From Jim Scott

A Christmas reading using shop titles in retelling the Christmas story

CHRISTMAS READING – “Shops”

High in the sky the Star (his full name was actually Star-bucks) looked down. In the distance he saw men travelling from the East, bearing gifts. They had bee studying a special Cometin the heavens. The star noticed that they were wearing special Boots for their long journey. They had many rivers to cross, which were full of Waterstones. There were also many Hal-Fords. In the event of any of their camels or horses going lame, a Smith, known as W.H., went with them. He was good at doing a Kwikfit.In their party were several Cooks, so each night the wise men from the east pitched camp and ate hot Curries for their evening meal. They were travelling to a land called Judea to seek a new-born King. The star, as he watched them, wondered what would happen Next.

Meanwhile, in the fields round Bethlehem, there were some shepherds looking after their flocks of sheep, and wondering about their Woolsworth. Not very much! The shepherds felt cold in the chill of the night air and thought back to the warm sunny days and the Somerfields. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, with the message, “This very day in David’s town your Saviour was born – Christ the Lord.” The shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us”. So they hurried off to Bethlehem, passing some Little-woods on the way….They found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in a manger. They were full of joy, and went back to their fields, knowing that they would be singing praises to God Alldays.

Meanwhile the men from the East had arrived in Jerusalem which was part of the Kingdom of Harrod’s, sorry Herod’s! They asked him, “Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

Herod was very disturbed by this and called the visitors from the east to a secret meeting. “You had better be Co-operative” he told them. “Go and make a careful search for the child. As(d)a matter of fact, when you find him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship him.” The visitors from the East followed the star until it stopped over the place where the child was. Lifting the Spar of the door, they went in, and saw the child with his mother Mary, who was giving Mothercare and they knelt down and worshipped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him. But they did not return to King Herod. Rather they returned to their own country, by a SafeWay.