Good News, Bad News
(Christmas–Be thankful.)
by Deb Brammer
[Uses two boy puppets and a girl puppet. Props: Decorate the stage with Christmas decorations, putting mistletoe near the center.]
(Mary enters singing the “Deck the Halls.” She walks back and forth, patting the various decorations.)
Mary (singing, loud but on key): Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Fa la la la la la la la la. ‘Tis the season to be jolly…
(Luke and Zach enter from opposite side of the stage. Luke is between Zach and Mary. Luke and Zach walk out just a little way in the beginning.)
Zach: Who’s making all that noise?
Mary: It’s just me being jolly and rejoicing.
Zach: You sure have a loud rejoicer.
Luke: What are you rejoicing about?
Mary (dancing around): It’s Christmas time. I love Christmas. It’s hard not to be jolly at Christmas, don’t you think?
(Luke and Zach walk closer. Zach ends up by the mistletoe.)
Zach: I can think of lots of reasons not to be jolly.
Mary (teasing): You’d better watch out, Zach. You’re getting close to the mistletoe.
(Zach looks at the mistletoe, then backs up suddenly and crashes into Luke.)
Zach: Mistletoe. That’s one reason not to be jolly at Christmas. (Zach and Luke stand up right) And if that’s not bad enough, kids are starving in Africa. My neighbor just got robbed. My big toe hurts.
Luke: Those things are sad. Life is like that sometimes. But that doesn’t mean we have to think about doom and gloom all the time.
Mary: Yeah. Think about all the good things God gives us. He gives us things we really need–like food and clothes and a home to live in. Then He gives us lots of extras besides. He created pretty birds, and butterflies, and pansies, and chocolate…
(Luke and Zach resume their normal positions.)
Zach: God created chocolate? Where do you find that in the Bible?
Luke: I know! The first chapter of Genesis tells us how God created the world.
Zach: So when did He create chocolate?
Luke: On day four. God made the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and Milky Way and Mars bars! (laughs)
Zach: God didn’t make Milky Way and Mars candy bars, Silly! He made the Milky Way galaxy and the planet Mars.
Luke: I know that, but I just had to have my “Snickers.” (laughs again)
Mary: See? Humour is another gift God gives us.
Luke: Speaking of chocolate, one of the things I love about Christmas is all the yummy things we get to eat. (rubs stomach) My mom always makes fudge and all kinds of cookies.
Zach: That’s too bad.
Luke: Too bad? Don’t you like fudge?
Zach: It tastes good, but it makes me fat and gives me a sugar high.
Luke: I don’t know, Zach. I think something is seriously wrong with anyone who can’t rejoice with chocolate staring him in the face.
Mary: Hey, Zach, I just remembered some good news. I just saw a humongous package (holds out arms to show how big it is) under the Christmas tree with your name on it!
Zach: You mean, bad news.
Mary: Bad news? Why?
Zach: Haven’t you heard? Big things come in little packages.
Mary: Well, there were some little ones for you, too.
Luke: You have to admit that presents are a nice part of Christmas.
Zach: I suppose. But I don’t just get presents, I have to buy them for other people. That’s a lot of trouble.
Mary: I really think you get more presents than you buy for other people, Zach.
Luke: Yeah. Remember the Super Alien Water Blaster your Auntie Margaret gave you last year?
Zach: That was pretty cool.
Mary: Did you shoot any aliens?
Zach: No, but I blasted our cat Fluffy clear across the yard. (waves his arm from one side of the other, as if moving with the cat)
Luke: Cool!
Zach: Fluffy didn’t think so. I had a lot of fun with my Super Alien Water Blaster, but my mom always makes me write thank you notes. I hate writing thank you notes.
Luke: Zach, I know what you need for Christmas. You need a thankful heart. You’re so busy looking at all the bad things that you miss all the good things God gives us.
Mary: Christmas is a very special time of year, because Christmas reminds us that God gives us hope. When you look around at all the sin and ugliness in the world, remember, God is different. God is holy.
Luke: That’s good news.
Zach: But the bad news is–I’m not. So why should I be glad God is holy? That’s like telling me to be happy the principal is good at punishing kids who play hooky when I’ve just skipped school.
Luke: Sin is bad news. But the good news is: Jesus came to earth to help sinners like you and me.
Zach: But the bad news is–people killed Him.
Luke: They sure did. But the good news is: Jesus didn’t stay dead. He became alive again. And since Jesus died for our sins and rose again, we can have our sins forgiven.
Zach: That really is good news. The only thing is….
Luke(losing his patience): What now? What can possibly be bad when you think about how Jesus gave His life for us?
Zach: Well, the bad news is: not everyone knows about this good news.
Mary: Look out there in the audience. (points to audience) See all those people?
(All three look the audience over from side to side.)
Zach: There are lots of them. There are even some people I don’t know.
Mary: Yeah. Well, the good news is: We can tell them about Jesus, which is exactly what we’re doing right now!
Zach: Oh. I guess you’re right. We’d never be able to do that if it weren’t Christmas time and we weren’t having a Christmas program, would we?
Luke: No. And if we weren’t having a program, you and Mary and I would all be stuck in a box somewhere. I don’t know about you, but I get all cramped lying in the box.
Zach: You’re right! Christmas is a good time! We should be jolly! (Sings loud and off key) Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Fa la la la la la la la la. (Zach exits)
Luke: I forgot about one thing. With Zach singing, Christmas carols are not necessarily a good thing.
Mary: Right. Any idea how we can get him to be a little less jolly?
Luke: Yeah. Let’s go remind him about the kids who are starving in Africa.
(Luke and Mary exit.)