Messy Nativity

Hello!

This morning, Ellie and Helen together with some of our Little Rocks members joined forces with Marcia and the Messy Church Gang to bring the Nativity story to our benefice.

Yesterday, we all met up at Botley Church for rehearsals. Everyone chose what part they wanted to play in the Nativity story and we ran through the story a couple of times. After a squash and biscuit break, we were then able to choose costumes (huge thanks to Durley School for lending us their Nativity wardrobe!) before having a couple more dress rehearsals.

We all met up again at the church this morning so that the narrators could practice using the microphones, we could all get ready, make sure our props were in the right places and be in our seats before the service started. This morning Rector Gregg and Curate Amy were not going to be talking ... our play was in place of the sermon!

Our story began once upon a Christmas time, many years ago where an old shepherd called Samuel and his friends looked after the sheep on the hills above Bethlehem. The other shepherds called Samuel Uncle Sam, and Uncle Sam had 10 lambs whom he loved dearly. He counted his lambs in the afternoon, before he went to sleep and in the morning, but one morning one of his precious lambs was missing!

We then sang a song while Uncle Sam packed his bag and went to look for his missing lamb. When Uncle Sam found his lamb he also found that he had lost his way in the hills, but luckily a big, sparkly star stops high in the sky, and this leads Uncle Sam back. When Uncle Sam returns to the flock, he gets a huge shock because in front of him are a chorus of angels! The rest of the shepherds and the sheep are very frightened.

The angels are messengers and they have come with a wonderful message for the shepherds. A very special baby has been born in Bethlehem. He is Jesus, the son of God.

We sang another song about the message that the angels were bringing to the shepherds, who then decided that they're going to follow the star down into Bethlehem, and leave Uncle Sam to look after the sheep on the hills.

We sang another song which took place in the stable where Mary and Joseph were with the baby Jesus. The shepherds arrived to worship the new baby Jesus.

But the shepherds weren't the only people looking for Jesus that Christmas. Some wise men had come on a long journey from a faraway country and they had been following the same star for months. They brought gifts for the baby Jesus.

Our next song was about the wise men arriving at the stable and there was one other visitor too - Uncle Sam had decided that he wasn't going to be left out, and he came to see the baby Jesus. The wise men gave Jesus their presents of gold, Frankincense and myrhh. Uncle Sam had brought a gift too, one of his precious lambs!

The wise men started on their long journey home. Mary and Joseph were warned that Herod the king wanted to take baby Jesus away from them. They went on a secret journey to Egypt so that they could keep Jesus safe. The shepherds returned to the hills overlooking the town of Bethlehem.

Uncle Sam went back to counting his lambs but this time when he got to 9, he knew the missing lamb was safe with the baby Jesus!

We returned to sit with our families and the rest of the congregation for the remainder of the service. Afterwards, we enjoyed squash and some of the parish Christmas cake and loads of people came up to us and said how much they'd enjoyed our play!

See you next time!

The Little Rocks Leaders