One of the things I love about the Christmas season is the story telling. The Christmas Story is such fertile ground for inspiring messages of hope, love, joy, and peace. The Newberry-winning author Katherine Patterson was married to a Presbyterian pastor and for many years, she would write and read an original story for her husband's congregation. When I served as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, Nebraska, one of my favorite parts of Christmas Eve was the children's worship service - in which Reverend Bill Nottage-Tacey would read a story that he had written.
I've read a collection of the stories that Katherine Patterson has written. They are really quite charming. And I loved the stories that Rev. Bill wrote.
This year, I decided that it was my turn to write an original Christmas story and preach it to the children (and anyone else who happens to be listening) of Community Presbyterian Church in Plainview, Minnesota.
Here is my story, "The Angel Who Lost Her Voice".
Merry Christmas -
Pastor John
“The Angel Who Lost
Her Voice”
An original story by
Pastor John Curtiss
Told to the children
and congregation at
Community
Presbyterian Church on
Christmas Eve,
December 24, 2012 in
Have you ever
wondered how many angels there are in heaven? Heaven is quite large and there
are a lot of different places to go and see, but there aren’t as many angels in
heaven as you would think. Then again, then might be a lot more.
And have you ever
wondered how all those angels spend their time? Angels spend there time doing a
variety of things. They sort socks and fold laundry, like you and me. They have
to walk their dogs and feed their pet goldfish. And sometimes they even have to
take baths and wash behind their ears. But sometimes, like you and me, they
have to find their place and figure out what part they play. This is a story
about just that very thing.
But the thing that
all the angels do; the thing that each and every angel takes pride in doing –
and doing well – is sing. All angels love to sing. They are part of God’s
heavenly chorus after all. If you have ever heard the angels sing – or even
just one of them – then you know just how beautiful and wonderful God is
because that is what the songs of angels are.
There was once a
young angel – a cheribum – by the name of Sarah. Sarah was nothing special,
just an ordinary angel who loved to sing. She didn’t have the most beautiful
voice, as angelic voices go, but Sarah’s voice was just fine. It was steady and
pure; delightful and constant. Sarah knew
that she could always count on her voice because it had never let her down
before.
This was a very
exciting time to be an angel in heaven, for God was planning something very
special. God had already sent the angel Gabriel to share the news with Mary –
that there would be a very special baby born soon. – but not just any baby,
this baby was God’s only son – to be born of Mary in Bethlehem . The angels knew that the baby
would be born soon.
In fact, God had
asked that a choir of angels be standing by, ready to deliver the news. God had
decided that he wanted the first people to know about the baby, (it was already
decided that his name would be Jesus) after his parents, Mary and Joseph, would
be the shepherds keeping watch. God had always had a softspot for shepherds
herding sheep.
The choir was
standing by, waiting and waiting. They knew that it couldn’t be long. They were
practicing their “Glory Be’s! and their Alleluias!” When suddenly there was
great commotion and a loud announcement:
“Calling all available
angels…calling all available angels. The baby Jesus has been born!”
The angels started
to line up. Before they are whooshed away to the hillside of Bethlehem to tell the shepherds the good
news, they must first sing a simple little song – a warm-up, really, to the
choir leaders Ms. J and Ms. L. Only the voices that are properly warmed up can
sing on earth tonight.
“Next?” announces
Ms. L. Sarah steps forward. She opens her mouth to sing…but nothing comes out.
She clears her throat, she sips some lemon juice, she tries again. And again –
no sound. Sarah has lost her voice.
“I’m sorry
sweetie.” Says Ms. L. I can only let angels who can sing tonight be in the
choir. You’ll have to stay here. I don’t have time to help you. Who’s next?” Ms.
L gestures to Sarah to move along.
Sarah is
heartbroken and doesn’t understand. She was so excited to be a part of this
very special angelic choir. To sing to the shepherds and announce the good news
of God’s son being born. What could have happened to her voice?
In no time at all,
enough angels have been selected, and after not a small amount of commotion,
they were gone; off to announce the good news. The silence was deafening.
Sarah doesn’t know what to do. She
tries to tell her best friend Thomas, but she can’t find the words. Her voice
is truly gone.
She decides that
if she can’t sing to the shepherds, she can at least go and visit the baby.
Maybe she can see the one who is cause for such great hope.
She begins to
follow the trail of the angelic choir. First Sarah decides to go to the hills –
where the angels will sing to the shepherds. She hopes that she can hear the
beautiful message, even if she can’t add her voice to the heavenly choir.
But she is to
late. The night is quiet and the hillside is empty. It appears that the angels
have delivered their message and that the shepherds have gone to visit – indeed
to worship – the baby Jesus.
Sarah stops on the
hillside to decide what to do next. She hears a noise in the country side.
There is a sheep, one lonely lost sheep. Apparently the shepherds in their
haste, have forgotten one. The sheep is trying to stay warm in the cold, dark
night and is calling out looking for it’s mother, looking for it’s shepherd;
looking for the herd. Looking for a place to belong.
Sarah goes over to
the sheep to comfort it. She picks it up to keep it warm. She rubs and pats the
sheeps soft fur.
Sarah decides to
help this sheep by taking the sheep with her. The only place that Sarah can
think of to go is to follow the path of the shepherds. Sarah and the sheep
begin their journey through the countryside to find the baby Jesus.
When Sarah and the
baby sheep are nearly there, she meets some of the angels. Apparently there
were so excited about the good news that they didn’t want to return to heaven
right away, but they also wanted to go and see the baby Jesus. They tell Sarah
about how beautiful the baby Jesus is and how special this night is.
Next Sarah meets
the shepherds. They seem tired, but content. They have been to worship the new
born king, the one whom they place their hope in. They have seen the baby and
the baby has changed their life.
Sarah finds the
shepherd with the lost sheep. He is so relieved to have the baby sheep back
where it belongs. Sarah is a bit sad to lose her companion, but she lets the
sheep go. She knows the sheep is home.
Alone, Sarah turns
to the manger. It is the middle of the night. The shepherds have left and the
holy family is exhausted. Everyone is sleeping peacefully. Sarah, as quiet as
an angel can be goes in to see the baby Jesus.
While Sara is
watching, the baby starts to stir – the baby starts to cry.
She realizes how
vulnerable he is – she wonders what God was thinking – she doubts this grand
plan – but then she realizes that she can help. Forgetting that she has love
her voice, Sarah reaches out and strokes the baby on the cheek. She begins to
sing him a heavenly lullaby. The baby Jesus stops fussing, smiles up at her,
and begins to drift back to sleep.
Sarah is so glad
that she got the chance to see the baby Jesus. And she is so glad that she got
to help the lost sheep find it’s way home. She realizes that Jesus helped her
find her voice again and that she has a part to play in telling the story of
this child, this precious child born this very night.
Sarah returns to
her place in heaven with a joyful heart, ready to sing again, ready to tell the
world about the birth of the baby Jesus.
Amen.
