Monday, January 23, 2012

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:10-20

A lesson on the Armor of God.
Stand firm then...with the breastplate of righteousness in place. - Ephesians 6:14
Cast:
OZZIE – an excitable little monster
MISS REBECCA – the teacher who sets him straight

Props:
A paper plate attached to OZZIE

(MISS REBECCA starts on stage.)

OZZIE: (enters dramatically) There's no need to fear.... Snap!

MISS REBECCA: What's the matter, Ozzie?

OZZIE: I still don't have a superhero name, Miss Rebecca.

MISS REBECCA: Well, maybe I can help. Do you have any ideas?

OZZIE: Since I'm green, I figured my superhero name should have green in it.

MISS REBECCA: I like your thinking.

OZZIE: Since I'm going to be spreading the light of God, I was thinking... The Green Lantern.

MISS REBECCA: Sorry, but that's already taken, sweetie.

OZZIE: Oh. Well, since I going to be a straight shooter, what do you think of... The Green Arrow?

MISS REBECCA: I like it. I liked it when I first saw him on the Justice League.

OZZIE: That's OK, I've got more. Since I am going to be stinging evil, I could be... The Green Hornet.

MISS REBECCA: Taken.

OZZIE: Since I will be gobbling up my enemies, I could be The Green Goblin.

MISS REBECCA: Taken, and he's a villain.

OZZIE: The Green Giant?

MISS REBECCA: Taken.

OZZIE: The Green Grocer?

MISS REBECCA: Taken.

OZZIE: (giving up) It's not easy being green.

MISS REBECCA: Taken.

OZZIE: Huh?

MISS REBECCA: Never mind. Tell me what your wearing.

OZZIE: This is (dramatically) THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

MISS REBECCA: Looks more like (dramatically) THE PAPER PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

OZZIE: Hey, sometimes you just gotta work with what you got.

MISS REBECCA: I understand, but you don't need to wear anything.

OZZIE: You mean I should be naked?!?

MISS REBECCA: No, I meant...

OZZIE: Oh, wait. I'm always naked. I'm a monster. I'm all covered with fur.

MISS REBECCA: I mean it's a metaphor.

OZZIE: Grown ups sure like to use that word.

MISS REBECCA: I don't know about that, but in this case, it applies. Paul used the image of a breastplate, because righteousness protects us from the enemy. When we are righteous, or in right standing with God, we are protected.

OZZIE: Then I'm in trouble, cause I'm too rotten to be right with God.

MISS REBECCA: Each of us is too rotten to be right with God?

OZZIE: Even you?

MISS REBECCA: Even me.

OZZIE: Even Jessie?

MISS REBECCA: Even Jessie.

OZZIE: But she's so quiet.

MISS REBECCA: The Bible tells us that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

OZZIE: Oh, snap.

MISS REBECCA: But the good news is that Jesus died for us. If we accept Him as our Savior, then we are right with God.

OZZIE: Phew!

MISS REBECCA: So you see you are already wearing the breastplate of righteousness and didn't even know it.

OZZIE: That's nothing. I wore a strip of toilet paper on the bottom of my foot for a week and didn't even know it. (exits)

MISS REBECCA: Ozzie!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Helmet of Salvation/The Shield of Faith

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:10-20

A lesson on the Armor of God.

Cast:
OZZIE – an excitable little monster
MR. MIKE – the teacher who sets him straight

Props:
Human-sized helmet (army, football, etc.)
Frisbee

(MR. MIKE starts on stage; OZZIE enters just high enough for the helmet to show.)

OZZIE: (muffled) Hey, Mr. Mike.

MR. MIKE: Is that you, Ozzie?

OZZIE: Yes, sir. Who’d you think it was?

MR. MIKE: I wasn’t sure. I thought it might be a turtle.

OZZIE: A turtle? Oh, that’s my (dramatically) HELMET OF SALVATION. It’s part of my superhero equipment. Take the helmet of salvation... - Ephesians 6:17a

MR. MIKE: That’s a mighty big helmet for you.

OZZIE: Well, I can be a pretty rotten little monster, so I need all the salvation I can get.

MR. MIKE: We ALL need all the all the salvation we can get, but the helmet doesn’t show how saved we are. It’s a symbol of how we are protected by God’s salvation.

OZZIE: Oh, it’s kinda like the belt of truth; it’s a meta-, meta-, meta-five.

MR. MIKE: A metaphor.

OZZIE: Meta-four, meta-five, whatever it takes.

MR. MIKE: Yes, it’s a metaphor. You really don’t need an army helmet.

OZZIE: Good! This thing is heavy and hurting my brain. Would you mind taking it off for me?

MR. MIKE: Sure.

OZZIE: (enters with a paroxysm; now can see OZZIE is holding a Frisbee) That’s better.

MR. MIKE: Now what’s that?

OZZIE: (dramatically) THE SHIELD OF FAITH. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. - Ephesians 6;16

MR. MIKE: The shield of faith?

OZZIE: Yes, sir. I’m ready to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

MR. MIKE: You are on the ball, but you don’t need a real shield.

OZZIE: Metaphor?

MR. MIKE: Metaphor.

OZZIE: And the fiery darts?

MR. MIKE: Metaphor.

OZZIE: Snap!

MR. MIKE: What’s the problem?

OZZIE: What am I going to do with an asbestos dartboard now?

MR. MIKE: I don’t know about that, but I am so happy that you’re taking your faith so seriously. Faith helps us stand resolute when our beliefs and values are attacked. It shields us from the fiery darts of fear and doubt and worry that the enemy constantly throws at us.

OZZIE: So faith in God and salvation through Jesus Christ are seriously important to protect us from Satan.

MR. MIKE: Exactly.

OZZIE: And it’s not a real helmet or shield. It’s a metaphor.

MR. MIKE: Right. Paul was using physical things to help us understand spiritual principles.

OZZIE: Well, that’s a good thing.

MR. MIKE: How so?

OZZIE: Now I can go back to playing with my (dramatically) FRISBEE OF FAITH. (exits)

MR. MIKE: Ozzie!

Monday, January 9, 2012

The Belt of Truth

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:10-20
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist - Ephesians 6:14a
A lesson on the Armor of God.

Cast:
OZZIE – an excitable little monster
MR. MIKE – the teacher who sets him straight

Props:
Man’s belt

(MR. MIKE starts on stage; OZZIE enters tangled in a belt.)

OZZIE: Mr. Mike! Mr. Mike! Help!

MR. MIKE: (crosses over to OZZIE and starts untangling him) Why in the world are tangled up in a belt?

OZZIE: I was trying to become a superhero.

MR. MIKE: Who? Beltman?

OZZIE: No.

MR. MIKE: Ribbon?

OZZIE: Are you done yet?

MR. MIKE: One more: Or are you trying to be a swashBUCKLEr?

OZZIE: Is that it?

MR. MIKE: Yes.

OZZIE: You got it all out of your system?

MR. MIKE: For now. Why the belt?

OZZIE: I was reading in the Bible about the armor of God, and I thought that would be perfect for a superhero.

MR. MIKE: So the belt is…

OZZIE: (dramatically) THE BELT OF TRUTH!

MR. MIKE: It’s a little big for you.

OZZIE: It’s a lot big for me. I had to borrow it from Mr. Jeff, since I don’t wear pants and don’t need a belt.

MR. MIKE: How are you planning on using the belt of truth?

OZZIE: Not the belt of truth. (dramatically) THE BELT OF TRUTH!

MR. MIKE: OK. How are you planning on using (dramatically) THE BELT OF TRUTH!?

OZZIE: I figured it was like Wonder Woman’s Golden Lasso. I would use it to make bad guys tell the truth about their nefarious plans.

MR. MIKE: That’s not really what the belt of truth is.

OZZIE: (clears throat)

MR. MIKE: That’s not really what (dramatically) THE BELT OF TRUTH! is. In fact, it isn’t really a belt. It’s a metaphor.

OZZIE: Mr. Mike, I’m not as old as you, so I don’t know what a “meta” is, let alone what it’s for.

MR. MIKE: A metaphor is a literary device. It uses imagery to help us understand something hard to picture. In this case Truth. God’s Truth is like a belt. Just like a soldier’s belt surrounds and supports him, God’s Truth surrounds and protects us.

OZZIE: Oh, I see. So I really don’t need Mr. Jeff’s belt.

MR. MIKE: Nope.

OZZIE: It’s too big anyway.

MR. MIKE: Yes, it is.

OZZIE: Besides, I think I’d look much better in (dramatically) THE SUSPENDERS OF TRUTH! (exits)

MR. MIKE: Ozzie!