Our Prep School Christmas Chapel Service started with the carol O Come All Ye Faithful. Our Year 4 students then read out Christmas prayers.

Fr. Colin spoke about the Bible consisting of 66 books and that the books used to be written on scrolls. He spoke about the discovery of the The Great Isaiah Scroll in 1947 in caves in the Judia desert. He went on the explain that another scroll had been discovered recently in Bognor Regis, the scroll was of the birth of Jesus written by St. Cadbury.  Fr Colin read out scroll much to the amusement of the Prep School children and staff:

Meanwhile in a country far, far away, there were three wise men – some called them SMARTIES.

The wise men set off again and eventually found where the baby Jesus lay they were surprised at first because it wasn’t a QUALITY STREET.

The service ended with the carol Joy to the World.

Our Head of Prep School, Mr Brown concluded by congratulating Years 2-5 for their Prep School Christmas production on Monday and performances at Christmas Crackers.  He then gave out awards for the merit points for this term.

Miss Apps said after the service: "Fr. Colin really made the story of the birth of Jesus accessible to all of the Prep School children, they listened to every word waiting to see what the next chocolate treat would be!"

 

The Chocolate Nativity

 

Once upon a time there was a young girl called Mary and she was engaged to be married to a very nice chap called Joseph. One day Mary was doing the house work when she heard a WISPA from the angel Gabriel.  He didn’t FUDGE the issue and got straight to the point!  "You are going to have a baby!!  Wow!  She was to be the mother of God’s Son.  But how could this be?  She was not yet married to Joseph to whom she was betrothed.  To have a baby out of wedlock would certainly be a TOPIC of conversation causing a considerable RIPPLE in the village. 

She told Joseph of God’s great plan, but before the baby arrived political events overtook them.  The Romans called a census and by order, everyone had to travel back to their home town to register for the Romans. It USED TO BE A MARATHON for Mary and Joseph to go back and visit the relatives in Bethlehem, but Joseph thought the BREAK would do them good, and this time Joseph had a donkey for Mary to travel on, they didn't have DOUBLEDECKER buses back then!

When they arrived it was late, in fact it was well AFTER EIGHT.  Joseph tried to find lodgings but the census was a BOOST to the economy of Bethlehem and every room was booked up for the night, so many family reunions and great REVELing. They tried everywhere but CLUB after CLUB after CLUB was full.  “No room”, they all said.  Eventually they were offered the chance to stay in a small stable for the night: It was there that the baby was born He was named Jesus, which means “Saviour”, and she laid him in the manger full of rather uncomfortable CRUNCHIE straw hoping that none of the animals would get the MUNCHIES in the night!

That night, some shepherds in the fields heard a MEDLEY in the heavens.  Angelic MINSTRELS were seen and heard in the night sky singing "Glory to God in the Highest" and heralding the good news of a special baby - a new king being born.  They said let’s go and see what's happening in Bethlehem”. When they got there they found Joseph, Mary and Jesus, who was lying in a feeding trough of all places – certainly no bed of ROSES!

Meanwhile in a country far, far away, there were three wise men – some called them SMARTIES.  They were busily scanning the GALAXY and observing the planets, when they saw a STARBURST in the MILKY WAY. Could it be MARS? No, it was a special STAR - signalling the birth of a new King. They decided to follow the star so they packed a PICNIC, did up their BUTTONS, climbed on their CARAMELS and set off.   They travelled hard, and followed the star and called in to see King Herod to ask him where the new baby was born. Herod was very interested - "A King has been born?" he mused, but deep down he could hardly conceal his SNICKERS. He didn’t really believe the Wise men and thought theM ALL TEASERS, no baby had been born! But just to make sure he decided to FUDGE the issue by saying that he wanted to go and worship the baby as well - and told the wise men to report to him on their way back.

The wise men set off again and eventually found where the baby Jesus lay they were surprised at first because it wasn’t a QUALITY STREET.  They brought him a veritable BOUNTY of gifts! Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh!  They knelt and worshipped the baby.  Then God warned them in a dream that Herod was up to his old TWIX and really wanted to kill the child, so they returned to their own country by another route.

Mary watched all this and stored it up in her heart!  She knew that this baby was to be the saviour of the world, that he would love all of us.

The real story is about God’s love and his love for us in sending us his Son.  

Jesus was born so that ALLSORTS of people might come know God's love for them.