1914 Christmas Truce Miracle
Narrator: During the winter of WW1, on the battlefields of Flanders, a Christmas miracle took place. The Germans had been in a fierce battle with both the British and the French. All sides were in muddy, man-made trenches 6’-8’ deep. The enemy trenches were close some 60 yards away with a no-man’s land in the middle.
On Christmas Eve the German soldiers were seen putting up small Christmas trees with candles at the top of their trenches. The German soldiers began to sing in German “Stille nacht, heilige nach” Silent night, holy night.
Choir sing: Silent Night (first 2 verses)
Narrator: The British soldiers began to play the bagpipes. Play the DVD Silent night with the bag pipes playing you can download off YouTube.
Narrator: The British soldiers played another Christmas carol. Play the DVD “O Come all ye Faithful” (downloaded the bag pipes playing this song off YouTube)
Narrator: Would the members please sing “O Come all ye Faithful”
Narrator: The French soldiers began to sing. Would the members please sing “The First Noel”
Song
German soldier: He is on the opposite side of the British soldier and holds a sign and puts his arms up into the air. The sign says: You No Fight, We No Fight, the German soldier then shouts in broken English, “We no Shoot if you no shoot.”
British soldier: Holds a sign and puts his arms up into the air. The sign says: Merry Christmas and then the British soldier shouts, “Merry Christmas.”
Page 2
The German soldier and the British soldier walk into the middle and then shake hands with each other.
Narrator: The Germans, the French and the British came out of their trenches and met in the middle called no man’s land. They exchanged Christmas greetings and chocolates, gifts from home and smokes with one another.
On Christmas morning each side went out to help one another bury their dead and help each other remove all they’re wounded safely into their trenches. They also sang more Christmas carols and they played a game of soccer in no man’s land between them. Some of the opposing soldiers even exchanged their addresses to look one another up after the war was over.
British soldier: We read Psalm 23 together. Read Psalm 23 to the members.
Narrator: The truce went on for a fortnight and the enemy soldiers were on the friendliest terms. Their generals didn’t like this at all so they ordered them to shoot at one another again. The soldiers spent a few days wasting the rounds of ammunition shooting at the stars in the sky instead of shooting the soldiers in the enemy trenches across the fields. They eventually transferred some of them to other areas to fight.
For a few precious moments there was peace on earth good will toward men.
Would the members please sing “Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains."
Song
Page 3
Narrator: Soldiers stopped fighting in WW1 after hearing a Christmas song, “Silent Night.
Narrator: What was the mighty miracle that could halt the war?
Member: Read Luke 2: 1-14
Member: Read Isaiah 9:6
Choir: sing the Hallelujah Chorus
Closing Prayer
No comments:
Post a Comment