The Shepherds – God doesn’t always do what you expect

Based on the story of the Shepherds at the time of the birth of Christ and the fact that by God calling these men, who lets be honest in the worlds eyes weren’t the most important people around, God doesn’t always do what you expect.
Parts: The sketch has been written for a minimum of: ·         4 Shepherds – Are normal working class lads. ·         2 Angels – Speak throughout in loud dramatic voices. If you want to get more people involved you can use some extras simply as walk on roles. Scene Shepherds are sat in a line warming their hands against a fire, or drinking out of mugs. One has a bucket in front of him which he keeps dipping his hands into and rubbing whatever is in there together to try and get clean. He actually has socks in the bucket but these should not be revealed until later. The 2 Angels walk on behind the shepherds and Angel 1 nods knowingly to the other as they walk across the stage and stop on the other side to say the following...
Angel 1	And the time came, while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, for the baby to be born.
Angel 2	As it was written Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
Angel 1	Now there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
Angel 2	Whilst the Angels (Pause dramatically and sweep arms towards the shepherds) watched over the shepherds.
Angel 1	And though, verily, I say unto you, it was a bit nippy.
Shepherd1	I’m really cold. Aren’t you?
Shepherd2	Not really. Oh no look what I’ve done (Lifts up a pair of grey socks out of a saucepan) I've washed all the colour out of my socks.
Shepherd3	What colour were they to begin with?
Shepherd2	Blue
Shepherd3	BLUE?
Shepherd1	Yeh, like my hands. Aren't you two cold?
Shepherd3	(Ignoring) What temperature was the water you used to wash them in? Temperature can make all the difference you know.
Shepherd2	About 40 degrees, that’s about right isn’t it?
Shepherd1	(Shepherd tands up calling to God) LORD, PLEASE WARM ME UP
	(All look at shepherd 1)
Shepherd 3	What are you doing?
Shepherd 1	Asking God to warm me up.
Shepherd 2	Asking God to warm you up? What makes you think God will turn up here and make you warm.
Shepherd 3	You’re just an insignificant shepherd on a hill. What makes you think God has time for the likes of you?
Shepherd 4	God doesn't always do what you expect.
	(All stop and turn to look at Shepherd 4)
Shepherd 2	What are you on about?
Shepherd 4	God doesn’t always do what you expect.
Shepherd 1	Yes that’s right. Why shouldn't he come down and make me warm. God doesn't always do what you expect.
	(Awkward silence)
Shepherd 3	You’re right though - It is a bit nippy.
Shepherd 1	(Starts to hop from leg to leg as he wants to go to the toilet) All this cold air...well its gone straight to my...to my err…I’ve got to go. (He runs off the stage with knees together)
Shepherd 4	Go where?
Shepherd 2	Let’s just say a bush is being nurtured!
All Shepherds	Oh!!!
	(All go back to what they were doing)
Angel 1	And then suddenly we, the Angels of the Lord, appeared to them, and the glory of God shone around them and they were terrified.
Angel 2	The Shepherds were terrified not the angels… obviously (Shepherds shake/be terrified). So we said to them…
Angel 1	We bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Angel 2	Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the lord.
	(Shepherds go down on knees, heads bowed in humble prayers)
Angel 1	Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the Angels praising God and saying…
	(Shepherds prostrate themselves and if you have them available bring more Angels on)
Angel 1 & 2 plus others if available	Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.
Angel 1	And then the Angelic host left them and when they had gone the shepherd said.......
	(Shepherd 1 comes back on at this point)
Shepherd 1	What are you lot doing laying down there.
	(All the shepherds get up and are very excited)
Shepherd 4	The Angel of the Lord has appeared to us.
Shepherd 2	He did, He did. It was amazing.
Shepherd 3	It was, it was… wow….
Shepherd 4	He told us a saviour has been born today in the town of Bethlehem.
Shepherd 1	An Angel told you that did he? (Picks up a mug and sniffs it) What have you been drinking?
Shepherd 4	(Continuing) and they said he is Christ the Lord.
Shepherd 1	And then I suppose even more appeared and started singing.
Shepherd 2	Yes, they did. You heard it to?
Shepherd 2, 3 & 4	(All excitedly speak over one another saying how amazing, exciting, wonderful, scary awesome, and ‘did you see the big one in the middle’ etc)
Shepherd 1	(Shaking head then suddenly shouts to stop interrupt the hubbub) LOOK! (Then calmer) You really expect me to believe that God sent his Angels to a few insignificant men on a hill.
All	YES
Shepherd 4	Look, we did say earlier God doesn't always do what you expect.
Shepherd 1	OK prove it. Take me to the saviour.
	(Then all except Shepherd 1 get up and start walking off)
Shepherd 1	What’s up? where are you going
All	To prove it. (Leave the stage)
Shepherd 1	What? Really? You’re going! Well hold on then, wait for me. Watch out don’t go near that bush. Oh sorry (runs off after the shepherds).
Angel 1	Accordingly they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and their saviour, a baby lying in a manger.
Angel 2	And when they had seen Him they spread the word concerning all they had been told about this child.
Angel 1	Thus we now find the Shepherds returning to their flock
Angel 2	As a consequence of their experience they are glorifying God and praising God for all the things they have heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Angel 2	Verily…(pause) As they had been told by us (smiles)
Angel 2	Verily indeed. (Pause and smiles back) Yep, we told em!
	(Shepherds come back on, all a bit dazed and in awe of what they have seen)
Shepherd 1	WOW, that was amazing. We have seen our saviour. So beautiful.
Shepherd 2	Praise God
Shepherd 3	Hallelujah
Shepherd 1	Who would have believed it? Of all the people God could have told he chose to tell us.
Shepherd 4	It’s good isn’t it? It’s exactly what we were saying earlier.
	(All turn to look at the Shepherd 4)
Shepherd 4	God doesn't always do what you expect.

A nativity tale for use in Church

A fun traditional nativity tale told by a Donkey - who was there! Parts – ·         Donkey Narrator – A cheerful innocent ·         Angel Narrator – Joyful and enthusiastic. ·         Mary. ·         Joseph ·         Inn Keeper ·         Angel – 4 are suggested but at least two are recommended. Having said that many more can be used to make up a heavenly host. ·         Shepherds – as many as you want. ·         Kings – Traditionally 3 but you can have more. The sketch can be acted by a combination of older and younger children. It uses the basics of the traditional Church nativity. Props and dressing up are required if you want to get the best out of it. Dressing up to look like the parts above is best plus you can add more angels and animals if you want. As for props you should have, as a minimum, ·         a manger, ·         a star on the end of a stick, and ·         a tail for a donkey.
The scene contains the crib which is centre stage. There is a baby doll all wrapped up in swaddling cloths. It can’t be seen by the audience. There is one angel stood to one side of the crib or if they are tall enough they can stand behind it. The Donkey walks on from one side to the other and stands at the side of the stage.
Donkey	Hello everyone, my name is Donald. Donald Key. My friends call me Don.
Angel	Hello Don Key
Donkey	Hello Angel
Angel	Are you going to tell all these lovely people about the good news?
Donkey	I’m just about to start. I was there you know.
Angel	I know you were. Ooohhh I get excited. I’m ready, let’s hear your tale.
Donkey	(Looks at his tail) I don’t understand. (shakes it) My tail doesn’t make any noise. How can you hear it?
Angel	No, not your tail, your tale. Your story. I want to hear your side of what happened.
Donkey	Oh I see. Sorry! I should have understood or as my old mum always said eeyor, eeyor, ee ought to know better. (He gathers himself and then begins) Now then, I want to start from the beginning. Are we ready? (Pause) Then I’ll begin. A long time ago the Roman Emperor Augustus decided to count all the people in his kingdom and said that everyone had to go to their home town to be counted. LOOK THERE THEY ARE! (Points to Mary and Joseph)
Mary and Joseph start at one side of the hall start to walk around it. If there is only an aisle up the middle then walk up and down it.
Donkey	This census meant Joseph and Mary had to leave Nazareth where they lived and go to Bethlehem, which was the home town of Joseph, so they could be counted.
Mary	It's a long way isn't it Joseph.
Joseph	Yes my dear
Mary	Are we there yet
Joseph	No not yet.
About a third of the way round the hall.
Mary	Its a very long way isn't it Joseph
Joseph	Yes my dear
Mary	Are we there yet
Joseph	No not yet
About two thirds of the way round the hall
Mary	It's a very very long way isn't it Joseph
Joseph	Yes my dear
Mary	Are we there yet
Joseph	No not yet
Very nearly at the front of the hall
Mary	It's a very very very long way isn't it Joseph
Joseph	Yes my dear
Mary	Are we there yet
Joseph	Yes!
Donkey	…And they finally reached Bethlehem but because of the census there was no where for them to stay and all the inns were full.
When they get to the front Joseph knocks on the pulpit or an imaginary door. The Innkeeper appears.
Joseph	Hello Inn Keeper. Is there any room in your inn
Inn Keeper	(Shakes his head) No!
Donkey	Aha but there was you see. Angel did you something to do with his change of heart.
Angel	Now that would be telling, but Mary was about to have the baby and the inn keeper did notice this and he thought again and found room in his stable.
The Innkeeper looks at Mary and waves his hand to get them to follow him and he leads them up to the crib. Mary and Joseph sit down and Mary takes the baby out of the crib.
Donkey	It was in this stable where the baby was born. A little boy. Mary wrapped him up to keep him warm and placed him in a manger to sleep. The child was named Jesus.
Angel	You were in the stable that night weren’t you Don.
Donkey	I was. It was wonderful. The King of Kings. The Lord of Lords born in a humble stable bare. Amazing. Although they were all so very tired they fell asleep and Joseph eesnored, eesnored, eesnored.
Angel	Yes but the tale doesn’t end there.
Donkey	Ah yes, you know what’s coming next. You were there for this bit. Why don’t you explain what happened.
Shepherds start walking slowly down the centre of the isle.
Angel	Ooohh can I? Ooohhh I Can. OK, here goes. Now out in the fields nearby there were some shepherds. Oooohhh look there they are (Points to the shepherds). What had happened was an Angel of the Lord had appeared to them and told them that the King had been born that day. Oooohhh there was worship and so much joy out there. The shepherds were very excited and went straight to the town to look for the King.
When the Angel says King they all cheer and shout their way to the front. Shepherds sit at the feet of Mary and Joseph who smile and welcome them in.
Angel	When they found our Lord they worshipped him
Donkey	It was great when they turned up. There was one shepherd, eeecould, eeecould, eeecouldn’t believe what he was seeing, eeeeeeefainted.
One shepherd faints, the ones around him help him sit back up.
Angel	What happened next?
Narrator	Well, a bit later three kings from the east came to Jerusalem and asked "where is the one to be born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him".  When they heard eeewas, eeewas, eeewas to beeborn, beeborn, beeborn
Angel	Are you OK Don?
Donkey	(Croaky) I’m a little horse!
Angel	I know you are but would you like me to help anyway?
Donkey	Thank you, you’re a good neeeeigh…bour
The three kings walk down the centre aisle. The King at the front can should a stick up high with a star hanging from a string.
Angel	When the three kings, oooohhh look there they are, (Points at the kings) when they heard he was to be born in Bethlehem they went on their way and the star, ooohhhh look there it is, there it is, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the baby Jesus was.
Whilst Donkey says the next sentence the three kings bow, give the gifts and take their positions in the nativity. Mary and Joseph smile and thank them.
Donkey	They followed the star and when they arrived and saw baby Jesus they bowed down and worshipped him and then they gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Angel	And that’s the end of your tale
Donkey	(Looks at the end of his tail then it dawns on him) Oh the end of my story. Yes it is the end of mine but it is the beginning of his. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Now that is the end of my story but it could be the beginning of yours if you choose to believe.