Stewardship
Drama
Mrs. Johnson's Rummage Sale
And Other Stewardship Dramas
a drama about words
The Players
Sam -- a member who is conveniently hard of hearing
Warren -- a member of the stewardship committee
Paula -- a member who is hard of hearing at convenient times
The Setting
Some members are walking around the church on a clean-up day. Wearing old clothes and carrying cleaning supplies should be all the sets and props needed. As the players are working, conversations begin.
(Sam and Warren enter from different directions. Both are carrying cleaning supplies and using them as they move toward each other)
Sam: Hey, Warren. How's it going?
Warren: Pretty good. How about you?
Sam: Oh, brother. I know the church needs to be cleaned thoroughly, but it sure is a tedious job. I wish we could afford to have a real cleaning crew come in and do this.
Warren: This can get to be boring, but it only happens once or twice a year. Besides, getting somebody to come in would probably be pretty expensive, especially when we can do the work ourselves.
Sam: Maybe, but it sure is a pain to do it.
Warren: But hiring somebody wouldn't be very good stewardship.
(At the word "stewardship" Sam turns abruptly away from Warren and resumes cleaning)
Warren: Sam?
Sam: Oh, hi Warren. How's it going?
Warren: Fine, fine ... Is something wrong?
Sam: Wrong? No, not really. Cleaning isn't my favorite occupation, but I guess we're making some progress.
Warren: Well, just a minute ago we were talking and you were suggesting we should hire somebody to clean up.
Sam: Well, I think that would be a good idea, if it wasn't too expensive.
Warren: Then I mentioned that hiring somebody to do something we could do wouldn't be good stewardship, and you ...
(Sam again reacts to the word and resumes cleaning)
Warren: Sam.
Sam: Oh, hi, Warren. How's it going?
Warren: I'm confused.
Sam: About what?
Warren: I think about you.
(Paula enters, cleaning, and works her way toward Sam and Warren)
Sam: Me? I'm just an ordinary guy. What's confusing about me?
Warren: Well, I don't mean to offend you, but twice now you have turned away in the middle of a conversation.
Sam: No. I don't remember doing anything like that ... But if I did, I am sorry. I really didn't mean to be rude.
Warren: Oh, that's all right. I just wish I knew what it was that started the whole episode.
(Paula has cleaned her way into earshot)
Paula: What whole episode? A new TV series?
Sam: No, not TV. Just something Warren thinks happened, but I'm not convinced it ever really did.
Warren: Well, twice Sam and I were talking about cleaning, and the possibility of hiring somebody to do it so we wouldn't have to.
Paula: I don't know. I like cleaning up once in a while. Gives me a feeling of accomplishment when I can see what I've done.
Warren: Yeah ... but then I pointed out that hiring somebody from outside probably wouldn't be good stewardship ...
(Sam reacts to the word once again, but Warren and Paula don't notice)
Warren: ... and Sam just started ignoring me.
Paula: Well, that sounds a little rude. You don't think there's a chance we might hire somebody from outside, do you? I really like these clean-up days. They give me a feeling that I've really done something for the church.
Warren: No, I don't think clean-up days will ever be something we hire out. If we can do it ourselves, why have somebody from the outside do it and send us their bill?
Paula: Oh, good. I'm glad these won't be changing.
Warren: (Looks around) Where'd Sam go?
Paula: (Looks around as well) Oh, he's over there.
Warren: See, he did it again.
Paula: What?
Warren: He walked away in the middle of a conversation again.
Paula: No, he didn't do that.
Warren: You were standing right here. You saw him!
Paula: No, Sam just heard the word "stewardship." He always stops listening when he hears that word.
Warren: Are you kidding me?
Paula: No. Watch ... Sam!
Sam: Oh, hi, Paula. What's happening?
Paula: Nothing much. You getting lots of cleaning done?
Sam: Oh, yeah. It's going pretty well.
Warren: Stewardship.
(Sam again reacts to the word)
Warren: Well, I'll be. I wonder how that happened?
Paula: Oh, it's just the result of too many stewardship sermons over the years.
Warren: I've never seen anything like it.
Paula: Oh, Sam just has an advanced case. But lots of people are like that.
Warren: They hear the word and they stop listening?
Paula: That's about it.
Warren: But it doesn't affect you?
Paula: Oh, no. I know a simple little word won't hurt me.
Warren: Stewardship.
Paula: See? Nothing. No effect.
Warren: Well, I'm on the Stewardship Committee this year and I was wondering ...
(Paula reacts to the term "stewardship committee" and begins cleaning furiously)
Warren: I can tell, this is going to be a very lonely year.
(All exit)
The Players
Sam -- a member who is conveniently hard of hearing
Warren -- a member of the stewardship committee
Paula -- a member who is hard of hearing at convenient times
The Setting
Some members are walking around the church on a clean-up day. Wearing old clothes and carrying cleaning supplies should be all the sets and props needed. As the players are working, conversations begin.
(Sam and Warren enter from different directions. Both are carrying cleaning supplies and using them as they move toward each other)
Sam: Hey, Warren. How's it going?
Warren: Pretty good. How about you?
Sam: Oh, brother. I know the church needs to be cleaned thoroughly, but it sure is a tedious job. I wish we could afford to have a real cleaning crew come in and do this.
Warren: This can get to be boring, but it only happens once or twice a year. Besides, getting somebody to come in would probably be pretty expensive, especially when we can do the work ourselves.
Sam: Maybe, but it sure is a pain to do it.
Warren: But hiring somebody wouldn't be very good stewardship.
(At the word "stewardship" Sam turns abruptly away from Warren and resumes cleaning)
Warren: Sam?
Sam: Oh, hi Warren. How's it going?
Warren: Fine, fine ... Is something wrong?
Sam: Wrong? No, not really. Cleaning isn't my favorite occupation, but I guess we're making some progress.
Warren: Well, just a minute ago we were talking and you were suggesting we should hire somebody to clean up.
Sam: Well, I think that would be a good idea, if it wasn't too expensive.
Warren: Then I mentioned that hiring somebody to do something we could do wouldn't be good stewardship, and you ...
(Sam again reacts to the word and resumes cleaning)
Warren: Sam.
Sam: Oh, hi, Warren. How's it going?
Warren: I'm confused.
Sam: About what?
Warren: I think about you.
(Paula enters, cleaning, and works her way toward Sam and Warren)
Sam: Me? I'm just an ordinary guy. What's confusing about me?
Warren: Well, I don't mean to offend you, but twice now you have turned away in the middle of a conversation.
Sam: No. I don't remember doing anything like that ... But if I did, I am sorry. I really didn't mean to be rude.
Warren: Oh, that's all right. I just wish I knew what it was that started the whole episode.
(Paula has cleaned her way into earshot)
Paula: What whole episode? A new TV series?
Sam: No, not TV. Just something Warren thinks happened, but I'm not convinced it ever really did.
Warren: Well, twice Sam and I were talking about cleaning, and the possibility of hiring somebody to do it so we wouldn't have to.
Paula: I don't know. I like cleaning up once in a while. Gives me a feeling of accomplishment when I can see what I've done.
Warren: Yeah ... but then I pointed out that hiring somebody from outside probably wouldn't be good stewardship ...
(Sam reacts to the word once again, but Warren and Paula don't notice)
Warren: ... and Sam just started ignoring me.
Paula: Well, that sounds a little rude. You don't think there's a chance we might hire somebody from outside, do you? I really like these clean-up days. They give me a feeling that I've really done something for the church.
Warren: No, I don't think clean-up days will ever be something we hire out. If we can do it ourselves, why have somebody from the outside do it and send us their bill?
Paula: Oh, good. I'm glad these won't be changing.
Warren: (Looks around) Where'd Sam go?
Paula: (Looks around as well) Oh, he's over there.
Warren: See, he did it again.
Paula: What?
Warren: He walked away in the middle of a conversation again.
Paula: No, he didn't do that.
Warren: You were standing right here. You saw him!
Paula: No, Sam just heard the word "stewardship." He always stops listening when he hears that word.
Warren: Are you kidding me?
Paula: No. Watch ... Sam!
Sam: Oh, hi, Paula. What's happening?
Paula: Nothing much. You getting lots of cleaning done?
Sam: Oh, yeah. It's going pretty well.
Warren: Stewardship.
(Sam again reacts to the word)
Warren: Well, I'll be. I wonder how that happened?
Paula: Oh, it's just the result of too many stewardship sermons over the years.
Warren: I've never seen anything like it.
Paula: Oh, Sam just has an advanced case. But lots of people are like that.
Warren: They hear the word and they stop listening?
Paula: That's about it.
Warren: But it doesn't affect you?
Paula: Oh, no. I know a simple little word won't hurt me.
Warren: Stewardship.
Paula: See? Nothing. No effect.
Warren: Well, I'm on the Stewardship Committee this year and I was wondering ...
(Paula reacts to the term "stewardship committee" and begins cleaning furiously)
Warren: I can tell, this is going to be a very lonely year.
(All exit)
