Angels We Have Heard On High
a narration written to be read aloud
at a Christmas party
while unsuspecting ward members act out what is being read
Once upon a time in the pre-existance, there was a group of angels that we shall call a ward. Now when you think of the pre-existance, you probably think that everybody there is an angel. That may well be, but I happen to think that everybody up there is different; in age, in looks, and -- most importantly -- in talents.One day, the bishop of this heavenly ward was sitting in his office. It was a very special time, because the Saviour was supposed to go to earth in only a few hours to be born. Every soul in every ward in the entire pre-existance was very excited.
There was a knock at the door. The bishop opened up. A messenger-angel came in, pulling a hovering wagon behind him.
"Good day," said the angel. "I've got an important assignment for your ward. Some of you have been called to appear over the fields of Bethlehem and sing a short song for the birth of the Saviour. Here's the list, and here are some wings. You can start finding everybody immediately and passing out the wings."
"Thank you," said the bishop. He took the list and discovered that his name was right at the top.
"Many blessings," said the angel. "We'll meet at the fields."
Then he disappeared. The bishop went to the wagon, lifted up a pair of wings, and put them on. Then he took the list in one hand and pulled the wagon with the other hand, and went to the next person.
"Greetings, Brother F," said the bishop. "You have been called to appear over the fields of Bethlehem and sing a short song for the birth of the Saviour."
"A short song?" asked Brother F in dismay. "I can sing entire operas! Do I really have to make do with a short song?"
"You have to," said the bishop. "That's the assignment."
"Then I'll sing so loud that the Saviour himself will hear me in Bethlehem," said Brother F, and took a deep breath, as though he were going to start right then and there. The bishop raised his hands defensively.
"Here are your wings," he said quickly, pulling a pair out of the wagon. "You can put them on and practice a bit before we start."
The brother put his wings on and flew away awkwardly. The bishop went to the next name on the list. He knocked at the door. But to his surprise, it was opened by somebody else -- a very young soul.
"Bishop! Have you come to give me a calling in the ward? Could I maybe answer prayers?" the boy asked excitedly. He was an eager, but very young soul, and still needed some knowledge and experience.
"Hello, T," said the bishop. "No, I'm sorry, but I've come to talk to Brother B."
"Why? What have you got there in the wagon? What are those things?"
"Those are wings." The bishop craned his neck to look behind the young brother. Brother B came up slowly.
"Look, we're getting a delivery of wings!" T called out excitedly. "We could have a race!"
Brother B frowned and said, "I think I'm getting old. I don't remember ordering wings."
"They come with the calling," the bishop explained.
"But I do remember that I have a calling, and as far as I know, wings aren't necessary for it," said the older brother. He tried to shut the door, but the younger brother was in the way.
"But I don't have a calling OR wings," cried T, hopping excitedly in front of the bishop.
"You have been called to appear over the fields of Bethlehem and sing a short song for the birth of the Saviour," the bishop said.
"Oh, yeah!" T cried.
"I meant Brother B," the bishop said. T hung his head.
"Oh, let him," said Brother B with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm too old for this kind of thing."
"Nonsense. You're not as old as you make yourself," said the bishop. He pulled a pair of wings out of the wagon and held them out. "Put these on, practice a bit, and be on your way. It will soon be starting time."
Brother B took the wings reluctantly, held them in his hand, and went away without putting them on.
"There are so many wings!" T said, looking into the wagon. "Are you sure that I wasn't called?"
"I'm sure," said the bishop. He took his own wings off and held them out to the boy. "But you can wear my wings and help me to pass out the others. All right?"
"Yippee!" the boy cried. He pulled the wings on, circled the bishop once, and finally settled for pushing the wagon from behind while the bishop pulled.
Next, they went to Brother S. The bishop knocked on the door. Brother S opened up. The boy jumped in front of the bishop and cried, "We're here to call you to put on wings and sing about Bethlehem."
Brother S looked surprised and said, "I don't think I know any songs about Bethlehem."
The bishop explained everything to him, and Brother S obediently reached out for the pair of wings that the boy was handing to him. While he was flexing his arm and chest muscles in the act of pulling them on, a sister went by at that very moment. She looked once at the brother, and then a second time. This time, she didn't look away, and her steps slowed radically.
"Don't run away, Sister X," said the bishop, although Sister X was definitely not in any hurry. "I've got a very special calling for you."
Sister X noticed him for the first time, blinked, and asked in surprise, "For me?"
He explained the calling. Sister X looked down, and then threw a short glance at Brother S. "But I can't sing that well."
"But you do look beautiful," Brother S said suddenly. "So angelic. When the shepherds see you ..."
Embarrassed and pleased, Sister X put her hands to her cheeks, but started to smile. Brother S smiled back shyly.
"Come on," said Sister X. "You can show me how to fly."
T held out a pair of wings to her and she took them without looking. Side by side, she went off with Brother S.
The bishop and T went on their way to the next apartment, where Sister R lived. Before the bishop could even knock, the door opened and Sister R stormed out, almost running T down.
"You've already got wings on!" T cried.
"Yes," she said, "and I'm in a bit of a hurry! The Guardian Angel Emergency Services have just informed me that our protectee is hanging from a cliff. If we don't help him soon, he'll fall down and break his neck!"
"Do the Guardian Angels have subsitutes for those people who can't come right just then?" the bishop asked.
"Yes, but why? I'm here and I can help," Sister R said, hurrying away. The bishop and T ran to keep up with her.
"We've got another calling for you," the bishop said.
"Can we talk about it later?" Sister R asked. She started to fly. The bishop reached for the last pair of wings in the wagon, pulled them on, and flew after her. T came along, too.
"Sister R, this can't wait!" the bishop shouted. "Call your substitute!"
"Why? What's going on?" she shouted back. Looking over her shoulder, she flew a bit slower. The bishop finally caught up with her and said, "You've been called to appear over the fields of Bethlehem and sing a short song for the birth of the Saviour!"
"What a joke," Sister R cried. "I can't sing a bit! I've got one single talent, and that's being a guardian angel."
"It's not a joke! This comes from Way Up There!" The bishop pointed upwards with one finger.
Sister R heaved a sigh of resignation, looked around, and pointed in another direction. "There's an emergency trumpet station! I'll land there!"
She flapped her wings a few more times, then landed by the emergency trumpet. The bishop and T landed behind her. Sister R lifted up the trumpet and blew into it. "Guardian Angel Emergency Services, this is Sister R! I can't come to the emergency on the cliff! I've just been drafted to sing!"
A voice came out of the heavens, and the bishop and T both looked up as it sounded. "HA HA HA HA HA!"
Sister R looked at the bishop. "There! You see? They heard me singing once!"
The bishop grabbed the trumpet and blew into it. "Bishop M here! This is the truth! Sister R has been called to this position!"
There was a short pause before the answer came. "Okay, we'll notify the substitute. Many blessings!"
The bishop was just about to say thank you when there was another burst of laughter. Angrily, Sister R grabbed the trumpet from his hand and hung it up. The sound died abruptly.
"Now remember that you were called for a reason," the bishop said. "Maybe it's time for you to develop a new talent. Anyway, we're angels. Miracles always happen around us."
"Always?" Sister R asked hopefully.
"Every time it's necessary. But come on, we've got to go. It's time."
"Can I come, too?" T asked excitedly.
The bishop hesitated, then said, "Of course. You can bring the wagon and wait for us, and then you can help me collect the wings afterwards."
They all flew to the fields above Bethlehem. All the other angels were there and practicing their flying, even Brother B, who was, however, very slow and careful. Four shepherds were stretched out around a little camp and a ewe was also there. The bishop divided up the angels so that they made a circle around the shepherds. He put Brother F far away -- just in case. Brother S and Sister X hovered next to each other.
"Does everybody know the song?" the bishop asked.
"Theoretically, yes," Sister R replied in a bit of a huff.
"I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots," sang Brother S to Sister X. She smiled at him and sang back, "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts."
The bishop said sternly, "I DO BEG YOUR PARDON!"
Brother S and Sister X were visibly embarrassed and murmured simultaneously, "Sorry, wrong song."
"The Song of Solomon can wait. Let's try "Glory to God in the Highest" instead," said the bishop. "Now, the key word is 'manger.' As soon as you hear me say that, you start to shine, okay?"
Then the bishop flew closer to the shepherds and began to shine. Three of the four shepherds woke up and stared fearfully at him. The ewe lifted its head as well.
"Fear not," said the bishop quickly, "for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David --"
The bishop lifted his arm in the direction of the city --
"--a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
At the word "manger," all the other angels started to shine as well. All amazed, the shepherds glanced around as they sang. The bishop glanced around, too, and discovered that the miracles were already starting to happen. Brother F was singing loudly, but not unbearably. Brother B had been flying very close to the ground, with small, weak wingstrokes, but now he was lifted up, higher and stronger. Brother S and Sister X flew so close that their wingtips were touching -- well, maybe that was not exactly a wonder. But Sister R was singing and her voice was suddenly beautiful.
The song came to an end. The angels stopped shining and flew away to where T was waiting with the wagon. Naturally, Sister X and Brother S were close to each other, grinning as they pulled off their wings and put them back in the wagon. Sister R, however, stayed where she was. She pressed her fingers to her mouth and throat as though she could not believe that they belonged to her. The bishop stayed behind as well.
The shepherds looked at each other. Then they turned in the direction of the city.
"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us," the first shepherd said. They all started to march away, but at that moment, the fourth shepherd woke up. "Hey, what's going on? Where are you headed?"
They all turned around and the first shepherd said, "A saviour is born this day, which is Christ the Lord."
The second shepherd added, "In the city of David." He lifted his hand and pointed in that direction.
The third shepherd said, "We have to see this thing and tell all the people!"
"Wait, I'm coming with you!" the fourth shepherd called out.
"You didn't see the angels," said the third shepherd. "You were fast asleep."
"You were snoring! Not even the song of the angels could wake you up," the second shepherd said.
"Anyway, somebody has to stay here with the sheep. That ewe could start at any minute," said the first shepherd.
The three shepherds went away, and the fourth sank resignedly to the ground.
The bishop nodded contentedly. Their task was complete and he could go now. He started to fly away slowly, and stretched out his hand to Sister R to pick her up on the way.
The fourth shepherd started plucking sadly at the grass, and said, "I wish I'd seen the angels! I'd like to go to Bethlehem and see the Messiah. Maybe they'll come back if I pray ... ?"
He stopped plucking at the grass and knelt down. After he'd pressed his hands together, he bowed his head. The bishop knew that he was praying although he could not hear a sound.
In that instant, the bishop and Sister R had to fly hastily out of the way, because T came swooping down like a destroying angel. He stood in front of the fourth shepherd, started to shine, and said, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
The shepherd stared at T with his mouth hanging open. The bishop knew that T was going to break into song at any second. He turned around and flew back quickly to give the boy a little support. To his surprise, Sister R came, too. Together, they began to shine and to sing. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
As soon as they had finished, T said to the shepherd, "Rejoice, o shepherd! Now you, too, can go to Bethlehem and see the child."
The shepherd stood up rejoicing, and was just about to set out when the ewe suddenly bleated. The excitement drained from the shepherd's face and he said sadly, "Somebody has to stay here with the sheep. She'll be lambing any minute now."
"We can manage," said T excitedly. "We were called especially for this service, weren't we, bishop?"
The bishop said, "Uh ..."
Sister R stepped up and said, "Yes, indeed! I'm even a member of the Guardian Angel Emergency Services and we've been trained to deal with sticky situations. The sheep will be in good hands with us. And anyway, we're angels. Miracles always happen around us."
"Right," said T and nodded in agreement. Both angels stared pointedly at the bishop. He had no choice but to nod as well.
"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" said the shepherd, grinning. He lifted his hand as though to touch them, then let it sink, and ran towards Bethlehem as fast as he could.
The ewe bleated again. Sister R knelt down and patted its head.
"It was a good thing that I came, too, wasn't it, bishop?" T asked proudly. "I was able to answer his prayer! Did you see how happy he was?"
"Yes, you did that very well," said the bishop.
"And my voice sounded even better the second time around," said Sister R in amazement. "I was only going to pretend that I was singing, but then I started up anyway and ... a miracle happened!"
"You really couldn't sing before?" T asked.
"Not a bit! I was always happy that I could at least be a guardian angel. But now I could almost think about joining the choir."
"I wish I could be something like a guardian angel," said T. "Or at least have a calling where I could answer prayers. It's such an ... exciting feeling!"
"That's right, it is," Sister R agreed. "Saving lives, answering prayers, or even helping in any way ... that's the best thing. But singing ... isn't bad, either."
She and T smiled at each other. Suddenly, the ewe bleated again, and T called out, "Look, bishop, the lamb is being born!"
The bishop looked, grimaced, and quickly averted his eyes. Desperately, he looked around for the little town of Bethlehem, where another lamb was also being born -- the Lamb of God.
The End
Written December 2004