A Christmas Pageant:
Part 2
(A throne is at centre front
of the sanctuary, Herod sits on it, flanked by 2 scribes;
the manger is off to the
west side, far from the throne, maybe even in darkness.)
Reading: Matthew
2:1-2
The Journey of
Faith: the questing magi
(The magi come up the east aisle to the throne where they stand before
Herod)
Melchior
Wow! Nice church! Great place you have here! You’ve fixed it up real nice.
Thanks for letting us come in. I know we’re strange to you, and you probably
wonder why we’re here. So we appreciate
your openness.
My name is Melchior.
It’s a Persian name. In your
language it probably means something like “Curious” because that’s mostly what
I am – curious about all kinds of things.
I’m a priest in the Zoroastrian religion. I know, I know – in your mind that’s supposed
to make me evil or wrong. But really I’m
just looking for truth and goodness wherever I can see it.
And that’s why I’m here.
I really just want to see what the One God of all might have to show me
here.
Caspar
Me, too. My name
is Caspar. I’m Indian – from India – the
real India. People sometimes call me “Journeyer”
because I really do journey a lot. “Have
question, will travel” – that’s my slogan.
I and my friends saw a star in the heavens we had never
seen before. It was strange and new, so
we studied it with all our different sciences and arts and philosophies. And what we figured out, is that it’s a sign
of a new and wonderful king being born here – a king so different from any other
king the earth has ever known, a king so much better than any other, that even
the stars in the heavens are happy about him being born.
It seems like all creation – all life on Earth has been
waiting for this kind of king to be born.
So we left where we were, and have come here to see him
and learn what we can. A new age is
dawning for all Earth – and we want to be part of it in whatever little way we
can.
Balthazar
Yeah, that’s really all we’re here for.
Like the others, I am a Zoroastrian priest.
I know, you seem to be over-run by Zoroastrians
today. But don’t worry. We’re not trying to convert you. We don’t want to change you. We just want to see what we can learn
together at this wonderful time.
I forgot to tell you my name. It’s Balthasar, and I’m Babylonian. Yeah – another foreign country. You’re over-run with foreigners, too.
Anyway, my name probably means something like “Open” in
your language, because that’s what I try to be.
Because it’s like they say in The X-Files – the truth is
out there. Out there, there’s a truth or
a God or whatever you want to call it, that’s bigger than all of us, and I
really believe we can all grow towards it, if only we are open.
Someone and something really good for all the world is being
born here, and we want to see it and learn from it – even bow down to it if we
can.
Whatever it is will help us be the best Zoroastrians we
can be, and I’m sure when you see this new king, he will help you be the best
you can be, too.
Song: “We Three Kings”
Reading: Matthew
2:3-8
The Place of
Fear: the quivering king
Herod
Oh, my goodness!
What do I do now?
I’m king here. I
don’t always like being king. It’s not
an easy job. Some days I hate it. But someone has to do it and I do the best I
can.
So this is my court, my palace, my kingdom, and as king I
need to know what’s going on here.
So … Who are these strangers? Why have they come into our kingdom? And who is this new king? What is this new kind of kingdom they are
talking about?
So many questions!
I hate questions!
Something is going on here that I don’t know about. And I don’t like that.
I need to know everything, and I need the people to know
that I know everything.
This kingdom may be small in comparison with others, and
it may not be perfect. But at least it’s
my kingdom, I know what’s best for it, and I intend to keep it that way.
Scribe
1
O, good king! Good
news! Good news!
I have looked through the old books of God that we keep
on the shelf, and I found something written there about a great king coming out
of the little town of Bethlehem out in the back-hill country – just like good
king David did long ago at the beginning of the kingdom.
It’s that old, old story God seems to like so much. You know the one – about a little person coming
from a little place, and becoming greater and more important than all the big
people from the big places of the time.
But it means that at least for now you don’t have to
worry. This so-called “new king” is not in
Jerusalem. He’s not even here yet. If he is born, he’s still out in
Bethlehem. He’s out on the edge of
society. If he’s around at all, he’s among
the nobodies. He has no power – at least
not any power like yours, so maybe he’ll just disappear.
Scribe
2
Oh, but good king, this may actually be bad news. Really bad news!
Because if God is going back to God’s old ways – back to
the way God worked in the past, it may be that God is stirring up the world
again from the bottom – showing up in surprising places – doing unexpected
things – lifting up the poor and the weak, instead of serving the strong and
the powerful – working through people other than us, who are used to being
God’s servants and used to being in charge of things.
And you know what that could mean.
Whenever God goes back to the old ways of working, things
usually get shaken up. It’s not usually good
news for the ones on top – not usually good news for people like us.
Herod
OK! Let me think!
You magi, go find this new king you say has come into the
world. Do whatever you need to do when
you see him, and then come tell me all about it. Tell me everything – especially where he is.
Maybe someday I’ll go see him myself. I’d love to welcome him into my kingdom – to
teach him what’s what – to show him how things need to be around here – to help
him fit into my kingdom and my way of doing things.
Maybe I’ll even put him to sleep – I mean, sing
him to sleep with one of my favourite songs.
In fact, let’s sing it now. It’s called “Blessed Assurance.” It’s my own personal version – just to
reassure ourselves – to reassure me, that even with so many questions, nothing really
needs to change:
Hymn: “Blessed Assurance” (King Herod version)
Blessed
assurance, truth all is mine!
O what a
blessing of power divine!
Heir of
tradition, I know what’s right.
When
you’re in my court, it’s all black and white.
This is my
story, I’m never wrong,
I have the
answers all the day long.
This is my
story, I’m never wrong,
saving my
status all the day long.
Reading: Matthew
2:9-12
The Quiet
Game-Changers: Finding Jesus
Narrator
Herod, of course, never did see Jesus or meet him.
Unlike the magi – those strange, curious, open-minded
journeyers, he wasn’t interested in a new king, or a new kind of kingdom being
born in his time for the well-being of the world.
He was afraid to let go of what he had, even for the sake
of something that was promised by God to be bigger and better. He felt threatened by the new thing God was
doing in his time. He was afraid because
he couldn’t imagine not being in charge.
He couldn’t imagine bending down and putting himself and what he had, at
the service of someone or something bigger than himself, and being happy about
it. So he stayed behind.
Poor Herod.
In this pageant, people were recruited and agreed to play
particular roles. Many thanks to them
for helping us to see at least a little bit about the different roles we can
choose for ourselves in the new year ahead – what roles are available to us in
the unfolding pageant of God, God’s truth, God’s Spirit and God’s kingdom being
born in our time.
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