This is a contemporary Christmas parable, touching on Advent themes of waiting and challenging the congregation to consider how they prepare themselves for Christmas. It is written up as a story and could work well simply read aloud. However, if you wanted to add further engagement you could have a couple of people mime the action as it is going on, or expand the story into a full drama.

Extract from the parable:

Christmas Eve. A couple walk the aisles of a supermarket gathering up the food and frills for a cracking Christmas. Early on in their travels they spot the Christmas baby and scoop that into the trolley. Of course they must have the Christmas baby, what is Christmas about after all? Other things get added. Crackers, decorations, cake, mince pies, mulled wine, turkey, stuffing, sprouts ("Really? You really want the sprouts? You know what they do to you...") Little by little the trolley fills up and it's clear there's going to be a problem. It's not big enough. They um and ah for a while, shift a few things around ("Don't squash the Yule Log!") and then the solution becomes clear. Put the baby to one side and pick it up later. Of course. No problem. Why didn't we think of that earlier?

Returning it to the shelf makes just enough room for one of those embarrassing Christmas jumpers, a large box of Quality Street and a few bits of extra tinsel. Perfect. On into the queue ("I don't think we'll risk the 'twelve items or less' till, darling...") then it's wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait... ("We're going to miss the repeat of the 1974 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show...") then a jolly festive chat to the check-out woman in the flashing Santa hat, load up the bags, wheel them to the car in the trolley and off. Christmas sorted...

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