Thu 13 December 2007

[ Introduction: leader picks child to knock on bin, everyone calls 'come out Stinky!', Stinky comes out singing his intro tune ] [ While Lionel talks, bin is wheeled in by Ben, lid opened, wireless mic on. Lionel could be away from bin to draw focus away. ]

LEADER: Welcome everybody! It's lovely that we can come together to learn what Christmas is all about. It's such a happy time! Now I've got a very special friend. He lives in a garbage bin! Does anybody know who it is?

[ Get answers. It's Stinky! ]

LEADER: That's right kids, it's Stinky Pong the smelly puppet. But he's been in the rubbish bin for a long time, and I think he's asleep. We need to wake him up. I need a volunteer to come and wake him up.

[ Choose a volunteer, x. ]

LEADER: Now, x is going to knock on the garbage bin 3 times. And we all have to yell "Come out Stinky"

[ She knocks, we yell, "Come out Stinky" three times, S responds 'I can't hear you... ]

[ Stinky comes out crying loudly, says 'hello little monkeys'; Lionel tries to talk when S pauses, but gets drowned out by S's wailing. S asks for hanky, blows noisely into it, again when Lionel is trying to talk. ]

LEADER: Stinky! Why are you so sad!

STINKY: Because it's Christmas soon!

LEADER: You're crying because it's Christmas soon?!

STINKY: Yes! I'm so sad, I'm going to do the special puppet dance of sadness...

[ Walks L to R, crying/singing, 'I want my mummy... and my daddy too!' ]

LEADER: But Stinky, why are you so sad about Christmas?

STINKY: Because last Christmas was really bad.

LEADER: Didn't you eat some yummy food?

STINKY: Yes, we had fish guts, mouldy fungus, maggot cakes, and fried worms.

LEADER: So why was it a bad Christmas?

STINKY: Well, because my Auntie Smelly and my Uncle Pungent started fighting. They got upset when Grandma Rancid ate all the rotten fish and went home. And my brother Reeekie and me ... [pause]

LEADER: Yes, Stinky?

STINKY: We were fighting with each other too.

LEADER: Why, Stinky?

STINKY: [Feeling awkward] Well, Reeeky got a better present than me. He got a toy vomit factory, and I wanted it. So I tried to steal it from him. And he told Grandma Rancid. And I got in beeeeeeeeeeeg trouble. And that's why I'm sad about Christmas!

LEADER: Oh dear, Stinky. Well, Christmas is actually a really happy time. Let's ask the children why they like Christmas...

[ Get 3-4 responses ]

LEADER: Well, they're all great reasons! But you know, what makes Christmas a truly happy time isn't the presents

STINKY: Not the presents?

LEADER: No, and what makes Christmas a truly happy time is not the food

STINKY: Not the food?

LEADER: No, and what makes Christmas a truly happy time is not even when our families are together.

STINKY: Not even that?

LEADER: No, it's because of Jesus!

STINKY: Jesus, oh yeah! Isn't Christmas the time we celebrate when Jesus was born?

LEADER: Yes, Stinky, that's right! And do you know what the angel said when Jesus was born?

STINKY: What?

LEADER: Let's see what Robbie the Robot finds...

[ Slide shows: ]

LEADER: Ah! This bit of the Bible tells what happened to Joseph on the first Christmas. He was going to marry Mary, but he found that Mary was pregnant. He was going to call the wedding off, but at night an angel appeared to him.

STINKY: Whoa! I would have been really scared. What happened then?

LEADER: Let's read what the angel told him...

[ [read passage ]\ "name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins"]

LEADER: The angel said: "name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

STINKY: Because he will save his people from their skins? That's funny. I didn't know there was anything wrong with skins. I eat banana skins all the time.

[ Stinky throws Banana Skin out of the bin ]

STINKY: And orange skins

[ Stinky throws Orange Skin out of the bin ]

STINKY: And ...

LEADER: Stinky ... it doesn't say that Jesus will save us from our skins. It says he will save us from our sins.

STINKY: Oh Mr Windsor, what's a sin?

LEADER: A sin is like those things you did last Christmas Stinky. Do you remember how Reeeky got a toy vomit factory?

STINKY: Yes.

LEADER: And you wanted it, even though you had such good presents already?

STINKY: Yes.

LEADER: Remember how you tried to steal it from him?

STINKY: [Ashamed] Oh Mr Windsor, I'm so ashamed. But yes I remember.

LEADER: Well Stinky, that's sin. Sin is when we don't live the way God wants us to live. Because when you tried to steal that vomit factory, you did't just hurt Reeky. And you didn't just make Grandma Rancid upset. God is very upset when we sin too.

STINKY: Oh Mr Windsor, that is very bad.

LEADER: Do you know that everybody sins?

STINKY: Really? Even the cheeky little monkeys out there? Do they sin?

LEADER: Yes

STINKY: Even the teachers? Do they sin?

LEADER: Yes

STINKY: Wow! Even the Scripture teachers? Do they sin?

LEADER: Yes we all do. And that means that God is very upset with all of us.

STINKY: That doesn't sound very happy so far, Mr Windsor. Maybe if God is very upset with us, he doesn\'t want to be our friend?

LEADER: No, but do you know why Christmas is such a happy time?

STINKY: Why?

LEADER: Because of what the angel said when Jesus was born. Do you see it up there? "name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

STINKY: Ohhh, Mr Windsor. Does Jesus shave his people on their chins? But I like my hairy chin...

LEADER: No, Jesus doesn't shave us on our chins. He saves us from our sins.

STINKY: Oh, our sins. You told me what sin was. Let me remember ... Hmm, I can't remember. I think I need some thinking music.

[ Play thinking music. ]

STINKY: Oh, now I remember! Sin is when we don't live the way God wants us to live.

LEADER: But Jesus saved us from that, Stinky! And that means we don't have to be worried that God is upset with us. Because Jesus saves us from our sins. When he grew up, and died on the cross [to take the punishment we deserved]{.ul}, and rose again, he made us God's friends.

STINKY: So, does that mean we can be God's friends even though we've not lived God's way?

LEADER: Yes!

STINKY: That's amazing! That's wonderful! That's stupendous! So what is the lesson for today?

LEADER: Let's see what Robbie has for us...

[ Slide: Christmas is a happy time because Jesus makes us God's friends. [Read it once] ]

LEADER: Do you think you can say it Stinky?

STINKY: Oh... I'm not very good at these, I might need help from the little monkeys, but let me try... 'Christmas is a happy time because vomit makes us dog's friends'

LEADER: Oh Stinky! Let's say it together and help Stinky!

[ Read together with children ]

STINKY: That makes me very happy Mr Windsor! I want to celebrate Christmas every day! I think Christmas is a very happy time! I'm so happy, I'm going to do the special puppet dance of happiness! [does dance!]

LEADER: That's a great dance Stinky, you really look happy now!

STINKY: [Panting] Oh, yeah... I'm very tired now! I think I better go. Thank you for teaching me about Jesus, Mr Windsor! See you later little monkeys!

Category: scripts Tagged: Christmas Jesus Salvation