Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/1467009
Do you remember receiving that long-awaited gift as a child? Or maybe it was as a teen or even an adult! Perhaps it was a gift that you had longingly anticipated for Christmas or a birthday, yet you were reticent to get your hopes too high because they had been dashed before when it didn't evolve as you had scripted it in your mind. But then it happened, in all its glory: the electric train set; the bike; the pet; the trip; the car…. exceeding all of your expectations! But how do you respond to the giver? A mere thank you seems inadequate for the perfect gift. What kind of response is merited in those moments of indescribable joy? The people of Israel must have felt something akin to these same feelings as they awaited the Messiah. They understood that God had promised a Savior who would come to redeem them. They had their preconceived notions as to what that might look like and even when and how it might happen. But such a plan was based on their thinking, not God's design. And then it happened! God sent a King: Emmanuel, God with us; the Word (Jesus) made flesh. This perfect gift was a baby born in the tiny and remote village of Bethlehem. This wasn't the usual path to a King's throne. But this was God's plan. And His plan is always right! So, how does one respond to heaven's perfect gift? The prophet Micah asked: "With what shall I come before the Lord….what does the Lord require of me?" Great questions! I have sometimes wondered if Jesus would have answered that question similarly to the way He responded when asked about the greatest commandment: "To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all our soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." How does one respond to the perfect gift of heaven? It seems to me that the appropriate response is to live my life as an act of worship and devotion in gratitude for God's greatest gift, Jesus. Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! – Lloyd Larson Foreword Performance Suggestions The overriding goal in a Christmas presentation such as The Gift is that it be more a worship experience than a concert. To that end, here are a few considerations as you prepare your musicians to present this work: • There are two places that are particularly suitable for participation by children in this presentation. The first is Christ Is Born This Holy Night (page 32) and, secondly, Worship God's Great Gift! (page 73). Here you will note the optional inclusion of a solo and/or unison children. If needed, you can support the children with the sopranos and altos. Repetition in these places will aid the learning process. • If using a child soloist or children's choir, one might consider having the child/children carry a small, wrapped gift to the singing area (risers, steps, etc.) and then placing it in a central and visible location as they move into position to sing on page 32. Then as they return to sing on page 73, they could retrieve that gift, holding it while they sing on the last number. They could then potentially raise that gift on page 81, measure 76 symbolically offering a gift to God in response to the great Christmas gift, Jesus, while singing: Lord, receive our grateful offering, gifts of heart and mind, and soul and strength…. This is just one possible suggestion. Allow your creativity to shape your plans! • The musical concludes with familiar words from timeless carols (page 75, measure 32) allowing the congregation to respond in corporate fashion to the compelling and timeless message of the Christmas story.