Nativity Reunion

Costumes

Everyone can just wear regular clothes with different headwear depending on character.

We got matching halos for the pre-school kids
Shepherds need a “standard” shepherd headpiece. Scarf around head tied with sting or cloth
Angels need halos
Wisemen need crowns

None of the headpieces (other than pre-schoolers) have to match. In fact, it’s better if they don’t, since, at a reunion, people are coming in from all different places.

Script

[When words are bolded, that means that everyone sings…even if you are not front and center. Pre-school kids are welcome to sing with any of the songs they want, but it’s also okay just to stick with the Star Song]

MC: Who would have thought that 2015 years since Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, and everyone went to his or her own town to register that the Nativity Class of ground zero AD would be gathered here tonight to remember?

I want to welcome the shepherds, the angels and all the wise people. Mary and Joseph send their regrets as they have a prior engagement. And Jesus, well, I guess we all know what HE’s been up to.

But first on our program, we have some of the youngest descendants of the angels that were there that night to bring us a special song and a special star.

[Pre-schoolers come up from front pew to sing song]

Star Song (pre-schooler)

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

Underneath that shining star
A babe was born within a barn
Born to save us all on earth
Born to give us second birth
Jesus, born that very night
Underneath the star so bright

Thank God for that shining star
And the babe born in a barn
MC: Now I’ll call on a couple of the shepherds to share some memories with us.

Shepherd 1: Wow. I can remember that night as if it were yesterday. It started out just like any other night. I had the late shift. Everyone else was sleeping. It was getting kind of boring, like at does at night…when you’re a shepherd. I had just gotten up to walk around so I wouldn’t fall asleep on the job when all of a sudden the sky lit up like it was on fire. And then this great sound…like music, but not any kind of music I’d ever heard before…filled the air. Well, by this time, everyone was up and kind of dazed and confused.

Shepherd 2: I remember being woken up out of a sound sleep with a bright light and loud sound. I thought it must be the end of the world. It would have seemed like a bomb went off…if we had had bombs back then. Ahh, those were the days…anyway, as you know all that light and sound turned out to be the angels. They told us to go to a barn and find a baby. Looking back, it seems pretty insane, but that night, we all we could think about was finding that baby. What a night. I’ll never forget it.

Shepherds—(you can cast as many as you like)

O What A Night (to the tune of Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons O What a Night)
(if any shepherds are willing to solo, use the first two verses. Otherwise, have all sing together)

O what a night. Late December
What a place to be
What a very special time for me
As I remember what a night

O what I night
You know I didn’t even know his name
But I was never gonna be the same
What a baby what a night

Oh I got a funny feeling when we followed that bright star
Oh I couldn’t believe it when we wound up in a barn

Oh what a night
Oh what a night

I felt a rush like a rolling ball of thunder
Spinning my head around and taking my body under

Oh what a night
Oh what night

O what a night. Late December
What a place to be
What a very special time for me
As I remember what a night

Angel : That was quite a night. For us angels, too! We had been waiting for ages and ages to sing that song. It was really hard to to come up with the just the right message to make sure that you shepherds got that this was a big deal. Like the biggest deal ever. We had to make sure that you got to that barn to see the baby.
Angels’ Song (to the tune of Madonna’s Like A Prayer) anywhere from 2 to 20 angels

Angel 1: Life is a mystery
But you’ll never be alone
For a child is born this night
And he feels like home

All: When He calls your name
It’s like a little prayer
Get down on your knees
We’re gonna take you there

In the midnight hour
You can feel His power
Just like a prayer
You know we’ll take you there

Angel 2: He’s a child
Born unto you this night
He’s sent by God
This little child

Angel 3: It’s like a dream
You never thought you’d see him
But he’s come to earth
It’s not a dream
Let the choir sing

When He calls your name
It’s like a little prayer
Get down on your knees
We’re gonna take you there

In the midnight hour
You can feel His power
Just like a prayer
You know we’ll take you there

Wise Person 1: Well, as you know, we came a little late to the party. It was a journey of a life time. Following that star, not knowing quite what we’d find when we arrived…or even when we would arrive!

And then that dream we all had. Yeah, we all had the same dream. That’s how we knew we’d better pay attention. It was really scary. We had followed the star to get there and now, not only did we have to find our way back on our own, we had to make sure that we didn’t run into Herod along the way.

But after seeing Jesus, we knew that life would never be the same…and we could face anything! We just had to decide to take that first step.

Wisepeople—

Step One (from the musical Kinky Boots)

Wiseperson 1: This is time for a shake-up,
Look at me wake up, taking control.

Wise person 2: This is a new beginning, my gears are spinning,
Let’s rock’n’roll.

Wisepeople 1 and 2: Just put. One foot. Onward and forward.
We used to live in limbo never wanting to begin
But now it’s sink or swim, so we’d better dive right in.

We may be facing the impossible,
We may be chasing after miracles.
And there may be the hottest dessert to overcome.
But this is step one.
Yeah this is step one.

He’s not just a baby
He is our destiny
No one’s going to stop us now

We may be facing the impossible,
We may be chasing after miracles.
And there may be the hottest desert to overcome.
We may be facing the impossible,
We may be chasing after miracles.
And there may be the hottest dessert to overcome.
But this is step one.

MC: Well, I think it’s clear to say that one night 2015 years ago changed us all. It changed the world! That night was anything but boring. It was scary and suprising and inspiring and exhausting. And life with Jesus has been like that ever since. We can’t imagine a world without Him and we’re glad we don’t have to.
Raise You Up—Entire Cast (also from Kinky Boots)
Solo: Once I was afraid, but then He came along.
I put all my faith in Him and found that I was strong

Solo : When I lost my way, He was there to see me through.
Now let Jesus lend some love and do the same for you
He’ll feed your fire, to take you higher.
He’ll light you up like a live wire.
Celebrate him to elevate him
when you struggle to stand, He’ll lend a helping hand
If you hit the dust,
He will raise you up.
When your bubble busts,
He will raise you up.
If your glitter rusts,
He will raise you up.
Raise you up
Raise you up
Raise you up.

Solo: Never put much heart in anything before.
He came into my life and helped me go for something more.

Solo: Now I stand up for myself. Now I stand out from the crowd.
Now I’m standing up for God
Hey world, look at me now!

He’ll feed your fire, to take you higher.
He’ll light you up like a live wire.
Celebrate him to elevate him
when you struggle to stand, He’ll lend a helping hand
If you hit the dust,
He will raise you up.
When your bubble busts,
He will raise you up.
If your glitter rusts,
He will raise you up.
Raise you up
Raise you up
Raise you up.

Note: Karaoke versions of all these songs are available on I-tunes. We had a recording studio (that rents space in the  church)  edit the clips we needed and put all the songs on one CD to use for practice. A teenager fond of audio editing could do the same thing with a laptop.  We got the CD and lyrics to all the kids about a month before the show so that they could practice at home before we ever gathered to rehears together. All the speaking parts can be read from the pulpit or lectern, so the songs are really the only thing that kids need to memorize.

Script written and songs adapted by Rev. Anne Russ. Please feel free to use and adapt for your setting with attribution.