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Home > Resources > Leadership > Worship Services > Weekday Services Chapel for Holy Week, April 12, 2006
Unity Christian High School, Hudsonville, MI
Sharon Veltema
View the PowerPoint for this service
Setting: Gym is in darkness, stage lit. Speakers and instrumentalists are all on stage. Speaker 1 is on the far right, speakers 2 and 3 on opposite sides of the screen, which is in the middle. Two cellos are on the right side of the stage, the flute, and violin are on the left side. On the screen is a sketch (created by a student) of a bright star in the sky. Note: Speaker #3 would probably be more effective written from a mother’s perspective, but that would not relate as well to high school students)
Cellos: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (one time through, slowly)
Speaker #1: (Isaiah 40:3-5)
A voice of one calling, “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Cellos play chorus only of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Speaker #1: (Isaiah 9:6)
For unto 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.
Flute solo: “Joy to the World” (one time joyfully)
Speaker #1: (Luke 2:10-13)
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Violin solo: “Silent Night” (one time quietly)
Speaker #2:
The Christmas story – told and retold every year. Christ’s birth, celebrated with joy! The coming of the Savior of the world – rejoice! Peace on earth – goodwill to men.
But, we’ve cut the story short. We’ve failed to look at the entire story of Christ’s birth. Listen to the last story the Bible gives us of Christ as an infant, perhaps a toddler, but still a child new to this world.
Speaker #1: (Matthew 2:13-18)
When the wise men had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet; “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
(Speaker 3 at first is talking to the audience and ignoring speaker 2. As the speaking parts continue, speaker 3 is more and more aware and disturbed by what speaker 2 is saying. The slide on the screen is a charcoal sketch of a baby boy – drawn by one of the students)
Speaker #2: They are no more – no more! The infant boys of Bethlehem and the surrounding areas are no more – murdered by Herod’s soldiers.
Speaker #3 (speaking animatedly to the audience): Have I told you about my baby brother? He’s so sweet, so cute! He just started to learn how to walk. He holds on to my finger and toddles his way across the floor.
Speaker #2: Rachel is weeping, she refuses to be comforted. Her children are no more, killed by cold blooded soldiers.
Speaker #3 (ignoring speaker 2 and still speaking to the audience): Did I tell you that my brother is so precious, he sleeps with his thumb in his mouth. His hair curls around his ears. He is so precious!
Speaker #2: Angels, where is your peace on earth? Gabriel, where is this Savior of the world? Couldn’t he save innocent babies of Bethlehem? The Prince of Peace? These babies died because of your birth.
Speaker #3: (looks over with concern at speaker 2, then pretends not to hear him and speaks again to the audience) My brother said his first word, did I tell you? Ball! Well, it didn’t sound quite like “ball,” but I’m sure that’s what he said. Then he smiled with his one-toothed grin. It melted my heart.
Speaker #2: What happened to the silent night? Where is that holy night? There is no peace on earth – only weeping. The gut wrenching cries of mothers like Rachel who will not be comforted.
(on the screen appears a sketch of Rachel, weeping for her children)
Speaker #3: (looking at the screen and then over at speaker #2 in horror) Stop! I don’t want to hear it. Don’t you understand? I love my little brother and I’m not going to let anything happen to him. Ever!
Speaker #2: (looking over at speaker 3 and speaking quietly) Neither was Rachel. She had no idea that Herod’s soldiers would be tossing babies into the air and catching them on their spears. She couldn’t stop them.
Speaker #3: (upset) No! You don’t understand! Babies are innocent! How could soldiers be so cruel! This can’t be part of the Christmas story! Who could kill a child? Who could be so evil?
Speaker #2: Nothing and no one could comfort Rachel. She could only scream in horror and weep, and weep.
Speaker #3: (upset) Oh Rachel, how my heart aches for you. (almost whispering) Across the years and years that separate us, I can still hear you weeping.
Speaker #1: (Matthew 2:18)
“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Cellos: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (one time – verse only, played slowly)
(on the screen, a silhouette sketch of the cross drawn by a student)
Speaker #2:
This is the reality of the world that Christ entered. From the perfection of heaven to a crude stable and into an evil world filled with soldiers who didn’t blink an eye at fulfilling Herod’s decree. Do you see how desperately we need a Savior? Do you understand the world into which this perfect Christ-child, our Savior, willingly entered? Can you begin to understand what Jesus gave up for you?
Speaker #1: (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Speaker #2: This is mercy.
Speaker #3: This is grace.
Speaker #1: This is love, which knows no end.
Solo: Kyrie Eleison: Lord, Have Mercy
Speaker #1:
Please join me in prayer.
Dear Lord, we cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like to leave the perfection and glories of heaven to come to this earth as a helpless baby in a world of sin and evil. Yet your love and compassion for us was and is so great, that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for each one of us.
We are so totally undeserving of your love. Nothing we could do on our own could save us. We so easily fall into sin. We are weak and we lack faith. And all we have to do is take a look at the world that you so willingly entered on our behalf and we are humbled.
Open our hearts to respond to your amazing mercy and wonderful grace. In our weakness, open our eyes to see your love.
Bring us into new life through Jesus Christ.
In your name we pray, Amen.
As you leave this place, reflect on Christ’s love and sacrifice for you. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.