What’s so shocking about a Christmas stocking?  That’s the question I have asked myself for nearly two years! 

The title dropped into my head on New Year’s Day, 2021.  I was taking down the Christmas stockings ready to jump into a new and exciting year.   I quickly wrote the title down in my journal.  I thought about it on and off but I couldn’t get any further with a story.

Christmas 2022 and I reread my journal notations looking for inspiration for new Christmas stories or plays.  I found the title again.  ‘What’s so shocking about a Christmas stocking?’ I asked myself.  ‘Well, a stocking with a hole in it would be shocking because all the Christmas treats and goodies would fall out.’ But again I got no further with the story that year. 

It’s October 2023 and I’m reading about the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the book of Haggai. Haggai, a minor prophet, accused the transformed remnant who had returned to Jerusalem of caring more about their own houses than about God’s house. Haggai 1:1-10 reads:

In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!

 “You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” (The emphasis is mine!)

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. ¹¹ For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labour of your hands.”

Wait!  A bag with a hole?  I remembered The Shocking Christmas Stocking idea and knew I was on to something!  Reading Bible commentaries on the subject confirmed that there was indeed a connection between Christmas and the rebuilding of the temple.  It was about priorities.

I originally thought The Shocking Christmas Stocking would take the form of a short story.  Perhaps a conversation between a grandmother and grandson.  But I soon realised the story was too big, so I decided on a play.  I sat and wrote it in a couple of days.  Well, it had taken a couple of years to get to this point! 

I created the Merry family.  Mr and Mrs Merry, and their children Gabriel, Angela, Nicholas and Holly.  The play is set in the family living room where Mrs Merry enters, carrying parcels and bags full of Christmas décor, decorations and presents.  She is in a tizzy!  She has so much to do to get the house organised for Christmas.  For her, that means presenting the house in Instagram and Pinterest-worthy readiness for all her family and neighbours to appreciate.  She conscripts the children into helping her and the house is in confusion.  Nicholas is shocked to discover his Christmas stocking has a hole in it!  He suspects Holly of sabotage and Mr Merry arrives home just in time.  He decides he must get his family back on track.  He shares the story of Haggai and the job of rebuilding God’s temple and challenges the family about their priorities.  Mrs Merry realises she has been caught up with the trappings of Christmas, when God should have been her priority.

I have to confess to enjoying this family, especially Mrs Merry who is trying so hard to make Christmas special.  And I identified with her more than I cared to realise!  This play has been a joy to write, and I am so glad the story of The Shocking Christmas Stocking is finally finished and ready to be sent off into the world.  But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at a Christmas stocking the same way again!

Your Kid’s Ministry may not need to put on a Christmas production; however, I hope you can read and enjoy the script!

You’ll find the script here: https://cooeekidsministry.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Shocking-Christmas-Stocking-1.pdf

Merry Christmas and God bless you as you do all that God has put in your heart to do for His Kingdom.