The Church
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
57 Vignettes For Cycle A
Theme
The church has had turmoil from the start. It was as difficult then as it is now. The church can only survive if Jesus is the head.
Summary
A mysterious visitor from church "headquarters" calls on the Rev. John Baxter, pastor of a modern day church that is having some major problems. The visitor proposes some startling answers for the church's dilemma and firmly implants the solution by a unique object lesson from history.
Playing Time: 10 minutes
Place: A church meeting room and then thirty years after the time of Christ
Props: Coffee cups and coffee pot
Costumes: Contemporary and Bible character costumes
Time: The present and Bible times
Cast: JIM -- a businessman
MARTHA -- a homemaker
PETE -- a businessman
JOHN -- their pastor
GUY -- a visitor
JIM: (ENTERS WITH MARTHA. JIM POURS TWO CUPS OF COFFEE) Where is Pete? I want to get this over with and get home. I brought a briefcase full of papers home and I haven't touched them yet.
MARTHA: He said we'd start at seven tonight.
PETE: (ENTERS AND POURS HIMSELF A CUP OF COFFEE) Well, well, I guess no one's late if they're here before the boss.
JIM: I was even here on time for a change. Now it's your turn.
PETE: I was actually here on time but I stopped in to talk to Pastor John and well, we got to talking -- I invited him to our meeting.
JIM: Do you think we need help?
PETE: Frankly, yes, I think we do. The board meets Tuesday, you know, and I've got to present some sound suggestions to them. I invited John only because of the gentleman I met in his office. He's from headquarters. They'll drop in later.
JIM: I think we've accomplished quite a lot.
MARTHA: We sure did.
PETE: When the board reviews our progress they won't see any.
JIM: Pete, I think we can be satisfied with the suggestions we've made.
MARTHA: Jim is right. Let's review the ideas we have and decide which one to present to the board. (LOOKING AT HER NOTES) Number one was to advertise in the paper.
PETE: I don't like making a business out of Christianity.
MARTHA: Next was a radio broadcast.
JIM: Don't we have enough "holy Joes" on the radio already?
PETE: We all agreed that taping the morning worship would not relate to the community what this church is trying to say.
JIM: Who said we want to relate to the community? This committee was formed to find ways to get more money from the congregation. We've got our church to worry about.
PETE: Jim, if we don't start showing that we care about the people in the community, we won't have a church. Our church members come from the community.
JIM: The church will be okay. It's existed for two thousand years.
MARTHA: Yes, by being a vital force in the community.
JIM: The church has to look out for its own. We can't be giving our money and precious time and just letting anyone use our building. If you open yourself up to the community every wretched person within fifty miles will be streaming in here with their hand out. This is a sophisticated congregation and we just can't have anyone and everyone walking in here any time they want to. We have to protect ourselves.
PETE: I think you're getting way off the subject, Jim.
JIM: Well, I just don't like the idea of always looking for ways to spend the church's money. I volunteered for this committee because I felt the church needs more money. The way inflation is hitting everyone's pocketbook ... (JOHN AND GUY ENTER AND SIT A LITTLE APART FROM THE OTHERS)
PETE: John, come on up here where you can hear. (JOHN BEGINS TO RISE BUT GUY RESTRAINS HIM WITH A HAND)
JOHN: No, this will do fine. Let me introduce Guy.
GUY: Not necessary, really. Just call me Guy.
PETE: And this is Martha and Jim.
GUY: Glad to meet you.
PETE: Let me brief you on what we've covered so far.
GUY: No need. I heard everything. Please continue. Just pretend I'm not here.
PETE: Maybe you've had some experience with this problem before, Guy?
GUY: Let's just say it's nothing new.
PETE: Well, If you have anything to say, feel free to enter right in. We were just reviewing some of our ideas. Martha, will you continue?
MARTHA: Jim's idea was next. He wanted to increase our efforts with the annual pledges of money.
JIM: I think if it's presented right the people will accept it. And I don't mean a hard-sell campaign. You can tell people about needs without forcing them to help.
What I meant was providing the canvassers with a few courses on how to present the needs of the church to the members. I thought it would also help if we provided some attractive loose-leaf notebooks with colored photos of some of the activities of the church. The need for next year could be easily explained by the canvasser and easily understood by the members of the congregation.
PETE: What about the cost?
JIM: I think the really important part of my suggestion is not the cost but the personal contact that the church member has through the canvasser.
JOHN: I know Jim has been interested in this sort of extended campaign for some time.
JIM: I sure have. Ever since last year when I was the chairman of the campaign. I know how many thousands we were short and I just think it'll be worse this year if we don't take some action now.
PETE: Does anyone have any questions for Jim? No? Martha.
MARTHA: There's only one suggestion left and that's mine. I'll tell you briefly what it is. My idea was to begin an evangelism program. It really changes the lives of everyone connected with it.
JOHN: I've read about some of those programs, but I'd like to hear more about your idea, Martha.
MARTHA: The interesting thing about the program is the changed lives of the people who participate. In the process of telling other people about God's plan of salvation for their lives the participants are soon seeking a deeper commitment to Christ themselves.
JOHN: The churches that have this program -- has there been any increase in their membership?
MARTHA: Yes, but the dramatic increase is in the church income. That's it, Pete.
PETE: Thanks, Martha. I guess I'm the only one who hasn't had a brainstorm of some kind for this committee. But I did come up with something and that is to hire a professional fund-raiser.
JIM: Are you kidding? Do you realize how much those guys charge? They don't charge a flat rate, you know. They want a percentage and it isn't a small percentage either.
PETE: Wait a minute. I was thinking it would be a good idea to set a minimum amount for the guy to raise and pay him a certain percentage only if he reached that minimum. The trick would be to set the minimum higher than last year's total.
JIM: I don't think our congregation will like some outsider running the entire campaign. At least with my idea the canvasser will be a fellow member, not some stranger working for a fee.
PETE: He won't do the calling himself. He just trains our own people to be more effective when they make their visits.
JIM: You don't think he'll call on the more wealthy members himself? He certainly will. He'll go right along with John, here, and convince them to donate more money. Of course he will. It's money in his pocket.
MARTHA: This is all well and good, but I think the emphasis should be on spreading the gospel.
JIM: I still think we ought to concentrate on the members we already have -- encourage them to give more. This is just between us but I happen to know a lot of people that are better off than I am and give a lot less. We got into a discussion in our Sunday school class and a lot of people admitted giving less each week to the church than they spent on dining out. The Bible says: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
MARTHA: Well, If you're going to start quoting the Bible to reinforce your arguments I think you ought to include the verse that commands us to go and tell all nations ...
PETE: I suppose I could present all the suggestions to the board.
JIM: I don't think all of them are worthy of presentation.
JOHN: I've kept out of this discussion so far, but I think it may be time for me to intervene. First of all, I think each one of you has some very good suggestions. Now, I know I'm not on this committee, but Pete asked us to help with some suggestions of our own, so since I missed the beginning of the meeting, let me ask one thing: Did you start this meeting with a prayer?
PETE: No, we didn't. We never start any of our business meetings with a prayer.
JIM: Nor do we start our prayer meetings with church business.
JOHN: Let me suggest a prayer now. I think we could use some help from God. (PRAYING) Dear Father, we are in need of some answers to our problem of a dwindling congregation and maybe what's worse, dwindling income. It's not for ourselves we ask, Lord, it's for all the cutbacks we've had to make in our help to the missionaries. Dear Lord, just give us the answers we need, in the name of our dear Savior, Amen.
JIM: I just hope we can come to a conclusion soon.
PETE: John, what other suggestions do you have for us?
JOHN: Actually I was going to suggest reading a Bible verse.
JIM: Oh, for crying out loud, I have lots of work to do at home. Can't we get on with it? Let's just vote on the suggestions we have.
PETE: A vote? How can we vote? There's only three of us. We'd never get a majority on any suggestion.
JIM: Well, the prayer sure didn't help.
GUY: (RAISING HIS HAND. JIM, PETE AND MARTHA FREEZE) I think we could use a little lesson here.
JOHN: A lesson? What is this? What have you done?
GUY: (WRAPPING CLOAKS AROUND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND DRAPING THEIR HEADS WITH COVERINGS. THEY ARE BECOMING NEW TESTAMENT CHARACTERS) I'm just arranging things so they can relate to an important time in church history.
JAMES: So, what will we do?
MARTHA: I don't know.
PETER: The elders are expecting an answer.
JOHN: What is going on? I don't understand.
GUY: You will, if you want to.
JOHN: They're not acting, are they?
GUY: No, they're not acting.
JOHN: Then, what?
GUY: Just living -- in another time.
JOHN: The past.
GUY: Yes. The past to you. The present to them.
MARTHA: My suggestion will require no expenditure and, I'm sure, prove to be quite rewarding.
JAMES: Martha, we appreciate your presence here, but I think the problem is one which can best be solved through the application of economic principles. Since no one expects you to be experienced in these things, I think this rather involved matter should be handled by those who are experienced.
MARTHA: But, I thought ...
PETER: Now, just a minute, James. I invited Martha here to help us. As a representative of the unattached women in the church she has a right to be heard and I'll have to ask you to be respectful.
MARTHA: I don't think we should be arguing. We've got a problem to solve. I don't think it can ever be solved unless we help each other.
JAMES: We've got to be sensible.
JOHN: (RUNNING INTO THE MIDST OF THE COMMITTEE) Stop! This is getting nowhere! (TO GUY) This isn't working. You've set them in this different time but they haven't learned anything. (THE COMMITTEE FREEZES)
GUY: Well, maybe you can teach them.
JOHN: Me?
GUY: You are their leader. Here. (HANDING JOHN A COSTUME)
JOHN: What can I do?
GUY: Lead. (HELPING HIM INTO COSTUME)
JOHN: They've stopped.
GUY: I stopped them. As you said, they were getting nowhere.
JOHN: How can this be happening?
GUY: Let's just say that God is the beginning and the end.
JOHN: Tell me something. This is the early church, isn't it? Well, then how can these people have lived so near the time that Jesus was on the earth and not trust Him?
GUY: Thirty years.
JOHN: Thirty years since Jesus left them? Thirty years. They've strayed so far in thirty years? What's wrong with these people? (WALKING AMONG THE FROZEN COMMITTEE. POINTING TO PETER) I'm inclined to agree with him. But she has a good idea, too. But she's a woman. They'll never listen to her. And what about you? (INDICATING JAMES)
What's your answer?
I know, making sure the people will give their tithe. Asking them to make a pledge. (INDICATING PETER)
But then he says that will give the church too much power over the individual. (GUY LIFTS HIS HAND AND THE COMMITTEE UNFREEZES)
JAMES: Ah, here's John Mark. Here's some help for us.
MARTHA: You've got to help us. Didn't He say, go into all the world? Tell us what Jesus said.
JOHN: Let me read it to you from my writing. Yes, Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Let me tell you a story.
You've all heard the story of Pentecost when we all received the power of the Holy Spirit. Well, shortly after that we began meeting together. The Holy Spirit was drawing us together.
We met every day at the Temple to worship God and to minister to each other and to witness our faith to the unbelievers. There were quite a lot of people meeting each day. Those were great days. We loved being together so we would continue the meetings in someone's house after sundown. Many times it was my cousin Barnabas' house where I also lived.
Those were thrilling times. We would eat together, sing the praises of God, pray and listen to the stories, usually told by Simon Peter or John, the brother of James. Stories about their life with Jesus. We never tired of hearing the same stories over and over.
We shared our love and our possessions. But here is the real miracle. And it's one we took for granted for quite a while: People were beginning to join us. Our number increased tremendously. People were drawn to our group, so much so that we had to begin meeting in several different locations. We didn't actually seek new believers. The Lord provided the increase. He did it; not us. It was a blessing to see the Lord work.
So, that's my story. Simple, isn't it. But it's true. All that is necessary is that you do what is expected of you and the Lord will provide the increase.
You should pray together, minister to each other's needs, and study the words of Jesus. (JOHN AND GUY EXIT)
JAMES: There's got to be more to it than that.
MARTHA: I believe him. I think he wanted to help us. We must listen to him.
JAMES: All that singing and praying -- I can see why they didn't get anything accomplished -- wasting half the night.
PETER: I trust him, but thirty years is a long time. His ways were right for that time, but today is today.
JAMES: We have to get things done today. It's a modern world.
The church has had turmoil from the start. It was as difficult then as it is now. The church can only survive if Jesus is the head.
Summary
A mysterious visitor from church "headquarters" calls on the Rev. John Baxter, pastor of a modern day church that is having some major problems. The visitor proposes some startling answers for the church's dilemma and firmly implants the solution by a unique object lesson from history.
Playing Time: 10 minutes
Place: A church meeting room and then thirty years after the time of Christ
Props: Coffee cups and coffee pot
Costumes: Contemporary and Bible character costumes
Time: The present and Bible times
Cast: JIM -- a businessman
MARTHA -- a homemaker
PETE -- a businessman
JOHN -- their pastor
GUY -- a visitor
JIM: (ENTERS WITH MARTHA. JIM POURS TWO CUPS OF COFFEE) Where is Pete? I want to get this over with and get home. I brought a briefcase full of papers home and I haven't touched them yet.
MARTHA: He said we'd start at seven tonight.
PETE: (ENTERS AND POURS HIMSELF A CUP OF COFFEE) Well, well, I guess no one's late if they're here before the boss.
JIM: I was even here on time for a change. Now it's your turn.
PETE: I was actually here on time but I stopped in to talk to Pastor John and well, we got to talking -- I invited him to our meeting.
JIM: Do you think we need help?
PETE: Frankly, yes, I think we do. The board meets Tuesday, you know, and I've got to present some sound suggestions to them. I invited John only because of the gentleman I met in his office. He's from headquarters. They'll drop in later.
JIM: I think we've accomplished quite a lot.
MARTHA: We sure did.
PETE: When the board reviews our progress they won't see any.
JIM: Pete, I think we can be satisfied with the suggestions we've made.
MARTHA: Jim is right. Let's review the ideas we have and decide which one to present to the board. (LOOKING AT HER NOTES) Number one was to advertise in the paper.
PETE: I don't like making a business out of Christianity.
MARTHA: Next was a radio broadcast.
JIM: Don't we have enough "holy Joes" on the radio already?
PETE: We all agreed that taping the morning worship would not relate to the community what this church is trying to say.
JIM: Who said we want to relate to the community? This committee was formed to find ways to get more money from the congregation. We've got our church to worry about.
PETE: Jim, if we don't start showing that we care about the people in the community, we won't have a church. Our church members come from the community.
JIM: The church will be okay. It's existed for two thousand years.
MARTHA: Yes, by being a vital force in the community.
JIM: The church has to look out for its own. We can't be giving our money and precious time and just letting anyone use our building. If you open yourself up to the community every wretched person within fifty miles will be streaming in here with their hand out. This is a sophisticated congregation and we just can't have anyone and everyone walking in here any time they want to. We have to protect ourselves.
PETE: I think you're getting way off the subject, Jim.
JIM: Well, I just don't like the idea of always looking for ways to spend the church's money. I volunteered for this committee because I felt the church needs more money. The way inflation is hitting everyone's pocketbook ... (JOHN AND GUY ENTER AND SIT A LITTLE APART FROM THE OTHERS)
PETE: John, come on up here where you can hear. (JOHN BEGINS TO RISE BUT GUY RESTRAINS HIM WITH A HAND)
JOHN: No, this will do fine. Let me introduce Guy.
GUY: Not necessary, really. Just call me Guy.
PETE: And this is Martha and Jim.
GUY: Glad to meet you.
PETE: Let me brief you on what we've covered so far.
GUY: No need. I heard everything. Please continue. Just pretend I'm not here.
PETE: Maybe you've had some experience with this problem before, Guy?
GUY: Let's just say it's nothing new.
PETE: Well, If you have anything to say, feel free to enter right in. We were just reviewing some of our ideas. Martha, will you continue?
MARTHA: Jim's idea was next. He wanted to increase our efforts with the annual pledges of money.
JIM: I think if it's presented right the people will accept it. And I don't mean a hard-sell campaign. You can tell people about needs without forcing them to help.
What I meant was providing the canvassers with a few courses on how to present the needs of the church to the members. I thought it would also help if we provided some attractive loose-leaf notebooks with colored photos of some of the activities of the church. The need for next year could be easily explained by the canvasser and easily understood by the members of the congregation.
PETE: What about the cost?
JIM: I think the really important part of my suggestion is not the cost but the personal contact that the church member has through the canvasser.
JOHN: I know Jim has been interested in this sort of extended campaign for some time.
JIM: I sure have. Ever since last year when I was the chairman of the campaign. I know how many thousands we were short and I just think it'll be worse this year if we don't take some action now.
PETE: Does anyone have any questions for Jim? No? Martha.
MARTHA: There's only one suggestion left and that's mine. I'll tell you briefly what it is. My idea was to begin an evangelism program. It really changes the lives of everyone connected with it.
JOHN: I've read about some of those programs, but I'd like to hear more about your idea, Martha.
MARTHA: The interesting thing about the program is the changed lives of the people who participate. In the process of telling other people about God's plan of salvation for their lives the participants are soon seeking a deeper commitment to Christ themselves.
JOHN: The churches that have this program -- has there been any increase in their membership?
MARTHA: Yes, but the dramatic increase is in the church income. That's it, Pete.
PETE: Thanks, Martha. I guess I'm the only one who hasn't had a brainstorm of some kind for this committee. But I did come up with something and that is to hire a professional fund-raiser.
JIM: Are you kidding? Do you realize how much those guys charge? They don't charge a flat rate, you know. They want a percentage and it isn't a small percentage either.
PETE: Wait a minute. I was thinking it would be a good idea to set a minimum amount for the guy to raise and pay him a certain percentage only if he reached that minimum. The trick would be to set the minimum higher than last year's total.
JIM: I don't think our congregation will like some outsider running the entire campaign. At least with my idea the canvasser will be a fellow member, not some stranger working for a fee.
PETE: He won't do the calling himself. He just trains our own people to be more effective when they make their visits.
JIM: You don't think he'll call on the more wealthy members himself? He certainly will. He'll go right along with John, here, and convince them to donate more money. Of course he will. It's money in his pocket.
MARTHA: This is all well and good, but I think the emphasis should be on spreading the gospel.
JIM: I still think we ought to concentrate on the members we already have -- encourage them to give more. This is just between us but I happen to know a lot of people that are better off than I am and give a lot less. We got into a discussion in our Sunday school class and a lot of people admitted giving less each week to the church than they spent on dining out. The Bible says: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
MARTHA: Well, If you're going to start quoting the Bible to reinforce your arguments I think you ought to include the verse that commands us to go and tell all nations ...
PETE: I suppose I could present all the suggestions to the board.
JIM: I don't think all of them are worthy of presentation.
JOHN: I've kept out of this discussion so far, but I think it may be time for me to intervene. First of all, I think each one of you has some very good suggestions. Now, I know I'm not on this committee, but Pete asked us to help with some suggestions of our own, so since I missed the beginning of the meeting, let me ask one thing: Did you start this meeting with a prayer?
PETE: No, we didn't. We never start any of our business meetings with a prayer.
JIM: Nor do we start our prayer meetings with church business.
JOHN: Let me suggest a prayer now. I think we could use some help from God. (PRAYING) Dear Father, we are in need of some answers to our problem of a dwindling congregation and maybe what's worse, dwindling income. It's not for ourselves we ask, Lord, it's for all the cutbacks we've had to make in our help to the missionaries. Dear Lord, just give us the answers we need, in the name of our dear Savior, Amen.
JIM: I just hope we can come to a conclusion soon.
PETE: John, what other suggestions do you have for us?
JOHN: Actually I was going to suggest reading a Bible verse.
JIM: Oh, for crying out loud, I have lots of work to do at home. Can't we get on with it? Let's just vote on the suggestions we have.
PETE: A vote? How can we vote? There's only three of us. We'd never get a majority on any suggestion.
JIM: Well, the prayer sure didn't help.
GUY: (RAISING HIS HAND. JIM, PETE AND MARTHA FREEZE) I think we could use a little lesson here.
JOHN: A lesson? What is this? What have you done?
GUY: (WRAPPING CLOAKS AROUND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND DRAPING THEIR HEADS WITH COVERINGS. THEY ARE BECOMING NEW TESTAMENT CHARACTERS) I'm just arranging things so they can relate to an important time in church history.
JAMES: So, what will we do?
MARTHA: I don't know.
PETER: The elders are expecting an answer.
JOHN: What is going on? I don't understand.
GUY: You will, if you want to.
JOHN: They're not acting, are they?
GUY: No, they're not acting.
JOHN: Then, what?
GUY: Just living -- in another time.
JOHN: The past.
GUY: Yes. The past to you. The present to them.
MARTHA: My suggestion will require no expenditure and, I'm sure, prove to be quite rewarding.
JAMES: Martha, we appreciate your presence here, but I think the problem is one which can best be solved through the application of economic principles. Since no one expects you to be experienced in these things, I think this rather involved matter should be handled by those who are experienced.
MARTHA: But, I thought ...
PETER: Now, just a minute, James. I invited Martha here to help us. As a representative of the unattached women in the church she has a right to be heard and I'll have to ask you to be respectful.
MARTHA: I don't think we should be arguing. We've got a problem to solve. I don't think it can ever be solved unless we help each other.
JAMES: We've got to be sensible.
JOHN: (RUNNING INTO THE MIDST OF THE COMMITTEE) Stop! This is getting nowhere! (TO GUY) This isn't working. You've set them in this different time but they haven't learned anything. (THE COMMITTEE FREEZES)
GUY: Well, maybe you can teach them.
JOHN: Me?
GUY: You are their leader. Here. (HANDING JOHN A COSTUME)
JOHN: What can I do?
GUY: Lead. (HELPING HIM INTO COSTUME)
JOHN: They've stopped.
GUY: I stopped them. As you said, they were getting nowhere.
JOHN: How can this be happening?
GUY: Let's just say that God is the beginning and the end.
JOHN: Tell me something. This is the early church, isn't it? Well, then how can these people have lived so near the time that Jesus was on the earth and not trust Him?
GUY: Thirty years.
JOHN: Thirty years since Jesus left them? Thirty years. They've strayed so far in thirty years? What's wrong with these people? (WALKING AMONG THE FROZEN COMMITTEE. POINTING TO PETER) I'm inclined to agree with him. But she has a good idea, too. But she's a woman. They'll never listen to her. And what about you? (INDICATING JAMES)
What's your answer?
I know, making sure the people will give their tithe. Asking them to make a pledge. (INDICATING PETER)
But then he says that will give the church too much power over the individual. (GUY LIFTS HIS HAND AND THE COMMITTEE UNFREEZES)
JAMES: Ah, here's John Mark. Here's some help for us.
MARTHA: You've got to help us. Didn't He say, go into all the world? Tell us what Jesus said.
JOHN: Let me read it to you from my writing. Yes, Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Let me tell you a story.
You've all heard the story of Pentecost when we all received the power of the Holy Spirit. Well, shortly after that we began meeting together. The Holy Spirit was drawing us together.
We met every day at the Temple to worship God and to minister to each other and to witness our faith to the unbelievers. There were quite a lot of people meeting each day. Those were great days. We loved being together so we would continue the meetings in someone's house after sundown. Many times it was my cousin Barnabas' house where I also lived.
Those were thrilling times. We would eat together, sing the praises of God, pray and listen to the stories, usually told by Simon Peter or John, the brother of James. Stories about their life with Jesus. We never tired of hearing the same stories over and over.
We shared our love and our possessions. But here is the real miracle. And it's one we took for granted for quite a while: People were beginning to join us. Our number increased tremendously. People were drawn to our group, so much so that we had to begin meeting in several different locations. We didn't actually seek new believers. The Lord provided the increase. He did it; not us. It was a blessing to see the Lord work.
So, that's my story. Simple, isn't it. But it's true. All that is necessary is that you do what is expected of you and the Lord will provide the increase.
You should pray together, minister to each other's needs, and study the words of Jesus. (JOHN AND GUY EXIT)
JAMES: There's got to be more to it than that.
MARTHA: I believe him. I think he wanted to help us. We must listen to him.
JAMES: All that singing and praying -- I can see why they didn't get anything accomplished -- wasting half the night.
PETER: I trust him, but thirty years is a long time. His ways were right for that time, but today is today.
JAMES: We have to get things done today. It's a modern world.
