Sunday, January 03, 2016

Epiphany Pageant from Sunday, January 3, 2015


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
 
 
(The magi leave Herod, go to the manger, leave their gifts there; look back towards Herod, look at one another, then leave by going out the west aisle; Herod stays sitting on his throne, flanked by his two scribes, as a narrator finishes the drama.) 

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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