. all rights belong to Tanis Harms –
. refer to www.church-skits.com
CHRISTMAS GIFTS – written by Tanis Harms
TOPIC: Christ’s birth
SCRIPTURE: James 1:17
Style: musical & recital program
Cast: 17 people, plus choir
Set & Props: Christmas tree, 17 wrapped gifts
NOTES: ON FLEXIBILITY
. - each part can step out from the choir
. and say their lines,
. or you can have them enter from off stage
. and slowly add them to the choir
. – if you want more people to have lines,
. you can split each part
. – have people walking to their places
. as the songs are still being sung
. so that there isn’t any “down-time”,
. or have them walk in at the beginning
. of each song and wait there while
. holding out the present as if the song
. is part of the gift, each song relates
. to the next “gift” and Bible verse
. – you can choose which songs/gifts to use
. – songs can be done in a variety of ways:
. songs or song portions can be solos
. or smaller group numbers, they don’t
. all have to be done just by the choir
. – you can find different songs
. or updated versions of suggested songs
SCRIPT:
SONG 1: “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM”
. – lyrics: Phillips Brooks, music: Lewis H. Redner
. (sing verse 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.
(During the song, PERSON 1 enters carrying a gift
and waits until the last line has been sung.)
. 2
P1 Christmas is all about gifts...
. the gifts that God
. desires to give each one of us...
. the blessings from heaven.
. James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift
. is from above, coming down
. from the Father of the heavenly lights...”
(PERSON 1 puts the gift under the tree and joins choir.)
SONG 2: “JOY TO THE WORLD!”
. – lyrics by Isaac Watts
. music by George Frederick Handel,
. (sing verse 4)
. 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, wonders of His love
P2 (enters carry gift)
. God is love,
. and God’s greatest gift to us is love.
. 1 John 4:16 “We have come to know
. and have believed the love which God has for us.
. God is love...”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 3: “O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL”
. – lyrics and music by John Francis Wade
. (sing verse 3)
. Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
. Born this happy morning,
. Jesus, to Thee by all glory given;
. Word of the Father, now flesh appearing!
. O come, let us adore Him,
. O come, let us adore Him,
. O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
P3 (enters carrying gift)
. God gave us the gift of His Word,
. His words are contained in the Bible.
. Psalm 12:6 “The words
. of the LORD are pure words”
. John 6:63 "the words that I have spoken to you
. are spirit - and are life.”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 4: “O COME, O COME EMMANUEL” 3
. – from Latin Hymn,
. translated by John M.Neale
. music adapted by Thomas Helmore and Tom Fettke
. (sing verse 1)
. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
. And ransom captive Israel,
. That mourns in lonely exile here,
. Until the Son of God appear.
. Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel
. Shall come to thee, O Israel!
P4 (enters carrying gift)
. God gave us the gift of His only Son.
. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world,
. that He gave His only begotten Son...
. that whoever believes in Him shall not perish,
. but have eternal life.”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 5: “I WONDER AS I WANDER”
. – lyrics from Appalachian carol,
. adapted and music by John Jacob Niles,
. arranged by Donald P. Hustad
. (sing verse 1)
. I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
. How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
. For poor, ornery people like you and like I
. I wonder as I wander, out under the sky
P5 (enters carrying gift)
. Jesus coming to die for our sins,
. was God’s most precious gift to us.
. Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God
. for His indescribable gift!”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 6: “SILENT NIGHT! HOLY NIGHT!”
. – lyrics by Joseph Mohr,
. music by Franz Gruber
. (sing verse 3)
. Silent night, holy night,
. Son of God, love’s pure light
. Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
. With the dawn of redeeming grace,
. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
P6 (enters carrying gift) 4
. Through Jesus, we can receive God’s gift
. of redeeming grace.
. Romans 5:15 “how much more did God's grace
. and the gift that came
. by the grace of the one Man,
. Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!”
. Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace
. you have been saved, through faith —
. and this not from yourselves,
. it is the gift of God.”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 7: “A NATIVITY PRAYER”
. – lyrics by Phillips Brooks
. music by William David Young
. (sing) O holy Child of Bethlehem!
. Descend to us, we pray;
. Cast out our sin, and enter in;
. Be born in us today.
P7 (enters carrying gift)
. God offers us this gift:
. the forgiveness of sins.
. Acts 10:43 “Of Him
. all the prophets bear witness
. that through His name
. everyone who believes in Him
. receives forgiveness of sins."
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 8: “THE ADVENT OF OUR GOD”
. – lyrics by Charles Coffin,
. translated by John Chandlier
. music by Aaron Williams
. (sing verse 2) All glory to the Son,
. Who comes to set us free;
. With Father, Spirit, ever One
. Through all eternity
P8 (enters with gift)
. The gift of being saved,
. means the gift of freedom.
. Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life
. in Christ Jesus has set you free
. from the law of sin and of death.”
. Galatians 5:1, “It was for freedom
. that Christ set us free.”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 9: “GOOD CHRISTIAN MEN, REJOICE” 5
. – lyrics from Latin carol,
. translated by John M.Neale
. German melody, music harmonized by John Stainer
. (sing verse 3)
. Good Christian men, rejoice
. With heart and soul and voice;
. Now ye need not fear the grave;
. Peace! Peace!
. Jesus Christ was born to save!
. Calls you one and calls you all
. To gain His everlasting hall:
. Christ was born to save!
. Christ was born to save!
P9 (enters with gift)
. The gift of being saved,
. means the gift of being nurtured
. and encouraged by the heavenly Father.
. Romans 8:15 “For you have not received
. a spirit of slavery leading to fear again,
. but you have received a spirit of adoption
. as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 10:“AWAY IN A MANGER”
. – lyrics by John Thomas McFarland
. music by James R. Murray
. or William J. Kirkpatrick
. (sing verse 3)
. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to say
. Close by me forever, and love me, I pray
. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
. And fit us for heaven,
. to live with Thee there.
P10 (enters with gift)
. The gift of being saved,
. means the gift of protection
. and eternal life in heaven.
. 1 John 5:18 “He who was born of God
. keeps him,
. and the evil one does not touch him.
. Romans 11:29 “for God's gifts
. and His call are irrevocable.”
. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death,
. but the gift of God is eternal life
. in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
.
SONG 11:“IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR” 6
. – lyrics: Edmund H. Sears,
. music: Richard S. Willis
. (sing verse 1)
. It came upon the midnight clear,
. That glorious song of old,
. From angels bending near the earth
. To touch their harps of gold;
. “Peace on the earth, good will to men,
. From heaven’s all-gracious King!”
. The world in solemn stillness lay
. To hear the angels sings.
P11 (enters with gift)
. The gift of being saved,
. means the gift of peace in your hearts.
. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you;
. My peace I give to you;
. not as the world gives
. do I give to you.
. Do not let your heart be troubled,
. nor let it be fearful.”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 12:“HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING”
. – lyrics by Charles Wesley
. music by Felix Mendelssohn,
. arranged by William H. Cummings
. (sing verse 3)
. Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace!
. Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
. Light and life to all He brings,
. Risen with healing in His wings
. Mild He lays His glory by,
. Born that man no more may die,
. Born to raise the sons of earth,
. Born to give them second birth,
. Hark! The herald angels sing,
. “Glory to the newborn King.”
P12 (enters with gift)
. The gift of being saved,
. means the gift of healing the soul.
. 1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself
. bore our sins in His body on the cross,
. so that we might die to sin
. and live to righteousness;
. for by His wounds you were healed.
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 13:“HOW GREAT OUR JOY!” 7
. – lyrics from traditional German carol
. (sing verse 4)
. This gift of God we’ll cherish well,
. That ever joy our hearts shall fill,
. How great our joy! Great our joy!
. Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
P13 (enters with gift)
. The gift of being saved,
. means the gift of joy-filled living.
. Romans 5:17 “...how much more will those
. who receive God's abundant provision of grace
. and of the gift of righteousness reign in life
. through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
. John 15:11 “I have told you this
. so that My joy may be in you
. and that your joy may be complete.”
. (puts gift under tree and joins choir)
SONG 14:“WHAT CAN I GIVE HIM?”
. – lyrics: Christina Rossetti, music: Don-Cason
. (sing) 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 can I give Him? Give Him my heart.
P14 (enters and holds out empty arms)
. What can I give our most gracious Lord?
. I come with empty hands.
. All that I have, is what God provides me.
. All that I can give,
. is my heart – my willingness to obey.
. Corinthians 8:12 “For if the willingness
. is there, the gift is acceptable
. according to what one has,
. not according to what he does not have.”
SONG 15:“LITTLE DRUMMER BOY”
. – by Katherine K.Davis/Henry Onorati/Harry Simeone
. (sing verse 2)
. Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
. I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
. I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
. That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
. rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
. Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
. On my drum?
. 8
P15 (enters and holds out empty arms)
. What can I give our most gracious Lord?
. I come with empty hands. All that I have,
. is what God provides me. All that I can give,
. are my talents – through serving.
. 1 Corinthians 7:7 “...each man has his own gift
. from God; one has this gift, another has that.”
. Peter 4:10 “Each one should use whatever gift
. he has received to serve others,
. faithfully administering God's grace
. in its various forms.”
SONG 16:“ANGELS, FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY”
. – lyrics by James Montgomery,
. music by Henry T. Smart
. (sing verse 1)
. Angels, from the realms of glory,
. Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
. Ye who sang creation’s story,
. Now proclaim Messiah’s birth;
. Come and worship, come and worship,
. Worship Christ, the newborn King.
P16 (enters and holds out empty arms)
. What can I give our most gracious Lord?
. I come with empty hands. All that I have,
. is what God provides me. All that I can give,
. is my thankful praises.
. Hebrews 13:15 “Through Him then,
. let us continually offer up a sacrifice
. of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips
. that give thanks to His name.”
SONG 17:“O THOU JOYFUL, O THOU WONDERFUL”
. – lyrics by Johannes D. Falk
. music from Tattersall’s Psalmody, 1794
. (verse 1) O Thou joyful, O Thou wonderful
. Grace revealing Christmastide!
. Jesus came to win us, From all sin within us:
. Glorify the holy Child!
. (verse 2) O Thou joyful, O Thou wonderful
. Love revealing Christmastide!
. Loud hosannas singing, And all praises bringing:
. May Thy love with us abide!
. (verse 3) O Thou joyful, O Thou wonderful
. Peace revealing Christmastide!
. Darkness disappeareth,
. God’s own light now neareth:
. Peace and joy to all betide!
. 9
P17 (walks out and holds gift out to congregation)
. God offers all these gifts - to all people.
. Acts 2:38 “...Repent and be baptized,
. every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
. for the forgiveness of your sins. And you
. will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
. (optional if you do not have message)
. May you find your Christmas this year
. rich with God’s gifts and blessings.
. And may we remember to share everything
. that our Lord God has given to us.
INSERT: short message from Pastor, then the
. lighting of the candles and passing of the light
. usually done while singing “Silent Night”