Xmas Script

If Christ Were Born in Chicago 2009

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While the Convener and Announcer speak, chord sets of hand bells and labels matching their bell sets A, D, and E are available.

We Get Ready Convener: Welcome to the 2009 Golden Agers Club Christmas Program at the Congregational Church of Park Manor! Announcer: Later on we will sing using the hand bells for our accompaniment. It would probably be a good idea for us to practice a little first! When I hold up the name of your bell set, ring the whole set of bells together. Ring them with the song -- believe me we will be singing a very familiar song. If the note is very long, keep ringing to fill up the time. Let's ring the A chord – good, and the E chord – excellent, and the D chord – splendid! Now we will try to sing the Park Manor Bell Song. I ask you please, do not reveal the true identity of this song. It is, I'm afraid, possible that someone may be able to figure it out. But please, don't tell anyone! This is like a wrapped Christmas present – a surprise! We will open it later! Now take a look. You see I've marked in the A, E, and D. chord starts. That reminds me that we should practice stopping because one of the problems with bells is that they will ring on too long unless you stop them. The way to stop a bill sounding is to touch your clothing in some way to stop it. Watch. Now would the A group ring a little bit? Good – now stop! We are ready to play and let's all sing, the Park Manor Bell Song.

Park Manor Bell Song (same melody as Silent Night) Remember – do not reveal the identity of this song! 1._We ring bells. We like bells. We hope you like them too. Bells can ring with such hap-py cheer. Ring them loud-ly 'cause Christ-mas is near. It's a Park Ma-nor Christ-mas, Are-n't you glad that you're here! Now we are ready to start – with a familiar carol. But – watch out for

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a change in the second verse.

Sing: O Little Town of Bethlehem 1._O lit-tle town of Bethle-hem, how still we see thee lie! A-bove thy deep and dream-less sleep the si-lent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shin-eth the ev-er-last-ing Light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee to-night. 2._A-round our trou-bled ci-ty, we look and won-der why there is no work for will-ing arms and tears fill griev-ing eyes. We wait with anx-ious long-ing for peace and hap-pi-ness, The dark night wakes, will glo-ry break, and Christ-mas come once more?

Joseph and Mary Remember Music: Mary's Song Joseph and Mary enter. If costumed, they are dressed in marginally adequate winter outdoor clothing. Mary may or may not look very pregnant. Both look a little confused, and they are clearly very tired. There is a bench, perhaps a bus stop, where they sit down to rest a few minutes. Mary: Joe, you said Chicago is your hometown. You said we had to be there for Christmas. Do you actually know where you're going? Joseph: Well it sure is different from what I remember. I thought I'd just see my grandma's house ... and she'd be all happy to see us and stuff … and the baby … Mary: Yes, you said she always wanted you to come back for the holidays. Weren't you here last year? It can't have changed that much, can it? Joseph: Well, it's been longer than one year ... yeah, quite a lot longer than one year ... but now I'm going to be a father ... and I know my grandma will want to have all the family here – here in Chicago. Mary: Joe, does she know about the baby? Joseph: (mumbling) not exactly, you know. Mary: (anxious) I couldn't hear that. What did you say? Joseph: (a little angry) I said she doesn't exactly know, okay? But I know she's going to love it because she loves me. Just like she's going to love you... because she loves me.

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Mary stands, steps back from the bench, and waits until Joseph notices. He stands and looks at her. Mary: Joe, you know this isn't your baby I'm carrying. I told you that. Are you planning to let your grandma think this is your baby? Joseph: Don't you think when I teach him a trade, teach him to be a carpenter in my shop, ... don't you think when I feed him at my table, ... don't you think when I take him to synagogue, … don't you think when I pay someone to teach him to read the Scriptures, don't you think when he's bar mitzvah, a son of the commandments, don't you think when he takes his place in the congregation as an adult man, ... don't you think he's my baby, he's my son? Mary: (almost crying) Oh Joe, I don't know why any of this is happening to me. Why God set me in the midst of everyone pregnant with a child whose father I can't name and whose future scares me to death. Thank God I had you – and you believed me. Joseph: That's not really the way it was for me. I didn't believe you when I heard about the baby. I thought you cheated on me. Mary: You did! Joseph: Yeah, I cared about you too much to be public about it, but I meant to leave you. Mary: I didn't know that. I couldn't really blame you, but why didn't you? Joseph: Well, I was just turning it over in my mind one way and another, how to do it ... and one night, I just fell asleep thinking and thinking how to get out of this, and then, you've got to believe me on this, Mary, I had a dream. Mary: It happened to you too? Joseph, I do believe you. What happened? Joseph: It was pretty weird, but it was clear as a bell. I heard God say to me, “Joseph, don't be afraid. Take Mary for your wife. She'll name the baby Jesus, and he will be the savior.” Mary takes Joseph's hand. They look wonderingly at each other in silence for a moment. (while Music Joseph's Song plays) Mary: I am so glad you told me, Joseph. Now I don't feel so alone. You do understand. Joseph: Yes, I do. After I had that dream, you know, Mary, I knew it wasn't just you. God chose me too.

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Mary: (brightening) I know. I know in that way at least I am blessed. Now when actually was the last time you were home for the holidays? Joseph drops his head but reaches out for Mary's hand. He looks up shyly at her. Joseph: Things are different now, Mary. I can't say just how, but I know they are different. Let's keep looking – I'm just about broke, it's cold, and we've got to find a place to stay. We can look for my family in the morning. Mary: We might have to look for – for a hospital, Joseph. This baby needs a place to be born – soon.

We See the Problem MUSIC: No Room at the Inn. During the music, Joseph pantomimes knocking, twice, at imaginary doors where Convener and Announcer sternly deny him entrance. Gestures should be very broad. Meanwhile, Mary stands at a distance and pantomimes collapse when he returns to her side and holds her up. They leave slowly, with Joseph supporting Mary. A panel discussion is set up.

The Experts Discuss the Problem Moderator: Welcome to station WDYT – What Do You Think, and our hardhitting panel discussion of contemporary issues. I know that most of you think you know what's coming next. Let me promise you that you're in for a surprise. Instead of the sentimental easy answers you're looking for, our panel is going to take up the real issues posed by this difficult case. I've chosen our lawyer, Legal Eagle, to summarize the situation because we all know lawyers get a lot of practice at this sort of thing in law school! Attorney Eagle? Legal Eagle: We have a young (holds up fingers indicating quote marks) “couple” from somewhere outside of Chicago. <wait for sound> Their documentation is flimsy at best. The female is so pregnant she is in fact in labor. <wait for sound> The male says they're going to get married, but he does not claim

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that they are at this time married. <wait for sound> Neither of them has health insurance <wait for sound> or financial resources to guarantee payment. <wait for sound> They have appealed to several area hospitals for care during the delivery of the baby. Very Holy Hospital and World Famous University Hospital denied them admission, <wait for sound> arguing that they have all satisfied their obligations to offer charity care this year. Moderator: Thank you, Legal Eagle. I wonder, Dr. Ardent Administrator, if you could describe the situation from the hospital's point of view? Ardent Administrator: I'd be glad to. Had this healthy woman shown up earlier in our fiscal year, we might have been able to accommodate her with inpatient care. We are legally obliged to provide a small amount of charity care every year. Disregarding the appeals to our tender hearts – and as a viable business we simply must always disregard appeals to our tender hearts – we do not owe any care to this healthy young Haitian. As Ardent Administrator speaks, Fearsome Activist shows signs of distress. Moderator: That seems entirely clear. Thank you, doctor. I see that one of our other panelists, Fearsome Activist, wants to comment on what you have just told us. Fearsome, your turn. Fearsome Activist: And about time. Dr. Administrator has unreasonably characterized Ms. Mary as Haitian. There is absolutely no evidence to substantiate that characterization. I for one resent it highly. Moderator: You suggested an interesting issue there, Fearsome. How do you know Ms. Mary is Haitian, Doctor? Ardent Administrator: (testily) How does anyone know she isn't? Moderator: I think we'll let the audience decide what that answer means. Fearsome Activist: The claim that these hospitals meaningfully provide charity care is just outrageous. Fortunately it's a claim I anticipated so I've prepared a slide. Our audience simply must realize that the hospitals exchange huge tax advantages for a pittance of charity care. (gesturing toward slide) Look at that great big blue wedge of the pie – that represents the 789 plus million dollars of tax advantages. Guess what the little red wedge represents? (looks around)

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Exactly! That's the charity care the hospitals use to justify their tax advantages! Ardent Administrator: (angry) Now you just hold on, Whippersnapper. You can't pop in here and push your opinions as facts! Fearsome Activist: Take an aspirin, Doc. We're not talking about my opinions. We're talking about what the Center for tax and budget accountability, a well respected bi-partisan 501(c)3 research and advocacy think tank! Moderator: Moderate, moderate, everyone! Plucky Politician, I'd like you to comment on how well the tax advantages you and your colleagues enacted balance the charity care provided to people like Ms. Mary and her fiancé. Plucky Politician: (with lots of head motion tries to include everyone) well first of all, let's set her fiancé aside. There is no family here. There is no marriage. In addition, there is absolutely no evidence that the fiancé, Mr. Joseph I think his name is, has any healthcare claims of his own at this time. That's right, isn't it? Legal Eagle: That's right. Fearsome Activist: Wait a minute. In this spirit of the answer we just heard about Ms. Mary's nationality, I would ask how you can know there are no medical findings in the absence of a medical examination? Moderator: I don't think we have time to follow that path right now, Fearsome Activist. I want Plucky Politician to give us a clear answer on how much our hospitals are benefiting from their tax advantages attached to charity care. Plucky Politician: Needless to say, because I'm sure everyone knows, there's been a lot of discussion on this point. I'm glad to say that the committee I serve on – The Transparency and Tax Breaks Committee – plans in the very near future to schedule hearings on this very point. I want to assure you that I will share the concern of this panel with the committee at that time. (While Plucky Politician says this Fearsome Activist and Ardent Administrator react with skeptical expressions.) Moderator: (bright, forced smile) We've reached the end of the time allotted for this discussion. As is so often the case, we've accomplished nothing, changed no minds, and set the stage for another LONG stretch of

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status quo. I want to thank my panelists, Legal Eagle (bows slightly at this), Ardent Administrator (nods and smiles) and Fearsome Activist (cheery finger wave), Plucky Politician and you, LongSuffering Audience. From here it looks like more of the same as far as I can see.

Events Unfold Music: Mary's Little Boy Child While the singing continues, Joseph (standing) and Mary (sitting) -with a traditional manger, if possible – enter. Convener: That's the thing – the baby will be born. Hope will rise. People will notice.

Understanding Begins to Dawn Sing with bell chords: Silent Night 1._Si-lent night, ho-ly night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon vir-gin mo-ther and Child. Ho-ly In-fant, so ten-der and mild, Sleep in hea-ven-ly peace, Sleep in heav-en-ly peace. 2._Si-lent night, ho-ly night, Son of God, love’s pure Light; Ra-diant beams from Thy ho-ly face With the dawn of re-de-em-ing grace, Je-sus, Lord, at Thy birth, Je-sus, Lord, at Thy birth. Convener: Sometimes while people are looking for shepherds, they're forgetting all the people who make their living with jobs that take them away from their homes. Let us not overlook lonely soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are guarding new sheep, different goats. Let us remember that there are office cleaning crews getting everything prepared for the next business day while their children put themselves to bed. We have our own shepherds.

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We See Each Other in New Ways Sing: Rise Up, Shepherd 1._There’s a star in the East o-n Christ-mas morn, Rise up, shep-herd, and fol-low. It will lead to the place where the Christ was born, Rise up, shep-herd, and fol-low. Fol-low, fol-low, rise up, shep-herd, and fo-llow. Fol-low the Star of Beth-le-hem, Rise up, shep-herd, and fol-low. Convener: Wise men still seek him, they say. It's true. For everyone who sees a larger community beyond the boundaries of race and class and gender, for everyone who wants diversity to be a way to learn more, for everyone whose love expands to universal justice, there is still a goal whose birth is promised at Christmas time.

We Dream New Dreams Sing: We Three Kings of Orient Are During this singing, Announcer distributes Jesus dolls of several ethnicities to members of the audience. Later, as the relevant part of the world is named, whoever holds that Jesus doll stands up or lifts the doll. 1._We three kings of Or-i-ent are; Bear-ing gifts we tra-verse a-far, Field and fount-ain, moor and mount-ain, Fol-low-ing yon-der star. O star of won-der, star of light, Star with roy-al beau-ty bright, West-ward lead-ing, still pro-ceed-ing, Guide us to thy per-fect light.

Hope Is Restored Convener: The amazing thing that has been discovered and rediscovered over the centuries is that the child born in Bethlehem has been born and

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reborn to offer the most intimate personal relationship to everyone. Announcer: To the thousands of girls streaming across Asian borders sold into AIDS-shortened lifetimes of sexual slavery, Convener: to native Americans squeezed from a continent shared with hundreds of tribes into minute, miserable reservations, Announcer: to African-Americans struggling to recover a worthy identity cleansed of racial hostility, Convener: to Euro-Americans longing to lay down the burdens of prejudice, Jesus has promised a judgment before God that is not limited by human design. Announcer: Jesus has promised a community that will include him himself wherever two or three gather in his name to address the enduring problems, however variously they present themselves. Jesus has promised:

Sing: Joy to the World 1._Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth re-ceive her King; Let ev-ery heart pre-pare Him room, And Heav’n and na-ture sing, And Heav’n and na-ture sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and na-ture sing. Convener: Refreshed and energized, may we continue this Christmas season with special attention to everything Christlike that is trying to be born in our midst – yea, even in Chicago. Amen.