Narrator: I'd like to ask you to picture yourself as Mary, the mother of Jesus. What you remember most about that night is light. (all the house lights go out, Mary quickly makes her way to the stage) You are only 13 or 14 years old, yet you have been promised to a man named Joseph. This is not unusual to be engaged at this young age. Joseph is a carpenter, and like you a descendent of David. It is sometime during the customary engagement period of one year. (bring up some of the lights) You're sitting on the edge of your cot in the small house of your parents, when suddenly your room is flooded with light. (Spot light on Mary) It is so bright that you have to close your eyes. A voice fills the room.
Voice of Gabriel: Greetings , you who are highly favored! The lord is with you!
Narrator: You wonder, is this for real? You might pinch yourself to see if you're really awake. You ask yourself, what is this? This presence of glory ? This light talking to you? You put your hand up to shield your eyes, trying to see, (Mary slowly stands) trying to focus on this …this thing. Your heart is pounding, your breathing is rapid. You wonder, is this … and angel? Is this from … God? This who called you, you of all people, “highly favored” you can't figure out what is happening. You are trembling with fear. Yet the light speaks again.
Voice of Gabriel: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. You will be with child give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.
Narrator: You are numb, you are…stunned. -- Then , you protest.
Mary: How will this be, since I am a virgin?
Voice of Gabriel: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy ….. the Son of God.
Narrator: You are weak, no longer able to stand. (Mary gently but shakingly places herself on the edge of her cot again) yet you manage these words.
Mary: I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.
Narrator: You are overcome with emotion as you try to understand. Then as suddenly as it appeared the angel, the light are gone. (off goes the spot and the house lights. Mary exits.) You are most likely unable to control yourself. Tears , flow like a river down your cheek , yet you are smiling. Smiling, uncontrollable tears, and smiling so as to begin to laugh. You were absorbed in the light, and now you are alone in the darkness. Or are you? ( slowly bring up the house lights) You had felt the light. You had felt it stream in you, through you , over you and then was gone. But something lingered. You were not alone, for you knew God was with you. God was in you.

…………….MUSIC……………..

(The house lights go down, enter Mary and Joseph. They stand facing each other in conversation. The lights slowly come up.)
Narrator: Once again imagine that you are Mary. It has been a difficult time since your encounter with the light. First you tell Joseph, your fiance, and of course he is very upset. He clenches his teeth in order to keep from accusing you of betrayal. (Joseph turns his back on Mary) He resolves to divorce you quietly. (Mary turns and slowly walks away) The rumors start. You hear the whispers. You notice the stares. It hurts. (lights begin to go down) You feel abandoned , alone. But Joseph, he too receives a visit , a visit of light.
( the spot comes on Joseph, and the house lights go out.)
Voice of Gabriel: Joseph, son, of David. You should not fear to take Mary home as your wife, because the infant conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and when she does you must call his name Jesus, since he will save his people from their sins. God is fulfilling prophecies, Joseph! Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.(Off goes the spotlight)
Narrator: Emmanuel, the Angel said. Emmanuel, God with us. (The house lights come up slowly, and Joseph walks to Mary takes her hand ) Think about it , you Mary are to be a Mother , but not just any mother , you are to give birth to Emmanuel. You are so happy , and God has provided a dream to Joseph so that he too will know and not abandon you. You are so excited you have to, you have to tell some one, and so you travel to the highlands of Judea to tell your Aunt Elizabeth the news. (Mary and Joseph exit)
You tell Elizabeth the great and wonderful news, and a child, John, leaps within her and she is filled with the Holy Spirit.

…………….MUSIC……………..






Narrator: Time goes by. The weeks turned to months as you stayed with Elizabeth. Perhaps you were there at the birth of John. Did it frighten you? Since soon you too must go through the pain. Were you anxious? Were you tired of carrying the child in your womb? Were you wanting Elizabeth with you at the birth?
Narrator 2: About this time Caesar Augustus, decreed that a census be taken. Everyone was required to return to his ancestral home for this registration. Joseph being of the royal line, had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, and so you and your fiancee journeyed there.(Enter Mary and Joseph )
Narrator: Try to imagine yourself, traveling at such a time. Your back, your feet , your whole body aches, but you are convinced…
Mary: He's just a pawn.
Joseph: What's that you're saying?
Mary: It's just that the great and powerful Caesar Augustus ,is just a tool in Gods hands.
Joseph: Yes.(reflective pause) Here he has decreed that we should travel to Bethlehem, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Micah.
Mary: “O Bethlehem, you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!”
Narrator: The village is crowded , overcrowded. There is no room , no lodgings , only this stable.
Narrator2: Mary, is this what you saw when the Angel visited you. Is this what you envisioned would be the Birthplace of Emmanuel?
Narrator: There is no clean linen. There is no Crib. There is no midwife.
Narrator2: There is clean straw. There is a manger. There is Joseph. (lights fade down to darkness)
Narrator: Like all the women before you, you pain and you give birth, but not just any child is born. You give birth to Jesus. (Bring up the light in the manger)
Narrator2: The sky was filled with a great and glorius light. And God came down to us.
Narrator: Jesus the light of the world
Narrator2: Jesus who came to lead us out of the darkness of our sins.