Monday, March 22, 2010

Hare Drum

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. – Joshua 24:15bScripture Reference: Judges 4-5

A lesson in bravery and giftedness.

Cast:
D.B. – a good albeit not very bright bunny
MISS REBECCA – the teacher who sets him straight

Props:
Drumsticks

(MISS REBECCA is on stage. D.B. barely peers above the stage.)

D.B.: (whispering) Pssst! Miss Rebecca.

MISS REBECCA: D.B.? What are you doing?

D.B.: Do you see Mr. Eli around?

MISS REBECCA: Our music minister?

D.B.: Yes, that Mr. Eli. Have you seen him today?

MISS REBECCA: No, I think he is in Brazil this week.

D.B.: Phew! (comes all the way up)

MISS REBECCA: Why in the world are you hiding from Mr. Eli? He’s a nice guy.

D.B.: Oh, he is a very nice guy, but he has a new drum set.

MISS REBECCA: And you are afraid of drum sets?

D.B.: No!

MISS REBECCA: That’s good. Then why…

D.B.: Who would be afraid of a drum set?

MISS REBECCA: No one I suppose, but…

D.B.: How could a drum set even hurt anyone?

MISS REBECCA: You could get caught in the SNARE drum.

D.B.: Miss Rebecca!

MISS REBECCA: Yes?

D.B.: I expect bad jokes like that from Mr. Mike but not from you.

MISS REBECCA: Sorry, D.B. You still haven’t told me why you were hiding from Mr. Eli.

D.B.: He wants me to be the new drummer.

MISS REBECCA: Are you a good drummer?

D.B.: A good drummer? Have you ever heard of Gene Krupa?

MISS REBECCA: The famous jazz drummer.

D.B.: Or Ringo Starr?

MISS REBECCA: Drummer for the Beatles.

D.B.: Or Keith Moon?

MISS REBECCA: Drummer for Led Zeplin.

D.B.: Or Animal?

MISS REBECCA: Drummer for the Muppets.

D.B.: Well, I am not as good as any of them, but I am pretty good.

MISS REBECCA: So what’s the problem?

D.B.: I am scared to get up in front of everyone and play the drums. I am not a very brave bunny.

MISS REBECCA: Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. It means doing it even though you are scared.

D.B.: Really?

MISS REBECCA: Really. And if you feel like God is calling you to do this, the He will give you the courage to do it.

D.B.: Well, I will want to do it, and want to honor God by using my talents.. So… I will do it!

MISS REBECCA: That’s great, D.B.

D.B.: Just one more thing.

MISS REBECCA: What’s that?

D.B.: What do I do with these? (holds up drumsticks)

MISS REBECCA: D.B.!

D.B.: (snickers) Bye, Miss Rebecca.

MISS REBECCA: Bye, D.B.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Holy Career Choice

Scripture Reference: Judges 3

Holy career choice, Batman!A lesson in God’s wrath.

Cast:
OZZIE – a mischievous little monster
MR. MATT – the teacher who sets him straight

Props:
Clown nose

(MR. MATT is on stage when OZZIE appears wearing a clown nose.)

OZZIE: (seriously) I need to ask you a question, Mr. Matt.

MR. MATT: (surprised/amused) Hey, Ozzie. What is that on your nose? Are you planning on joining the circus?

OZZIE: That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Where do I go to join the circus?

MR. MATT: Why in the world do you want to join the circus?

OZZIE: It’s my new career patch.

MR. MATT: New career path?

OZZIE: Yeah. I figured I would join the circus, and I would eventually become the ward of a millionaire playboy who is secretly a costumed crime fighter. I would become his sidekick then finally be a superhero in my own right.

MR. MATT: It’s good to have a career plan, but I’m not sure it works that way.

OZZIE: It worked for Robin, I figured it would work for me.

MR. MATT: Hmmm. So why the sudden interest in a career path?

OZZIE: Oh, that’s because my mom doesn’t love me any more, so I need to get a job. I figured that being a superhero would be a sweet job.

MR. MATT: I agree it would be sweet, but why do you say your mom doesn’t love you any more? I know she loves you very much.

OZZIE: No, she doesn’t. She took away my PlayStation for a week.

MR. MATT: Did you do something wrong?

OZZIE: Well, yes, but she took away my PlayStation! If she loved me, she wouldn’t take away my PlayStation.

MR. MATT: That was the consequence of your disobedience. It doesn’t mean your mom doesn’t love you, Ozzie.

OZZIE: I don’t know. I bet you aren’t that mean to Nikki.

MR. MATT: I’ve had to punish Nikki for being disobedient.

OZZIE: Nikki?

MR. MATT: Nikki.

OZZIE: Sweet little Nikki?

MR. MATT: (chuckling) Yes.

OZZIE: Your daughter?

MR. MATT: That Nikki.

OZZIE: You punished her?

MR. MATT: Yes.

OZZIE: Cool Mr. Matt?

MR. MATT: Yes, Ozzie.

OZZIE: And you still love her?

MR. MATT: Of course I do.

OZZIE: And my mom still loves me?

MR. MATT: Of course she does!

OZZIE: Even though she’s a meaner?

MR. MATT: She’s not a meaner. She care about you, Ozzie, and she wants to make sure you lean to be a responsible person.

OZZIE: Monster.

MR. MATT: Sorry. A responsible monster.

OZZIE: You really think so?

MR. MATT: I know so.

OZZIE: Hmmm. I suppose you’re right. So I guess I’ll put off my plans to join the circus to become a superhero. I’m going to head home.

MR. MATT: That sounds like a good idea.

OZZIE: And look for a genetically-altered spider. (disappears)

MR. MATT: Ozzie!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Mighty Dog

Scripture Reference: Joshua 8:1-29, 10:1-15Bullet the turtle

A lesson in God's might.

Cast:
D.B. – a good albeit not very bright bunny
MR. MIKE – the teacher who sets him straight

Props:
a dog nose and a bandana as a cape for D.B.’s disguise.

(MR. MIKE is on stage.)

D.B.: (appears singing like old Might Mouse cartoon) Here I come to save the day!

MR. MIKE: Who in the world are you suppose to be?

D.B.: (in superhero voice) Do not fear, Citizen. It is I, Mighty Dog!

MR. MIKE: (suspicious) Mighty Dog hmmm? You do look mighty familiar.

D.B.: That is probably because you have seen my mighty exploits.

MR. MIKE: And what is it that makes you so mighty?

D.B.: Well, I am faster than a speeding Bullet.

MR. MIKE: Are you really faster than a speeding bullet?

D.B.: Oh, yes! I am much faster than my turtle Bullet.

MR. MIKE: (amused) Ah, I see. Anything else?

D.B.: I am more powerful than a locomotive.

MR. MIKE: More powerful than a locomotive?

D.B.: Much more powerful. I can stop my Thomas the Tank Engine even when it has brand new batteries.

MR. MIKE: And I suppose you can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

D.B.: But of course. I made a building out of Legos and leaped over it in a single bound.

MR. MIKE: How tall was it?

D.B.: Three bricks – but it was the really big bricks.

MR. MIKE: And what inspired you to become a superhero?

D.B.: I was reading the Bible, and I want to be a superhero like Joshua.

MR. MIKE: Joshua was definitely a heroic fellow, but he wasn’t really a superhero. Was he?

D.B.: Well, he stopped the sun in the sky. That sounds pretty superhero-ish to me.

MR. MIKE: Joshua didn’t stop the sun.

D.B.: Oh yes, he did. I read it in the book of Joshua.

MR. MIKE: I know the story, but it wasn’t Joshua who stopped the sun. It was God.

D.B.: Oh! That makes more sense.

MR. MIKE: Of course it does.

D.B.: I mean you would have to have a really tall ladder to reach the sun.

MR. MIKE: REALLY tall.

D.B.: And the sun would be really hot.

MR. MIKE: (chuckling) Yes, it would, D.B.

D.B.: (in regular voice) Hey! You know who I am.

MR. MIKE: (reluctantly) Yeah, I do.

D.B.: But how did you guess?

MR. MIKE: Well, the ears for one thing. They are kinda a dead giveaway.

D.B.: Maybe my mom can pin my ears back and…

MR. MIKE: D.B., you don’t need to be a superhero.

D.B.: I do not?

MR. MIKE: No, you can rely on God. He stopped the sun in the sky, parted the waters, and did all the other amazing things to show His mighty hand.

D.B.: I guess you are right, Mr. Mike. God is much mightier than any superhero.

MR. MIKE: That’s right.

D.B.: He is the superhero-est of them all.

MR. MIKE: Exactly. So you don’t really need that costume any more.

D.B.: I guess not. (superhero voice) Bye, Citizen.

MR. MIKE: Bye, Mighty Dog.

Monday, March 1, 2010

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

Scripture Reference: Joshua 2, 5:13-6:27

A lesson in God's might.

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. – Joshua 24:15bCast:
OZZIE – a mischievous little monster
MR. MIKE – the teacher who sets him straight

Props:
2 party horns (one for Ozzie, one for the puppeteer)

(MR. MIKE is on stage.)

OZZIE: (appears and starts walking back & forth)

MR. MIKE: (watches for a moment, tracking him with his head) Hey, Ozzie. Whatcha doing?

OZZIE: I'm trying to knock down this wall, Mr. Mike.

MR. MIKE: You can't knock down a wall like that.

OZZIE: Oh? Isn't is fast enough? (goes faster)

MR. MIKE: Not like that either.

OZZIE: (stopping and looking at MR. MIKE) Well, I can't go any faster!

MR. MIKE: No, I mean walking back & forth can't knock down that wall.

OZZIE: Well, Joshua did it in the Bible.

MR. MIKE: It's true that Joshua and the Israelites brought down the walls of Jericho, but it wasn't walking around that did it. It was…

OZZIE: The shouting! (starts yelling Taz-style)

MR. MIKE: (after a few moments) Ozzie! Ozzie!

OZZIE: (casually) Yes?

MR. MIKE: It wasn't the shouting that did it.

OZZIE: Hmmm. (looking at the wall) Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your wall down.

MR. MIKE: Wrong story.

OZZIE: Sorry.

MR. MIKE: The walls came down because of…

OZZIE: The trumpets! (disappears then reappears blowing a party horn – a lot)

MR. MIKE: (after a few moments) Ozzie! Ozzie!

OZZIE: (casually) Yes?

MR. MIKE: It wasn't the trumpets.

OZZIE: Hmph! I'm running out of things to try. I've tried walking, shouting, and trumpets. I even tried huffing and puffing. What's left?

MR. MIKE: God's might.

OZZIE: God might what? (getting excited) God might give me a dollar if I get the right answer? Ooo! If I had a dollar I could buy a sucker or a Star Wars trading card or a pet worm. Wouldn't a pet worm be sweet, Mr. Mike?

MR. MIKE: Yes, it would, Ozzie, but I meant it was God's might that brought down the wall. His power. His strength.

OZZIE: Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?

MR. MIKE: Sorry about that.

OZZIE: So if God knocked down the wall, why did he have Joshua do all those silly things?

MR. MIKE: It wasn't silly to God, but I bet it did seem pretty silly to the folks in Jericho.

OZZIE: And I bet the folks in Jericho looked pretty silly when the walls came tumbling down.

MR. MIKE: I'm sure they did. You see, God wants us to be participants in the things he does, but He also wants us to know that He's the one doing it. It is by God's might that all things are done.

OZZIE: Kinda like when my dad asks me to help him change a light bulb. He can really do it all by himself, but he likes doing it with me.

MR. MIKE: Now you're getting the idea.

OZZIE: Well, if I can't knock down this wall, I guess I'll go and do something else.

MR. MIKE: Like what?

OZZIE: I thought I'd go raise my arms and try to part the water in my bathtub. (disappears)

MR. MIKE: Ozzie!