Simple gifts for the Baby,
Simple gifts for the Lord:
Sharing love, being kind,
Giving all we have and more.

The gifts that are simple
are the gifts of love
as the Child is a gift
from God above.

The Simple Gifts of Christmas

Words & Music:  By Steve Kupferschmid and Jean Anne Shafferman

A Christmas Eve 2006 Pageant by the Families of St. Mark's

After weeks of practice and much hard work by the cast and helpers the story of the birth of our Lord was musically proclaimed at 9:15 a.m., December 24, and again at the 7:00 Christmas Eve service. In Simple Gifts of Christmas, the elementary (and younger) children of the Church portrayed Mary and Joseph, shepherds, kings, angels, sheep, cows, camels and an innkeeper in a story about how the small, seemingly insignificant gifts of man and animal helped to bring about the miracle of Christ's birth.

"Our story begins on a cold, wintry night in Nazareth, a little village in Judea. The Emperor Augustus had ordered all the people to travel to the cities of their families to be registered. So Joseph of Nazareth, a humble and faithful servant of God, packed a few things and prepared to walk with his wife, Mary, to Bethlehem, the city of David."

"Mary was expecting a child and was unable to walk such a great distance. Joseph, a poor man, did not own a fine carriage or handsome horses. So, he went to a neighbor’s stable to borrow a horse for their journey..."

"As Mary rested on her simple bed of hay, she thanked Mother Cow and Curly- Horned Sheep for their precious, simple gifts. And soon she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him on a soft bed of hay in Mother Cow’s manger. Mary named her son Jesus...."  

"In the countryside nearby, there were shepherds in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks. An angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them, and those shepherds were TERRIFIED!

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid! I bring you news of great joy: tonight, in the city of David, is born a savior, who is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, singing praise to God..."

"As the shepherds journeyed off to spread the good news of the Savior’s birth, a star appeared in a far-off Eastern land to three, very rich Wise Men. The Wise Men rejoiced greatly, for they knew this star would lead them to the Son of God. They gathered together precious gifts, saddled their camels, and began their journey.

"The camels faithfully followed the star, which led them first to Jerusalem. (Star disappears.) The star disappeared, and the Wise Men began to look for Jesus. Soon King Herod called them before him...."

"In the morning, as the Wise Men prepared for their journey home, they gathered around the baby one last time. The horses, who had been so selfish, admired Gentle Donkey, whose strong back had carried Mary safely to Bethlehem. Mother Cow, whose manger was the baby’s nursery, contentedly chewed her cud. A soft blanket of wool warmed the baby, a gift from Curly-Horned Sheep. The shepherds gathered to bid farewell to the Wise Men and to the trusty Camels, who would safely carry the Wise Men back to their far-off land.

"The animals’ simple gifts had warmed and protected the baby and guided the Wise Men. The shepherds’ simple words had proclaimed the savior’s birth, giving Mary great joy. As they all sang, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, God’s gift to us all, sweetly slept..."

Many thanks go out to our wonderful cast, ranging in age from 2 years to…well, we won’t reveal that. Our youthful actors include: Jarrett Eyer, Theoron Hershey, Ben Haussmann, Stefan Weber, Makensi Doebler, Kara Hershey, Riley Weber, Emily Newcomer, Laura Zeigler, Madalyn Fortin, Sadie Wentzel, Taylor Wentzel, Annika Waffenschmidt, Anna Zeigler, Sean Jensen, Hannah Haussmann, Lynna Robertson, Amalie Robertson, Gabriella Gregory and Elizabeth Haussmann. The teens and adults lending their vocal talents to tell the story were: Mel Wentzel, Mindy Wentzel, Pam Jensen, Sara Jones, Diana Zeigler, Stephanie Fortin, Gary Weber, Jane Kline, Joyce Hershberger, Jennifer Robertson, Trish Hershey, Shelby Weber, Vicki Haussmann, Bud Doebler, Declan Jones, Lou DeSeau, Bob Jones, Ruth Burkholder, Andrea Gregory and Beth Shafranko.

Special thanks to Bernadette Jones, who directed the production and Dick Lakey, who, of course, played the piano and worked with the chorus. Also thanks to Becky Miller-Pryor, Jack Burkholder, Shirley Kinney, Jackie Kinney, Lois Smith, Bonnie Eyer, Steve Eyer, Trish Hershey, Beth Shafranko, Hannah Ramsauer and Sharon Comini who helped with refreshments, props, costumes and cast management.