Don't Make Him Come Down There! (Ros' Blog)
I wrote this script for performance at my church last Christmas. The cast consists of just 5 angels. As I re-read it recently, it occurred to me that it could easily be played by a cast of disabled actors. Apart from the 2 angels at the beginning who are pointing out things they can see, it would make no difference if any of them were visually impaired. Most of the lines are simple enough to be mastered by someone with a learning disability (or the script could be pre-recorded and played over the performance if learning lines was too much of a challenge). When Exultato threads his/her way slowly though the congregation to the front, it would work perfectly well played by an actor in a wheelchair – and so on. Perhaps the only ability required is the ability to dress up in a white robe and a pair of wings! You are at liberty to change the names of the angels if you think these would cause confusion. Feel free to use it at your church, but if you do so, please mention Through the Roof somewhere on your programme or advertising.
Don’t make Him come down there! (A script for Christmas)
Cast: 5 angels, named Incredulo, Sympathico, Fideo, Jubilato, and Exultato
2 angels stand front of stage, shielding their eyes with their hands and peering intently at the audience.
Incredulo: Just look at them down there.
Sympathico: (turning aside) To be honest, I’d rather not.
Incredulo: (nodding) Not exactly a pretty sight, are they?
Sympathico: Well here’s the thing. I think they are a pretty sight. But I don’t think they can see that. That’s why they do the things they do to each other.
Incredulo: (pointing into the far distance, not at the congregation) Look at those ones over there. What are they doing?
Sympathico: I think they call it fighting.
Incredulo: Why?
Sympathico: (pointing at different groups in the distance) Because these ones want the land that belongs to those ones. So they attack them and try to take it from them.
Incredulo: Unbelievable!
Congregational carol: It came upon the midnight clear
Fideo comes running in from the side.
Fideo: O my goodness, I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
Sympathico: What?
Fideo: All kinds of things! They’re hurting each other, they’re hurting themselves, and they can’t seem to stop.
Incredulo: Unbelievable!
Sympathico: Living up here, I never dreamed there could be so much pain and unhappiness.
Incredulo: Doesn’t God see what they’re doing?
Sympathico: Of course He sees; He sees everything.
Fideo: Don’t they realise how powerful He is?
Sympathico: I guess not, or they wouldn’t want to cross Him!
Fideo: (Turning to congregation and wagging his finger) Don’t make Him come down there! You’ll regret it! Just don’t make Him come down there!
Congregational carol: O little town of Bethlehem
Jubilato comes running in from the other side
Jubilato: Have you heard? Have you heard?
Incredulo: }
Sympathico: } (in unison) Heard what?
Fideo: }
Jubilato: He’s going down there! Everyone says He’s going down there to sort them out.
Fideo: Oh no! I warned them!
Sympathico: They’ve had it now!
Fideo: I suppose He plans to destroy them and start again with a new creation.
Jubilato: Well, they’ve had it coming. They’ve asked for it.
Solo or small group: Nothing will ever be the same again (Graham Kendrick)
Another angel, Exultato enters silently at the back of the room and threads his/her way through the congregation to the front, joins the other angels, then slowly turns and faces the congregation.
Exultato: (in tones of wonder) Have you heard?
Incredulo: Yes, we’ve heard.
All: He’s going down there!
Exultato: Yes, but have you heard the rest?
Incredulo: No, but we can guess.
Fideo: I warned them. I warned them not to make Him come down there.
Sympathico: It’s curtains for them now.
Exultato: No, no, it’s not like that at all! He’s not going to destroy them, He’s going to save them!
Incredulo: Unbelievable!
Congregational carol: Joy to the world
Sympathico: So what’s the story?
Exultato: He’s going down there, but that’s not all, He’s going to become one of them.
Incredulo: What, a human?
Exultato: Yes.
Incredulo: Unbelievable!
Exultato: More unbelievable than you think. He’s going to contain the whole of Himself in one human embryo and be born as a baby and grow up among them.
(Incredulo’s jaw drops and he stands, open-mouthed)
Fideo: Unbelievable. (Points at Incredulo) He’s speechless.
Congregational carol: O little town of Bethlehem
Sympathico: I guess we were all overlooking one thing.
Fideo: What?
Sympathico: He really, really loves them. He would never destroy them.
Exultato: It’s more amazing than you think. He loves them so much, He would actually rather die than live without them. And if that’s what it takes to save them, He’ll do it.
Incredulo: Unbelievable! But it must be true. Amazing!
Solo or small group: Earth lies spellbound in darkness (Graham Kendrick)
Optional: Sermon at this point
Congregational carol: Hark the Herald angels sing