aslan – katyandtheword

Unfreezing Xmas

by Katy Stenta, feel free to Email me at Katyandtheword at gmail for a doc version

Feel free to Adapt (Really Adapt I know how these things are)/Use with credit to Katy Stenta

Please Support my Writing, I am Funding some of my Doctorate in Creative Writing as a Public Theologian through donations https://gofund.me/554d36e3 Thank you to all those who have donated, I have successfully completed 2 years thanks to your support.

An Easy Narnia Based Pageant

Unfreezing Christmas Pageant

Costume Suggestions: Ears & Hat for Mr. Tumnus, Red & Green for everyone else, Need: a table/picnic setup for scene 1, a Stuffed Lion for “Aslan” to Carry, need a manger and Babydoll for the end

Characters: Mr Tumnus, Lucy, End Narrators, Party Attendees, Two Friends, Mary (non-speaking)

Mr Tumnus: Here in Narnia we are having a hard time. It is always winter; Always winter and never Christmas. I am excited though, because I have invited my new friend Lucy from the Land of Spare Oom over to Tea—and the Queen has Not found out about our friendship. For some reason the Queen hates humans. Oh look here she comes now! (Can be read from a lectern)

(Lucy enters from the back and Mr Tumnus runs to escort her)

Scene 1

Mr. Tumnus and Lucy walk to the front: A bunch of people come and sit frozen)

Lucy: Oh no look, what happened?

Mr. Tumnus: They must have been celebrating without the Queen’s permission and she turned them into stone.

Aslan (Someone holding a Stuffed Lion walks on stage): Roar

Mr Tumnus & Lucy: Aslan Unfreezes Christmas

(Aslan exits)

Lead Partygoer: Aslan Unfroze us! It must be Christmas!

(The Party Starts with pantomimed eating and celebration, Christmas Music Starts) (I’d have the littles lay down til they hear the roar)

Partygoer 1: I love the food

Partygoer 2: I can’t believe its Christmas

Partygoer 3: I can see presents even

Partygoer 4: I saw a lion!

Partygoer 5: No I saw a Lion!

Mr Tumnus: Oh my gifts and packages! That must have been Aslan! Unfreezing their hearts for Christmas!

Lucy: Merry Christmas

PartyGoers: Merry Christmas

Mr. Tumnus: Let’s Go!

Scene 2

(Two People frozen back to back)

Mr Tumnus: Oh dear I do not like the look of this, this does not look of this, we must be following the Queen’s winter.

(Lucy sits next to the two)

Aslan—can be a different person playing Aslan—roars and unfreezing them

Mr Tumnus & Lucy: Aslan Unfreezes Christmas

1st Friend—I’ve been looking for you everywhere

2nd Friend-I’m so glad I’ve found you

(the two people hug)

Scene 3

Girl Holding a Babydoll by a manger Frozen

(Other people can be other characters in a manger scene as is appropriate/easy or not or can come on to sing)

Lucy: I remember this story

Mr. Tumnus: Yes the White Witch really is preventing Christmas now, by freezing this one.

Aslan (again can be the same person or someone different) roars to unfreeze the girl)

Mr Tumnus & Lucy: Aslan Unfreezes Christmas

Girl puts the babydoll into the manger

Everyone comes onstage: to sing (with the congregation if you choose)

Reader to close: Aslan has truly unfrozen Christmas, Look! For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders—and he is named, wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

Aslan: Roars One last Time

Silent Night or Away in the Manger

The Lion, the Witch & The Wardrobe: Susan’s Story

Susan looked at her hands, because she couldn’t talk about her siblings while seeing anyone’s face “Well you know you have to stop playing games all the time. Sometimes I wonder…but if there was such a person, then why did we survive the war just to die. Fairy Stories do not do you much good when you are sad.” She then did look up and then rested her head gently on her husband Matthew’s shoulder.

Matthew, wisely didn’t say anything, for the moment.

Meanwhile, Bobbi hugged her knees in tight to her chest under the bed, thinking fiercely about what her mother said. She thought of what it might be like to have a passel of aunts and uncles…and for the first time it occurred to her that she was also missing cousins to visit.

The wind seemed to howl through the empty house.

Matthew hugged Susan and said, “You must be missing them a lot today.”

Susan’s voice sounded like a frog’s, “It’s this old house in the rain, it rained nonstop that summer, you know. And…Rain makes me think of bombs though heaven knows…well everyone knows we were well away from all of that”

“I know.” Matthew said, simply.

Bobbie knew then that her mother needed a hug, so she uncurled, and scooted from under the bed and slid on the bed quietly snuggling into her mother’s arms.

“it’s ok, Mama, I’m sure your brothers and sister knew that you loved them very much, and that’s all that mattered”

Strangely this made the tears seem to come down Susan’s face faster.

“How could they not know mom? After all, you tell me all the time how it was that summer, that you had each other and your stories, and the dear old professor that somehow that was enough.”

Susan gave a little hiccup sigh, and seemed to catch her breath.

Bobbie glanced a the rain outside, which was really coming down in sheets, “And I guess if on rainy days the stories aren’t enough, that makes sense too.”

Susan then collected herself, and said, “I guess these days I’m just trying to be realistic honey.”

Bobbie thought hard about this.

Matthew squeezed Bobbie’s hand, and Bobbie felt the knot that she didn’t know was in her chest loosen.

“I don’t see why you can’t be realistic and still not know that tea with a faun is still important. I know you told me the story isn’t probably true Mama, but….”

Bobbie’s voice changed to a whisper…”Sometimes I pretend it is, and sometimes I pretend it’s me and Mr. Tumnus and my doll is Aunt Lucy, and somehow I feel like Aslan loves me anyway, and I don’t feel near as so lonesome anymore.” Bobbie bravely tried to say all of this without looking at the empty cradle where baby Thomas had once slept.

Susan then did the best thing ever, and she looked right at Thomas’s cradle, then at Matthew, and then at Bobbie, and swept everyone in a big hug.

“That’s ok darling, sometimes I still pretend its all true too. And sometimes it helps me when I’m lonesome. Sometimes I think we can pretend without believing. I think it’s funny how that works.”

And they all sat on the bed and thought about it.

Love

We like to limit God

to say God only believes in one kind of love

two kinds of genders

and sexuality is easy to define–

placing all those who don’t fit into these “normal” parameters into a category of…

“sorry God just messed up when God was making you”

“God only believes that these aspects are valid in a human being”

“You are an invalid human being”

Don’t even get me started on ethnicity and differently abled folk

Seriously…what kind of mediocre God are you preaching about…

My God has way more flexibility, creativity and love

My God is so good that I fall to my knees before the Trinity–overwhelmed with a need to love & accept people for who they are in the way that God’s Wild Love can….

and if you say your God is very different from mine…I’m inclined to agree with you….Your God is a lot tamer than mine!

Christianity<–straight up!

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

You see, Aslan is not just a lion, but he’s a great Lion. He’s the King of the Beasts, and the real ruler of Narnia. Now, Susan asks the beavers, “Is he safe?”

Mrs. Beaver says, “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

Lucy asks, “Then he isn’t safe?”

And Mr. Beaver says this famous line about Aslan: “’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

Why do we want to limit love anyway?

Convergences, Nones and the church is dying (do you believe in resurrection?)

http://www.faithandleadership.com/blog/01-10-2013/david-lose-its-time-think-differently

“What’s the problem? someone might ask. “People don’t go to church in the numbers they used to,” we answer. No, that’s not the problem. “People don’t give money to programs like they once did.” Nope, not that either. These are just symptoms.

And as long as you think the problem is lower attendance or giving, then the only possible response is to do what we’ve always done, except do it better. We preach the same as we always did, except now we use screens and PowerPoint. Worship hasn’t really changed, but now we’ve thrown in a drum set. What we are doing is fundamentally the same, yet we somehow expect different results….(excerpted from above blog)”

hmmm….maybe the problem is THEOLOGICAL

Ie changing the time of church or the order of worship and adding more programs (the most common solutions I’ve seen to “change” the church) do not an exciting/relevant church make.

Recently my friends and I had a discussion on facebook about what church is…here is a microcosm (kind of the adverse of NPR’s study on why people don’t go to church, we discussed what church could/should be)

Tim said “A lot of theological terms confuse and get misconstrued…and I think you’re right – finding the people locally rather than them finding you. How? is the big question. Through all the misconceptions and stigma “church” gets, it’s a real challenge. There has to be some risk-taking…”

Shellie said…”Yes!!! It’s life together, authentic relationships, passionate worship, interactive study of scripture, no agenda or programs to distract or divide us, communion as a meal gathered at the table. Intimate yet informal, depth yet accessibility. A truly beautiful expression of the Church”

Tim said “Distractions being key there. We are easily distracted into thinking the programs/building/structure is “church” even when we agree that the “church” is relationships between God and people.”

Shellie said “Yes. Exactly. I’ve worked in several churches where – even with the best of intentions – the emphasis shifts to the curriculum, programs, worship service performance – and relationships slide further down the priority list. And it’s not just a pastoral problem or leadership problem – the “church” has grand expectations for its pastors.” and “es!!! How often does “do authentic relationships” or “serve the widowed, poor, oppressed” or “spend face-to-face time with the unlovely or persons outside the faith” show on our job descriptions of the church’s expectations?”

Oh and I said some stuff too…

“i think that’s what confuses people, they think church is just for belief, but I maintain its for unbelievers and faith (belief is something else!)”

“Awesome, its so hard, I think that we “do” church differently and a lot of people who are friends of mine would come, but now I need to find those people locally, I think that the idea of “church” gets in our way”

“I always say that when the church bought its first building everyone was probably like “what? That’s crazy, that won’t be real church, real church happens in peoples houses” etc, etc. all the objections people have to churches without pews or in different locations (coffeeshops, etc)”

“lol which is hilarious because the pastor’s job is to put themselves out of a job (teach others to pray, teach others to preach, teach others to lead–but church’s do focus on the programs”

The convergence continues

(Young Spiritual (and maybe not religious) people are converging! See the following article for more about the awesome convergence!!!)

Shasta and Aslan -Horse and His Boy