A timeless tale, this holiday musical drama involves a troop of story tellers who gather together to communicate a miraculous true story; a story entitled, “Christmas.”
The story unfolds at The Beginning. In the beginning was the word (Jesus) and the word was with God and the word was God. The taletellers explain that God existed even before the universe. Even then, His thoughts were of Christmas, the day He would show himself as man. The same God that laid the foundations of the earth was also thinking of us. We were on His mind.
Upon hearing that our God is both awesome and personal, this story leads us into the song/video package, “God of Wonders.” As we watch the taletellers sing words such as, “Lord of all creation, of water, earth and sky, the heavens are your tabernacle, glory to the Lord on High”, images of our galaxy and nature scenes simultaneously surround the audience to create a sense of awe and wonder.
Scene two, entitled “The Longing” is set hundreds of years later when the human race is placed on earth. The taletellers explain that when God created us He gave us freedom; freedom to follow Him or depart from His ways. Once sin enters our world, people experience depravity and pain.
God’s people cry out to Him who never departed. He is the light that shines in our darkness. But in our darkness we fail to see His presence. God sends forth a prophet to proclaim that God has never left us; He longs to be with us. The taletellers masterfully reveal, that in order to believe, we need to see God. With our finite minds we can’t comprehend a God we cannot see.
And so, God sends forth his own son. Unto us a child will be born. He will be called, Wonderful Councelor, Prince of Peace. He will pay our ransom once and for all. He will be called Emmanuel.
Beautifully woven into this story line is the familiar Christmas song, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” with a fresh medley arrangement including “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus and a Willow original, “This Weary World.” This scene closes with a sparse a capella trio of men that is joined by the whole troop of storytellers passionately crying out, “the weary world’s been waiting for a long time. Are you going to reveal yourself? I don’t know if we can’t wait much longer. Are you going to deliver us?”
The next scene takes place in Bethlehem hundreds of years later and is appropriately called, The Visit, because it is here where Jesus Christ visits our world in human form. This is the climax of God’s story, His grand entrance, His debut in the flesh. Christmas day is upon us; the day of our Savior’s birth.
Chris Rice, a prolific Christian singer/songwriter, writes about Christ’s birth in a song titled, “Welcome to Our World.” In A Christmas Tale, Willow uses this song to illustrate the true miracle of Jesus - God himself born into the hands of a Jewish carpenter in a small, poor town. Jesus, our “long awaited, Holy Savior brings His peace into our violence” so our “hungry souls can be filled.” We welcome Christ to our world and rejoice at the Good News of His birth.
Instantly, the storytellers jump into “Joy to the World” a hip arrangement from The Preacher’s Wife. With song and dance the tellers of tales proclaim the familiar words, “let heaven and nature sing! Go shout of His glory that our Savior is born!” We close this scene in full celebration.
The Finale is the final scene of A Christmas Tale. As explained by the story’s narrator, this story has no end.
For Christ’s birth leads to His death, and His death leads to His life. And His life leads to our lives. Through us, we can choose to let the Jesus of Christmas live on. We can choose to believe that the He was a mere child in a manger or that He is the Savior who lives on with an outstretched hand to us.
A Christmas Tale concludes by asking the audience to answer the question for themselves; Where will the story of Jesus end for you? Will Jesus remain as a baby in a manger? Or, will He be a personal God who still does wonders?
The Drama and Music Charts are available for immediate download while the DVD will get sent to you in the mail. Note: Purchase of this product entitles your church and/or non-profit organization to photocopy the enclosed material for eachmusical and Drama performer in your church or non-profit organization only. The material is non-transferable between churches or organizations and cannot be resold. The DVD rights include Cleared for home use, Face to face instructional settings & in regular church services. But unauthorized duplication or editing is prohibited. Broadcast rights and public performance is strictly forbidden.
|
