. all rights belong to Tanis Harms –
. refer to www.church-skits.com
CHRISTMAS PERSPECTIVE OF AN ARTIST
. – written by Tanis Harms
TOPIC: Jesus’s birth, joy, faith, love, hope
SCRIPTURE: Matthew, Luke 3:23-38
Style: Christmas program with scripture readings,
. songs, and drama bits - as an artist
. attempts to capture the essence of Jesus
. on a piece of canvas
. with the help of a friend
Cast: ARTIST, FRIEND, VOICE or READER
Set & Props: easel, canvas, pallet, brush, table, Bible
NOTES: - can take selections from recommended songs –
. sung either by soloists, choir, congregation;
. or choose other applicable songs.
. – can project scripture origins on screen
. while each portion is being read
SCRIPT:
SONG: “ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH”
. traditional French carol
(ARTIST stands near easel just staring at the canvas.
The congregation cannot see if anything is on it.
FRIEND enters. Seeing the canvas, FRIEND approaches
with curiosity to study the canvas and then the ARTIST.)
FRIEND (carefully) Ah, so, what is it - GOING to be?
ARTIST (struggles to explain) My... interpretation-
FRIEND An abstract? - Impressionism?
ARTIST I suppose it would have to be my impression.
FRIEND Of? Well, what are you trying to interpret?
. Or – impress upon us? I mean, you haven’t even
. started. And I don’t see any – model or – oh!
. You’re going to paint – the Bible?
. (points at the Bible sitting on the table)
ARTIST Noooo.
FRIEND Why is it sitting there, then?
ARTIST It’s there as my inspiration.
FRIEND Okay. Did you want me to help in any way? 2
. Like – help you process, or something?
ARTIST Sure.
FRIEND Okay... How so?
ARTIST I am actually trying to capture –
. some of the traits of Jesus.
. You know? Like, what Jesus means to us.
FRIEND Well, that should be easy.
. And given that it’s Christmas,
. you can paint the nativity scene.
ARTIST What trait does that display?
FRIEND Well, what did the angel tell the shepherds
. just after Jesus had been born?
(While FRIEND thinks, VOICE RECORDING or READER
from another location on stage reads the verse.)
VOICE (Luke 2:10) But the angel said to them,
. “Do not be afraid; for behold,
. I bring you good news of great joy
. which will be for all the people”
FRIEND (thinks) Joy! Jesus as a baby exemplifies joy.
. I mean, who can look at a baby -
. ANY baby - and NOT feel joy.
ARTIST Well, it’s more than that. As you just said,
. any baby can bring a certain amount of joy.
. But the joy that Jesus brings- (thinks)
VOICE (John 17:13) “But now I come to You;
. and these things I speak in the world
. so that they may have My joy
. made full in themselves.”
ARTIST That kind of joy is deep. I mean, really deep.
SONG: “JOY TO THE WORLD”
. by Isaac Watts
. OR “HOW GREAT OUR JOY!”
. German carol, arranged by Hugo Jungst
FRIEND Okay, I see what you’re saying. I guess,
. a painting of a baby just wouldn’t capture that.
. 3
(FRIEND and ARTIST both think deeply and wander about.
ARTIST lightly touches the Bible.)
FRIEND Oh! Well, what about Jesus as a grown man.
. Jesus came as a baby – but – obvious grew up.
. Right? You see that painting of Him –
. and there’s just something about it –
ARTIST Those are just other artists’ interpretations
. of what they imagine- what THEY see Him to be-
FRIEND You don’t see anything like that?
ARTIST The only place where the Bible describes Jesus,
. is in – Isaiah... (thinks)
VOICE (Isaiah 53:2-3) He grew up
. before him like a tender shoot,
. and like a root out of dry ground. He had
. no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him,
. nothing in His appearance
. that we should desire Him.
. He was despised and rejected by men,
. a Man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
. Like one from whom men hide their faces
. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
ARTIST So, you see, the beauty comes from
. somewhere else. Jesus was our perfect,
. earthly example – who remained obedient –
. and faithful to God, the Father.
. Even when Jesus was tempted by Satan,
. Jesus remained faithful.
VOICE (Hebrews 4:15) For we do not have a High Priest
. who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
. but One who has been tempted in all things
. as we are, yet without sin.
ARTIST And Jesus was constantly talking about faith-
VOICE (Mark 11:22-23) And Jesus answered
. saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly,
. I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
. ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’
. and does not doubt in his heart,
. but believes that what he says
. is going to happen, it will be granted him.”
FRIEND That is certainly a lot of faith- 4
ARTIST Exactly! So how does one even begin
. to capture that?
SONG “O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL”
. by John Francis Wade
. OR “HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING”
. by Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn,
. William H.Cummings
. OR “THOU DIDST LEAVE THY THRONE”
. by Emily E.S.Elliott, Timothy R.Matthews
FRIEND Jesus was also faithful to the point
. of death. His death on the cross
. would depict great sacrifice and love.
ARTIST Yes – God’s great love for us.
VOICE (Romans 5:8) But God demonstrates
. His own love toward us, in that
. while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
FRIEND I kind of get a picture of that.
ARTIST Death on the cross definitely symbolizes
. the love. But does it entirely encompass it?
FRIEND What else is there to encompass?
VOICE (Ephesians 3:19) -to know the love of Christ
. which surpasses knowledge, that you may be
. filled up to all the fullness of God.
FRIEND It is beyond our earthly understanding,
. isn’t it?
SONG: “I WONDER AS I WANDER”
. by John Jacob Niles, Donald P.Hustad
. OR “COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS”
. by Charles Wesley, Rowland H. Prichard,
. Robert Harkness
(PASTOR can insert a short message of salvation here.)
SONG: “GOOD CHRISTIAN MEN, REJOICE”
. by John M.Neale, John Stainer
. OR “BREAK FORTH, O BEAUTEOUS HEAVENLY LIGHT”
. by Johann Rist, John Troutbeck, Joseph Barlowe,
. Johann Schop, J.S.Bach
. 5
ARTIST So much to grasp! Where does one
. even begin?
FRIEND What about displaying the peace that comes
. from knowing Jesus and believing that
. He died for our sins and - rose again?
. Remember what Jesus told the disciples
. after His resurrection?
VOICE (John 20:19-21) -Jesus came
. and stood in their midst and said to them,
. “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this,
. He showed them both His hands and His side.
. The disciples then rejoiced
. when they saw the Lord.
. So Jesus said to them again,
. “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me,
. I also send you.”
ARTIST Hm, peace. Yes, I experience that peace, but
. when I think of that amazing peace –
. it only makes my efforts in trying to
. capture Jesus’ essence that much more daunting.
FRIEND But to paint something really peaceful – like -
. I enjoy listening to music, or looking
. at a painting that evokes the feeling of peace.
ARTIST THAT kind of peace can also be found
. in quietness, or simplicity.
FRIEND Sure. It is opposite of being in a storm
. or chaos. There is - calmness and tranquility.
ARTIST But God promises us a peace – even when
. we are in the midst of trials and suffering.
. How do I fully incorporate the magnitude
. of the peace from knowing Jesus?
VOICE (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.”
SONG: “FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN”
. by George Frederick Handel, Tom Fettke
. OR “I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY”
. by Henry W.Longfellow, Jean Baptiste Calkin
. 6
ARTIST I have experienced many storms in my life,
. but through it all, I have found inexplicable
. peace. That kind of peace is incredible.
. It gives one hope. And I’m not talking about
. the wishy-washy kind of hope where you wish
. that something is there. I’m talking about-
. the kind that gives you confidence in knowing.
FRIEND Hope! There’s another essence to try and
. encorporate.
VOICE (Ephesians 1:12-14) To the end that we
. who were the first to hope in Christ
. would be to the praise of His glory.
. In Him, you also, after listening
. to the message of truth,
. the gospel of your salvation—
. having also believed, you were sealed in Him
. with the Holy Spirit of promise,
. who is given as a pledge of our inheritance,
. with a view to the redemption
. of God’s own possession,
. to the praise of His glory.
ARTIST With everything that we have discussed,
. I am now overwhelmed with inspiration.
FRIEND So you know what you are going to paint then?
ARTIST No! If anything, I feel more humbled than ever.
SONG: “WHAT CAN I GIVE HIM”
. by Christina Rossetti, Don Cason
FRIEND There must be something. After all,
. our Lord and Savior is Creator of everything,
. and we are created in His image –
. so that means we are all – creators –
. or artists, if you will. And we’ve all been
. given gifts to use with a purpose. And -
. Your gift is obviously painting.
. So, what will it be? What will you create?
ARTIST All of these things of Jesus:
. joy, faith, love, peace and hope –
. are all things that God expects us to have-
. through knowing Jesus.
. God wants all of us to experience these things.
FRIEND Go on. I think you’re on to something. 7
VOICE (John 15:11) These things I have spoken to you
. so that My joy may be in you,
. and that your joy may be made full.
ARTIST Not only are we to experience joy,
. but we should be filled with joy.
VOICE (Ephesians 4:13) Until we all attain
. to the unity of the faith,
. and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
. to a mature man, to the measure of the stature
. which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
ARTIST Not only are we to experience faith,
. but we should be growing in our faith.
VOICE (Ephesians 5:2) And walk in love,
. just as Christ also loved you
. and gave Himself up for us, an offering
. and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
ARTIST Not only are to experience love,
. but we are to practice this same love.
VOICE (Romans 5:1) Therefore, having been
. justified by faith, we have peace with God
. through our Lord Jesus Christ.
. (Romans 12:18) If possible,
. so far as it depends on you,
. be at peace with all men.
ARTIST Not only are we to experience peace,
. but we are to seek peace with everyone.
VOICE (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
. and God our Father, who has loved us
. and given us eternal comfort
. and good hope by grace,
. comfort and strengthen your hearts
. in every good work and word.
ARTIST Not only are we to experience hope,
. but we are to spread this hope
. through everything that we do.
FRIEND Okay, now my mind is starting to be blown away.
. How are we supposed to do all of that?
. 8
ARTIST This is the most amazing part.
. Not only is our Lord God all of these things,
. and – not only does our Lord God
. want to give us these things,
. but when He expects these things from us-
VOICE (Hebrews 13:20-21) Now the God of peace,
. who brought up from the dead
. the great Shepherd of the sheep
. through the blood of the eternal covenant,
. even Jesus our Lord, equip you
. in every good thing to do His will,
. working in us that which is pleasing
. in His sight, through Jesus Christ,
. to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
ARTIST He does this for us, in us, and through us.
. We just have to be willing.
. We have to allow Jesus to continue to mold us,
. shape us, create in us...
. (pauses, suddenly becoming inspired)
. I have finished my painting!
FRIEND But – you haven’t even started.
ARTIST All these things that I am trying
. to capture on canvas – THIS-
. (turns easel around to show blank canvas)
. THIS will represent my life GIVEN to God.
. I give myself as a blank canvas to God –
. to create these things in me and in my life.
. I want the Creator of the Universe
. to paint on my soul - all of these things.
. And I only pray that other people will see-
. I pray that this will inspire. I pray –
. that this message of Jesus will spread.
(FRIEND nods knowingly, then exits with ARTIST.
READER or PASTOR begins to spread the candlelight.)
SONG: “A THOUSAND CANDLES”
. by Evie Karlsson, Emmy Kohler, Eugene Thomas
. OR “SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT”
. by Joseph Mohr, John F.Young, Franz Gruber