Anna & Simeon: A Skit for Blue Christmas

Anna and Simeon: A Sermon Dialogue

Intended for use with Luke 2:25-38

By Pastor Katherine Rohloff, ELCA 2015

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Anna and Simeon enter, both very simply dressed, Anna wearing a black scarf. They are elderly and have known each other for decades. They’ll need a place to sit, and something for Simeon to lean against while sitting.

A: What was that you said to his mother, Simeon?

S: They aren't going to have an easy time of it. Well, the whole nation's going to go through a lot of upheaval when that child grows up, but to be his parents­ I can't imagine what that would be like.

A: It will be difficult for them. They don’t live anywhere near her family, you know, she'll have to depend on his for support. At least I had my mother nearby when I had my first.

S: That's not really what I meant, Anna.

A: I know.

S: She's going to have to watch him die.

A: That's a pain too many mothers know.

S: Not like that.

A: It's always just like that, Simeon, whether they're 30 weeks or 30 years old.

S: (remembers) I'm sorry, Anna. I'd forgotten that you'd lost a daughter. ...Perhaps you could give Mary some advice?

A: That she'll remember decades from now? Nothing that memorable, I'm afraid. God will be with her, but I won’t be, by then.

S: I haven’t thought much about the years to come. I’m still in shock that the Messiah has finally arrived.  Our wait – my wait – is over.

A: That’s right, you’ve been waiting for this day a long time, since the Spirit of God revealed to you that you would be here for the Messiah’s arrival.

S: I’m suddenly feeling my mortality, after years of knowing I had time left. Years of watching my friends and family die and knowing I wouldn’t join them yet.

A: At least you know why you’re still alive. I’ve been wondering for years.

S: Anna, you’re a prophetess! You speak the word of God to the people!

A: And I will continue to serve the Lord our God as long as I live. But I’ve lost people too, Simeon, my daughter, my husband…. We were only married 7 years.

S: How long have you been living here at the Temple?

A: Since my youngest grew up, over 40 years now. Since Herod took over, I suppose. I’ve said a lot of prayers, walking these floors.

S: Some days it seems like it’s been a lifetime of lonely prayers. At least our hope has finally arrived, now that the Messiah is born. Change is coming.

A: I’ve seen plenty of change. We used to be our own nation. I was a newlywed when Rome laid siege and took over the city. That was enough change for me.

S: I admit, with all that’s going to happen in the years to come, it’s exhausting just thinking about it. (sits down, rather suddenly)

A: Simeon, are you all right?

S: (too insistent) Fine! Like I said, it’s just exhausting.

A: (sits next to Simeon, watches him carefully) You’re right, the redemption of Jerusalem is coming. We do have hope, now that the Messiah is here.

S: God is with us, Emmanuel. So much good to come from one little child.

A: God never left you, Simeon.

S: Don’t you start. I don’t need a speech about how righteous and devout I am from you, of all people. Those young priests treat me like an ancient relic already.

A: You’ll get no such speech from me. I know you, remember. You’re as troublesome and forgetful as you are righteous and devout – which is plenty. But that’s not why God never left you.

S: Oh? Why is God still with me, then, O Wise and Crotchety One?

A: You are God’s beloved child. You were when you were a child, when you were a scandalous young man who refused to get married, and you still are now.

S: I’ve done what God has called me to do. Salvation is on the way, my part is done, maybe now I can finally go in peace. (leans against wall/bookcase/structure) I’ve been alone so long.

A: (worried) You’re not alone, Simeon. I’m here. God is with us.

S: Why am I still here, Anna? What’s the point? I’ve been an old man wandering the Temple for decades now, of no use to anyone. Why did I have to stay, mourning my friends, my family? Why didn’t God let me die years ago, if God loves me so much?

A: (pauses) You’ve been given a gift, Simeon, you lived to receive it.

S: What gift was that? Telling a mother she’ll watch her child die?

A: That child is not just any child. That child is living proof to each and every one of us of God’s love for all of us. God has loved us from a distance for thousands of years, but now has given up that distance to walk among us, as one of us.

S: To age and grow weary, to lose loved ones to death, to be hurt and in pain, and finally to die at the hands of his own people?

A: Exactly. How could God go any further to prove how deep love goes? That is the gift God has given us, to come among us and understand us, from inside out. Our grief and our joy, our struggles and our triumphs.

S: And I’ve seen God come into the world. (leans heavily)

A: What an extraordinary gift we’ve been given.

S: Anna, I think it’s time.

A: (studying Simeon carefully) Let us pray together, then, old friend.

S: Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. (quietly dies)

A: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might…. You did, Simeon. You did. (lights go dark)

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Pentecost Acts 2 Reading: Updated Countries & Traditional Pronunciation Guide

The Acts 2 reading for Pentecost Sunday with the countries mentioned updated to their modern day equivalents (and a few suggested sound effects!):

Acts 2:1-21
"It was the festival of Pentecost, and the apostles were all together in a house. And suddenly from heaven there was a sound like a giant rush of wind, WHOOSH, and it filled the whole house!  Flames of fire that looked like tongues appeared among the apostles, and each of them were touched by one of the tongue-like flames.  They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, because the Spirit gave them that ability.

There were faithful Jewish people from around the world who were in Jerusalem at the time, to celebrate the festival of Pentecost, and when they heard the great WHOOSH a crowd gathered at the house where the apostles were, and they were confused as they listened to the apostles speak, because each person heard the apostles speaking in their own native language.

Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Aren’t all of these people from the same place in Galilee?  How can they be talking in so many languages at once?  We are from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq, Israel and Palestine and many parts of Turkey, including near Istanbul and Ankara; some of us are from Egypt and northern Libya, or visiting from Rome in Italy, from the island of Crete or from Saudi Arabia.  But still we all hear the apostles speaking about God’s deeds of power in our own languages!”  All of them were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another “What does this mean?” But other people laughed at the apostles, saying they were drunk.

Peter was standing with the other apostles, and he raised his voice and spoke to the crowd, “People of Israel and everyone who is in Jerusalem, listen to me! We are not drunk, as you might think, it’s only 9 in the morning! No, this is what the prophet Joel said, ‘God tells us that in the last days, God will pour out his Spirit on all people, that your children will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit on them in those days and they will prophesy too.  And I will show signs in the sky above them and in the earth below them, blood, fire and smoky mist. The sun will turn dark and the moon will turn red, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who says the Lord’s name will be saved.’”

Traditional Pronunciation Guide for the names of the ancient countries and areas of Acts 2:9-11:

"Parthians, Meeds, EE-lah-mites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cap-pah-doh-shia, Pontus and Asia, FRIH-gih-ah and Pam-FILL-ih-ah, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cree-tans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

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Good Friday Bidding Prayers- Adapted from ELW

While I treasure the liturgy provided by the resources of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, occasionally I prefer to adapt the language to be a little simpler, and easier for reading aloud. I've adapted the Good Friday Bidding Prayers from the ELW in this way, and I hope you find them useful in your context.

***

Tonight we pray for God's holy church in every land. Lord, your power is beyond our imagination, and yet you sent your Son to us as a humble carpenter, riding into Jerusalem on a colt. By your Holy Spirit guide your church to gather together throughout the world, to share the good news of your grace in Jesus Christ with all people, and to serve our neighbors with kindness and humility. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for all the servants of your church, for our bishops ___ and ___, for our pastor ___, for deacons, for those who have gathered to worship tonight and those who could not be with us. Lord, your Holy Spirit guides our steps each day, help each of us to do your work in the church and in the world as you have called us to, with generosity and an open hearts, and keep us in health and safety. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for all those who are preparing for baptism. Lord, you bless your church each day with your wisdom and grace. Give all those who are taking their first steps into faith, insight into your understanding and compassion. As they receive their new life in Christ, give them community and communion within the church, and bless them with a thriving and healthy community for support. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for all of our siblings in Jesus Christ, whatever we share in common, whatever our differences. Lord, it is in your name that we have our unity, it is in our baptism into Jesus Christ that we are truly one. Unite us again into one fellowship and grant us your favor as we work together to share your good news with the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of Almighty God. Lord, your promises are eternal and the strength of your covenants cannot be doubted. Your promises, to Abraham and Moses, to Sarah and Esther, remain in place, and you have chosen the Jewish people as your own. Grant them your strength and protect them from every harm. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. Lord, around the world your name is said in many languages, many who believe in you call you by another name. Bring an end to hatred between religions, and give us the grace and courage to be faithful witnesses of your love for all people in your Son. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for those who do not believe in God. Lord, you created us in an act of love, and you sent your Son to us as one of us to show that love. Let all people around the world see your love in the daily words and actions of Christians, that they may come to know you and love you as we do. Help us to carry your light within us and to share that light with all we meet, so that the whole world may proclaim you as the true God of all. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for all of God's wondrous creation. Lord, you have created everything we know, from the stars above us to the dirt beneath us, from gigantic galaxies to the tiniest atoms, from the dinosaurs of the past to the children who have yet to be born. You care for all that you have created, help us to care for it as you do and bring everything you've made to fulfill its purpose. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for all who serve in public office, whether they are appointed by officials or elected by the people. Lord, you are the source of all of our knowledge and compassion. Your voice speaks on behalf of the weak and the downtrodden, those whose voices and needs are ignored. Give your wisdom to all those with the power to use it, so that all people may live in a world of justice and peace, and share in your creation with generosity and compassion. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Tonight we pray for those who are in any kind of need. Lord, you give strength to the weary and new courage to those who have lost heart. Heal the sick, comfort the dying, give safety to travelers, free those unjustly imprisoned or oppressed, and deliver your world from dishonesty, hunger, and disease. Hear the prayers of all who call on you in any trouble, and help them in their need. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray...

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Book Review: The Midwife

Hello folks!  I had to take a couple months off from the blog as I had a temporary job with a lot of overtime.  But I'm back now, and happy to share this book with you!

The Midwife, by Jennifer Worth, is the first of a trilogy about her days as a midwife in the dock areas of London in the fifties while living in a convent.  It's recently been made into a popular BBC TV series, which is how I heard about the books.  I enjoyed the first episode of the series, and decided I wanted to try the books.

I've noticed over the years that when birth is portrayed in movies or on television, the overwhelming emphasis is on the pain involved.  The whole process is perceived as alien (indeed, very similar to *that* scene in Alien) and bizarre.  The TV series Call the Midwife didn't do that, the emphasis was on the mother and the family situation.  The midwives are a calming presence in the room and connect with the family in a way not shown in modern medical dramas, and I found that fascinating.

But there's another thread going on in the book that is much more applicable to this blog- the setting of the story is in a convent, which comes as a surprise to the main character, who calls herself Methodist at the beginning but doesn't claim to believe in much.  As the book continues and she gets to know the nuns at the convent (also midwives) and hears their stories, she sees faith in a new light.  She comes to understand more about what Christianity can really mean through watching the midwives' ministry in the area and talking to them about why they're doing the work.  And unwittingly, she enters a faith journey of her own along the way.  It's a well-done, subtle subplot- but since this book is autobiographical, it's also the true story of a person's journey to faith.

I recommend this book enthusiastically to anyone with an interest in history, in autobiographies, or in real-life medical practice, and I think it would make a fascinating choice for a church women's group.  There are occasional graphic descriptions, but nothing worse than you'd find in any normal paperback this days.  This is nothing less than a true-to-life description of what life was like in urban poverty in the days when the Pill didn't exist, feminism was still in the first wave, and women didn't have a lot of options.  It may disturb you, but it will move you.

Book Review: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

Dr. John Gottman has been studying the interactions of married couples for about two decades in his lab in Washington state.  In this book, he compiles his best advice for what skills and habits are most useful to make a marriage work.  He points out that most books on marriage will point out what not to do, and unlearning bad habits, which are certainly helpful, but without good habits to replace them with, progress can be difficult.  He also states that communication, while valuable to any married couple, is not a magical talisman that will remove all problems from the marriage. 

Some of his advice is a little more gendered than I'd like, and he certainly has quite an ego.  Also, this books is written for heterosexual couples, but most of the advice is certainly applicable to any relationship.  In fact, I know a few families who could use this book outside of marital relationships all together.

This book is also not a magical talisman for fixing any marriage, but I did find the exercises in it to be realistic and potentially helpful.  He addresses a wide range of possible issues, their causes, and even accepts different levels of success.  He also acknowledges that not all problems are solvable, but that marriages can survive unsolvable problems in many cases.

I will probably be keeping a copy of this book around, to plan premarital counseling sessions with and to loan out.

Book Review: A Year of Biblical Womanhood

Rachel Held Evans is a popular Christian blogger, and I've mentioned her blog here before.  She grew up in a conservative evangelical environment, and, for example, she expected to have a "complementarian" marriage when she got married, but she and her husband were somewhat surprised to fall into egalitarianism almost by accident.  She hosts careful, intelligent discussions of controversial topics on her blog on a regular basis.  So I knew going in that this book was going to be well written.

The impetus for the book was her experience with the woman of Proverbs 31, a short poem that describes something like the biblical ideal of a wife.  She'd found that poem turned into a "to-do" list by one too many people over the years- especially publishers of Christian women's self-help books- and wanted to look at what the real ideals of "Biblical womanhood" were.  So she took a year to examine a dozen virtues that the Bible associates with femininity, and to look deeper into a variety of ways that people have and do understand "biblical womanhood".  Included in the book are experiences and conversations she had with the Amish, the Quakers, an Orthodox Jewish woman in Israel, and a retreat to a Catholic monastery.

It is a very readable book, lots of variety in what she addresses. She looks at so many items that she doesn't get very in depth about many of them (but I acknowledge my definition of in-depth, having a master's in the subject and all, may not be normal) but what she does cover is generally thoughtful and carefully written. There's a good dose of humor throughout the book, but it's never directed at the Bible, and it's almost always directed at herself.

She did receive a bit of push back for writing the book, and she wrote a lovely response to one of her more popular critiques here.  I think it outlines her intentions and her faith beautifully.

Great book for a woman's Bible study group, actually. I'll have to start suggesting it.

Blog Review: Slacktivist's Bonfire/Quilt/Mosaic

In the world of Facebook and news sites and RSS feeds, it's becoming easier and easier to surround ourselves with people and information we find comfortable and familiar.  But as far as I'm concerned, getting to know people who are different from me is a matter of faith- I feel called as a Christian to truly get to know people from all walks of life and to recognize their status as a beloved child of God, equally worthy of God's love as I am.

And in this world of mass communication on a scale never seen before, the Internet is a great place to do that.  Blogs in particular offer a chance to get to know the authors rather well.  But the Christian blogosphere can start to feel a little stuffy after awhile, and there's a lot of feedback.  And it overwhelmingly feels dominated by straight white men.

Which is why, a little while ago, Fred Clark of Slacktivist put together three lists.  The Bonfire is a list of Christian blogs written by women.  The Mosaic is a list of blogs written by Christians who aren't white.  And the Quiltblogs are written by Christians who aren't straight.

I know I got really tired of reading the horrible things a lot of powerful dead men had to say about women long before I finished seminary.  So seeking out living Christians to counter those dusty voices has been an ongoing process.  Because the Holy Spirit is active in the world, God is with us, and is speaking through people we'd never expect (as God always has).

I'm proud that this blog is listed on the Bonfire.  It's no mark of distinction- all I had to do was to tell Fred I'm a Christian woman writing a blog, and he added the link- but seeing this place listed with all those other Christian women is a strong reminder of the community I'm a part of- of all the Christian women who have gone before and who will come after me.  Thanks be to God!