand to sing

"Away in a manger".

Stage hand brings camp fire to centre and turns it on,

shepherds ( REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR HEADGEAR ON ) and angels ready at back;
angel Gabriel ( REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR WINGS ON ) ready by organ.

1.   Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
  The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
  The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
  The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

2.   The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
  But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.
  I love Thee, Lord Jesus ! Look down from the sky,
  And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

3.   Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
  Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
  Bless all the dear children in Your tender care,
  And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

Narrator Please sit.
Reader The shepherds see the angels , who sing of God's peace;
Luke Chapter 2 verses 8-20.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, watching over their flocks at night.

Shepherds come to front and sit round the campfire.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them ( Angel Gabriel comes from organ side and stands by the shepherds )

and the GLORY of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them :

Angel Gabriel Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you : He is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you : You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Reader Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, ( Angels come "flying" down centre aisle ) praising God and saying :
All angels GLORY be to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all on whom His favour rests.
Reader When the angels had left them, ( Angel Gabriel and the angels stand behind the shepherds ) the shepherds said to one another :
Shepherds ( to one another ) Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about !
Reader So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, Who was lying in the manger. ( Shepherds hurry off to the stable and kneel by the manger. ) When they had seen Him they SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE CHILD, and all who heard were amazed. ( Shepherds move back to centre and sit in front of angels. )
( Wise Men ready at back; REMEMBER YOUR HATS AND GIFTS )
Narrator Please remain sitting as we sing
God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us

God came to earth,
Born as a Child;
Glory to God
He's so good to us

Reader The Wise Men visit Jesus.
Matthew Chapter 2 verses 1-2, 9, 11-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem.
Wise Men come down centre aisle and stop at first step, turn and ask
Wise Men We are ENQUIRING where is the One who has been born King of the Jews ? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
ALL including shepherds and angels He was born in Bethlehem.
Reader They went on their way.
Wise Men move towards Christmas tree and up to stable.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him.
Wise Men bow down and worship Jesus; then they step back a little.
Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with GIFTS of gold,
Wise Man 1 goes towards manger and gives gift of gold to Jesus then steps back again.
frankincense,
Wise Man 2 goes towards manger and gives his gift of frankincense to Jesus then steps back again.
and myrrh.
Wise Man 3 goes towards manger and gives his gift of myrrh to Jesus then steps back again.
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Jerusalem, they OBEDIENTLY returned to their country by another route.
Wise Men go and sit in front of shepherds.
Narrator Please remain sitting as we sing :
God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us.

What can we give ?
Give Him our love;
Give Him our lives,
He's so good to us.

Narrator Please stand to sing the carol

"The First Nowell".

At beginning of this hymn ALL ACTORS stand up; Mary and Joseph with Jesus come and stand in front of Wise Men.

Actor 13 with red ribbon ready at organ side.

1   The first nowell the angel did say
  was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
  in fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
  on a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Chorus :
  Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell -
  born is the King of Israel

2   When they looked up they saw a star
  shining in the east, beyond them far,
  and to the earth it gave great light,
  and so it continued both day and night.

Chorus

3.   And by the light of that same star
  three Wise Men came from country far;
  to seek for a king was their intent,
  and to follow the star wherever it went.

Chorus

4.   This star drew nigh to the north-west;
  over Bethlehem it took its rest,
  and there it did both stop and stay
  right over the place where Jesus lay.

Chorus

5.   Then entered in those Wise Men three
  and reverently, upon their knee,
  they offered there in his presence
  their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

Chorus

During the LAST verse of this hymn actors move down centre aisle to the back and then return to their seats :
Mary and Joseph in front, then Wise Men,
then shepherds,
then angels.

6.   Now let us all with one accord
  sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
  who brought forth heaven and earth from nought,
  and with His blood mankind has bought.

Chorus

Narrator Please sit.
Actor 13 ( holding the red ribbon ) comes to centre and shows it to the congregation.
Actor 13 Let us not forget this Christmas time that Jesus didn't stay a baby in a manger, but when He grew up He travelled about teaching people about God, healing people and showing people how to live a life dedicated to OBEYING His heavenly Father. He died a cruel death on a cross, He was buried, and on the third day He rose and ascended into heaven so that our sins may be forgiven, and that all who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. We put this red ribbon around the whole world to represent the blood of Jesus given for all people.
Actor 13 puts ribbon round the Christingle and returns to seat.
Narrator Please remain sitting as we sing :
God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us.

He died for us,
Died on the cross;
Gave us His life,
He's so good to us.

He took our place,
He paid our debt;
Now we are free -
He's so good to us.

Narrator The following reading tells us more about the events after Jesus's death and resurrection.
Reader This reading is taken from Acts Chapter 10 verses 34-43.

Peter's Speech.

Peter began to speak : "I now realise that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. Those who worship Him and do what is right are acceptable to Him, no matter what race they belong to.

You know the message He sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know of the great event that took place throughout the land of Israel, beginning in Galilee after John preached his message of baptism. You know about Jesus of Nazareth and how God poured out on Him the Holy Spirit and power. He went everywhere, doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, for God was with Him.

We are witnesses of everything that He did in the land of Israel and in Jerusalem. Then they put Him to death by nailing Him to a cross. But God raised Him from death three days later and caused Him to appear, not to everyone, but only to the witnesses that God had already chosen, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from death. And He commanded us to preach the Gospel to the people and to testify that He is the one appointed judge of the living and the dead.

All the prophets spoke about Him, saying that all who believe in Him will have their sins forgiven through the power of His name."

( Reader returns to his seat. )
Narrator Which brings us to the final part of the Christingle -

the candle,

which represents Jesus as the Light of the world.

Preacher Message

- emphasising Jesus's claim in John 8.12 : "I am the light of the world."

Actor 14 brings on candle, shows it to the congregation, and lights it from the Christ candle on the Advent wreath.
Actor 14 I light this candle from the centre candle of the Advent Wreath which is the candle that represents Jesus as the Light of the world.
Actor 14 walks over to Christingle and places the candle in the orange.
Actor 14 This Christingle candle is to remind us that we are invited to carry the light and love of Jesus into our lives, our homes and our community.
Actor 14 goes to back to seat.
Narrator Please remain sitting as we sing :
God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to us.

He gives us light;
He is our light,
Light of the world -
He's so good to us.

Narrator Please stand to sing

"Joy to the World".

1.   Joy to the world; the Lord is come !
  Let earth receive her King;
  Let every heart prepare Him room,
  And Heav'n and nature sing,
  And Heav'n and nature sing,
  And heav'n And heav'n and nature sing.

2.   Joy to the world; the Saviour reigns !
  Let men their songs employ,
  While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
  Repeat the sounding joy,
  Repeat the sounding joy,
  Repeat Repeat the sounding joy.

3.   He rules the world with truth and grace,
  And makes the nations prove
  The glories of His righteousness,
  And wonders of His love,
  And wonders of His love,
  And wonders And wonders of His love.

Narrator Please sit.
Helpers ready to hand out Christingles.
Leader Explain Christingle and how to make it;

Making the Christingle;

Lighting the Christingle -
Helpers come to front to have their tapers lit then go to light Christingles at end of each row.

When all candles are lit, Helper turns main lights off.
Leader Please stand to sing "Happy Birthday" twice.
All Happy Birthday to You.
Happy Birthday to You.
Happy Birthday, dear Jesus -
Happy Birthday to You ! ( twice )
Leader Bless the Christingles.
Helper turns main lights on.
Leader Please blow out the candles.
Pray-ers move to lectern.
Prayer 1 Please sit or kneel for the prayers, which we shall end by singing the Lord's Prayer.

Lord God, we thank You for the wonderful world that You made for us to live in and to care for. Forgive us for the way we have overused and abused Your wonderful world. Help each one of us to treat Your world and one another with respect and love. Amen.

Prayer 2 Lord God, one of Jesus's names is "Prince of Peace". May we as one of His followers strive to bring peace into this world, may we be people who desire to be peacemakers not peace disturbers. Fill us with Your wonderful peace today and every day. Amen.
Prayer 3 Jesus, We thank You for Your birth in a humble stable, we thank You for the light that came into the world at the time of Your birth. May we seek to live by that light. Fill our homes with the glory, love and joy of living in the light of Jesus. Amen.

Prayerfully we sing :

ALL

Our Father in heaven.
hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come,
Your will be done, on earth, as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours, now and for ever. Amen

Leader Please stand for the Carol

"Silent Night".

( Pray-ers return to your seats )

1.   Silent night, Holy night;
  All is calm, all is bright,
  Round yon Virgin Mother and Child;
  Holy Infant so tender and mild,
  Sleep in heavenly peace;
  Sleep in heavenly peace.

2.   Silent night, holy night;
  Shepherds quake at the sight.
  Glories stream from heaven afar,
  Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia;
  Christ the Saviour is born;
  Christ the Saviour is born.

3.   Silent night, holy night,
  Son of God, love's pure light.
  Radiance beams from Thy holy face,
  With the dawn of redeeming grace,
  Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
  Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

Leader Please remain standing for the blessing.

BIessing.

We wish you all a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year !

Those taking part :

Actors ( several ), Angels ( several ), Angel Gabriel, Computer person, God, Helpers ( several ), Joseph, Leader, Mary, Mum, Narrator, Organist , Pray-ers ( 3 ), Reader, Shepherds ( several ), Stage hand, Wise Men ( 3 )

Numbers given are those identified in the script. Except for the Wise Men, these are flexible; adjust them according to your resources.