“SIGNS” AND WONDERS (an interactive Christmas Eve)
Text - Luke 20: 1-20
Scene: the hillside outside Bethlehem
Characters: two shepherds (Virgil and Elaine)
Props:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Virgil:Â (stretching out on his back, hands behind his head)Â Yessirree, Elaine, this is one beautiful night tonight.Â
SIGN - WHAT A LOVELY NIGHT
It’s enough to make you glad you’re a shepherd.
SIGN - LOOK AT THE STARS!
Elaine: You must be looking at the stars again, Virgil. Honestly, yes they are wondrous indeed. And I know we have lots of time to look at them. Hours every night. night after night - after night. But honestly, Virg. Don’t you ever get tired of the same stars! I mean the same stars! They never change.
Virgil: Maybe they are the same to you, Elaine. But to me they are poetry in motion. Very slow motion. Very slow poetry. It gives you time to think. You know? Ponder the meaning of life.
Elaine: And nod off to sleep. And forget your job. Virgil, we are here to look after sheep. Lots of them. Just because the owner is having a rest at home doesn’t mean we get to slack off up here on the hillside, you know!
Virgil: I know. And I am grateful to have the job, even though the pay is nothing to write home about. If I could even write, that is. Or read, for that matter. Never mind, I’m sorry, I’ll pay a bit better attention.
Elaine: You should. After all, we are the brains behind this outfit. Without us, the sheep would be dead meat.
Virgil: Or lost for good, or stolen. It’s really too bad God didn’t make sheep smarter. You know, smart like a dog or something. Where they could find their way home, or defend themselves.
Elaine: If God had made sheep smart, Virgil, we would not have a job like this.
Virgil: and for that I am eternally grateful.
Elaine: Now, Virgil, get off your back and start looking after the sheep. Go on. It’s your turn.
Virgil gets up, starts to walk away. Elaine watches a moment, then lies down on her back.
SIGN - LOOK AT THE STARS!
Elaine: Wait a minute. Virgil, look at the stars.
Virgil: Now don’t start that. You’re making fun of me. I’m going to look after the sheep.
Elaine: No. I’m not making fun of you. I mean it. Look up. Come back here.
Virgil:Â (Looking up)
SIGN - LOOK - ANGELS
Virgil:Â (Looking up)Â Look - Elaine - angels!
THE ANGELS APPEAR (held up by children)
Trumpet - HARK! The herald angels sing (one verse)
Elaine: Angels. I’m sure that’s what they are. At least they look like angels. Hovering around. They almost look like a choir.Â
The choir sings one verse of -
While shepherds watched their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
An angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around.
Virgil: They sure sound like a choir. Say, they’re pretty good, too. But what is it they mean to say?
SIGN - PEACE ON EARTH
Elaine: Peace on earth. From up in heaven. Wow. Virgil, this is quite wonderful. But what are we supposed to do with that? Are we supposed to go somewhere? Do something?
SIGN - GO TO BETHLEHEM
Choir sings…
To you in David's town this day
Is born of David's line
A saviour who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign;
The heavenly babe you there shall find
To human view displayed
All meanly wrapped in swaddling bands
And in a manger laid.
Virgil: I have an idea. Why don’t we go to Bethlehem. It’s just down the hill from here.
Trumpet - Once In Royal David’s City (one verse)
SIGN - DON’T FORGET THE SHEEP
Elaine: But what about the sheep?
Virgil:Â Maybe the angels will look after them for us.
Elaine: Maybe. I don’t know. Can you actually talk with angels? I’m not used to this.Â
Virgil: Me neither. Look. We can’t just stand here gawking at the sky and talking with angels. We have to get going.
The children put the angels down and leave the sanctuary.
SIGN - GO ON. GET GOING.
Elaine: I’m not sure. I’m worried about the sheep. About our jobs. What if something happens?
Virgil: Elaine, something already happened. Angels talked to us. sang to us, even. Peace on earth. The son of God is born in Bethlehem. Do you realize what this means?
Elaine: It means we could lose our jobs.
SIGN - GO ON. GET GOING.
Virgil: I think we should get going. After all, this doesn’t happen every day.Â
SIGN - DON’T FORGET THE SHEEP
Elaine: But Virgil. The sheep.
Virgil: O, would you stop it. If we keep this up, the night will be gone. The angels will disappear. They’ll go find someone else to tell. Gee, we might miss the big event. Forget the job. Let’s go.
SIGN - GO ON. GET GOING.
Elaine: Virgil, you’re talking foolishness. Angels or no angels, songs of peace on earth or not. God come to earth or not.  This is crazy. We’re sleep deprived.
Virgil: You are faith deprived. Yes, that’s it! This is about faith. about trusting voices and listening to something bigger than the bleeting of a bunch of sheep. This is about walking into the unknown, taking a first step into something you can only imagine.Â
SIGN - GO ON. GET GOING.
Virgil:Â So, are you coming with me?
Elaine: Alright. Let’s go.
As they walk down the center aisle, the trumpet plays “While shepherds watched their flocks”. As they round the side aisle and up to the front, center again, the spotlight shines on the star hanging from the ceiling. The trumpet stops.
Elaine: It’s funny.
Virgil: Funny? That’s a strange word to use.
Elaine: I don’t mean ha ha funny. I mean it’s strange. The town seems different somehow.Â
Virgil: Different? It’s just as noisy as usual. Even moreso, if you ask me, what with the census and all.  Half of Judea must be crammed three to a bed in this little town. Even in the middle of the night, the boys are still whooping it up in the taverns, kids are bawling. The animals are making a lot of noise, too. What’s different?
Elaine: I can’t put my finger on it.  Wait, stop. There it is. That must be the sign. (looks up, sees the star.)  See that? That star.
Virgil: Holy mother of Moses, will you look at that! I see what you mean. And I feel it, too. That difference. Strange. Awesome. Still.
SIGN - SHHH
The choir quietly hums Silent Night.
Elaine: Over here, Virgil. Over by this stable. I think that’s where the star is pointing.
Virgil: No way. In a stable? The birth of God’s son happened in a stable? Who’d a thunk it?
Elaine: No kidding! But I can feel it in my bones. Here we are. What do you think? Should we go in?
Virgil: We haven’t exactly got an invitation. And it’s the middle of the night.
Elaine: Maybe God works in the middle of the night, too.
Virgil: Tonight I am willing to believe anything. Angels. Peace on earth. God coming among us. I guess with God anything is possible. Tonight especially.Â
SIGN - GO ON. GET GOING.
Elaine: Me, too. Alright. Let’s go in.  Maybe the angels let them know we were coming. And if not, let’s hope they forgive us for being so …
Virgil:Â Impertinent.
Elaine: Good for you. OK.  Let’s go in.
They enter the stable, and go to the manger.
SIGN - WONDERFUL
SIGN - COUNSELLOR
SIGN - PRINCE OF PEACE
SIGN - SHHH
As they come out of the stable area, the choir stops humming.
Virgil: What a sight. What an experience! Elaine, I don’t know what to say. I feel this incredible sense of peace in my soul. I have never had it before like that.Â
Elaine: I feel the same way.Â
SIGN - WONDERFUL
Virgil: But what now? What do we do? Who should we tell? Tell the owner of the sheep? I doubt it. Wake up the neighbors? Not likely. Who should we tell? What do we do?
Elaine: Maybe we don’t have to do anything. Maybe it was a gift for us. Or a gift for the world. Maybe what we need to do right now, tonight, is just let the gift of this wonderful birth bless us with peace. Let it fill our souls with hope, just like it is right now.
Virgil: And tomorrow? What do we do then?
Elaine: Tomorrow, I think we should start to share the news. It wasn’t just for us that this happened, Virgil. This is a gift for the whole world. God’s gift of peace in a crazy mixed up world.Â
SIGN - WONDERFUL
SIGN - THANKS BE TO GOD.