He Came for the Rest of Us

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A new Christmas book of 20 readings for devotionals and poems which can be used as worship readings, personal devotionals, and even sermons.

The story of Jesus rings true as a divine romp, full of messiness, wedding wine, feasting, sweat, blood, betrayal, passion, resurrection and reckless, inexplicable grace. God doesn’t sanitize the details because grace nestles into every phrase of the Gospel. Luke 2 and, well, every verse of the New Testament speaks of love personified through the immaculate descent of a loving Savior. This is the story of an only Son who reached out to the rest of us. All the misfits, vagabonds, fugitives, and beggars who wander in circles, cowering in fear at the sight of the angels of Eden, receive a second chance to love.

A Number of Delivery Options


kindleKindle .99

iBooks-iconibooks .99

 

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HomeworkDistribly 5.00
(.doc) great for pastors and Bible Study leaders.  Cut & Paste. Reproduction rights for bulletins, performances in Christmas programs.  Great for adaptation.

 

27385-1Paperback: (With reproduction rights) 5.99

 



Just West of Bethlehem

Shepherds from the West!
This works well as a dramatic vignette or a simple reader’s theater piece.  Fun to perform with the country accent of your region. 
Cast: Josiah, Henry, Jake, Angel Gabriel

Josiah: And before I knew it, that wolf done snuck up behind me and started carryin’ the sheep off by the scruff of the neck, one by one.

Henry: That ain’t right, and you know it! You were out like a light! How would you know? You were snorin’ so loud that I couldn’t sleep, and it was your watch that night.

Josiah: I wasn’t snorin’—I was clearin’ my sinuses.

Henry: For 15 minutes!?

Jake: You got some sinus problem, boy!

Josiah: Well, you sure didn’t seem like you were in too much of a hurry to help.

Henry: I woke you up, didn’t I?

Josiah: How many times do I have to tell you? I wasn’t sleepin’!

Henry: Well, tell Jake about what you did after that.

Jake: Hold it.

(Pause. Light angelic music is heard, and its volume slowly increases.)

Henry: What was that?

Josiah: Sounds like . . .

Jake: Music! And . . .

Josiah: What’s that light?

Henry: Angels! Great heavens!

Josiah: “Great heavens” is right!

Henry: Boy! Are we in trouble now!

Jake: Head for cover!

Josiah: Come back here, Jake! This ain’t no thunderstorm!

Henry: (trembling with fear) Jehovah, forgive me for breakin’ the Sabbath two weeks ago. Forgive me for eating that bacon when I went to Samaria! And for yelling at my wife last Thursday, and for—

Jake: Will you cut it out? That angel is trying to say something to us.

Gabriel: Don’t be afraid!

Josiah: You ain’t gonna kill us?

Gabriel: I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem.

Henry: The Messiah? Our Savior? Well, uh, that’s great!

Jake: How’re we gonna know who He is?

Gabriel: You will find the baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.

(Heavenly music.)

Josiah: Wow! Listen to all those angels!

Henry: Praise God! The Messiah is here!

Josiah: What’s “Messiah” mean?

Henry: I’ll tell you later. Would you look at all those angels!

(Sudden silence.)

Jake: Hey! Where’d they go?

Josiah: They plum vanished into thin air!

Henry: Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go see this baby!

Josiah: You never did tell me about who the Messiah is!

Jake: We’ll tell you on the way.

Josiah: What about the sheep?

Henry: Forget the sheep! We just saw angels flyin’ round in the sky, and you’re worried about sheep!



Song Introduction to “Away in a Manger”

Here is an easy, informal reading to be performed before “Away in the Manger”

Reader 1:  away

Reader 2:  but so near to the outcast

Reader 1:  near to the blood of the innocents

Reader 2:  near to life, a dangerous mystery

Reader 1:  no crib for a bed

Reader 2:  1st century squalor of animals

Both:  away

Reader 1:  alone

Reader 2:  no turning back

Reader 1:  the little Lord Jesus

Reader 2:  God meshed in skin

Reader 1:  helpless Master Infant

Reader 2:  laid down His sweet head

Reader 1:  the brow of thorns

Reader 2:  smitten by bandits, spit upon, mocked

Reader 1:  yet eyes still fixed on His love

Reader 2:  the stars in the sky

Reader 1:  each fixed in place

Reader 2:  bold, mighty, universe

Reader 1:  the Author: this Infant

Reader 2:  full of wonder

Reader 1:  as angels, and Abba

Reader 2:  proudly, sadly

Reader 1:  looked down where He lay

Both:  away

Reader 2:  relentlessly committed

Both:  away

Reader 1:  vacating the thrones and crowns of glory

Both:  away

Reader 1:  the glory of His love

Both:  away

Reader 2:  humble

Reader 1:  Master

Reader 2:  Creator

Both:  away

Reader 1:  matchless mysterious Ruler

Both:  Away



The Cradle and the Cross

Worship leaders start early with some creative tools to enhance your Christmas worship.  Here is a simple reading that contrasts the Christ’s Birth and Crucifixion. Works great as an introduction to a song.

Reader #1: Mankind had wrapped Him in swaddling clothes,

Reader #2: And now they stripped him.

Reader #3: Wise men had sought Him, to worship Him at His birth.

Reader #2: Now men of earthly wisdom sought only to kill Him.

Reader #1: And the shepherds who left their sheep in the fields that night to see Him as a baby . . .

Reader #2: Now? Now they saw Him as a man who was like a lamb led to the slaughter.

Reader #3: They had bowed to worship Him in that humble manger,

Reader #1: And now they spit upon Him and mocked Him as King of the Jews.

Reader #2: Mankind had seen the glorious presence of angels, heard our music and joy,

Reader #3: And now they turned their backs on Him.

Reader #1: This same Jesus, once lavished with gold, frankincense, and myrrh was now shamed by a crown of thorns and a wooden reed.

Reader #2: The Bethlehem star seemed to be only a distant memory as Jesus hung on that cross.

Reader #3: The angels wept to see the King of kings and the Lord of lords mocked and betrayed and unjustly slain for the sins of man. And as He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do,” He was looking through the hall of eternity where time is of no significance and He saw you. He came down for you.