The Face Of Salvation
Drama
Thespian Theology
Advent, Christmas, Epiphany
Thespian Theological Thoughts
The introduction to the book of Micah in my Bible tells me that this book of prophecy is all about the integral relationship between true spirituality and social ethics. Of course, Micah 6:8 summarizes this idea nicely:
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
But, hey -- wait a minute! Micah 6:8 isn't part of the reading for today, so how can we work our social ethics message into this story of Micah?
Aha! Look at the Song of Mary (Luke 1:51-53): Jesus' mother-to-be magnifies the Lord, who has
• scattered those who are proud in their deepest thoughts;
• brought down rulers from their thrones; and
• filled the hungry with good things.
Mary echoes the social concerns of Micah: God seeks justice and equity, tempered with mercy and compassion. This is the essence of true godliness.
And finally, in Jesus, the God of hosts did in fact restore us; he caused his face to shine upon us, and we are saved. Praise the Lord!
Cast
Narrator
Micah
Vincent Videocam
Fat Cat 1
Fat Cat 2
Beggar
Voice of God (offstage)
Mary
Props/Costumes
Vincent -- microphone, notebook, and pencil
(Cast enters from both sides; they come together center stage, and chant)
Cast: O Lord God of hosts, restore us
Cause thy face to shine upon us,
And we will be saved.
(Everyone except Narrator exits; Narrator takes his place stage right)
Narrator: Generation after generation, this was humankind's plea: "Cause thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved." And then, 2,700 years ago, Micah, a Jewish peasant, was called from his rustic home in Moresheth-Gath to speak one of the clearest and most important prophecies in all of Hebrew Scripture.
(Micah enters stage left)
Micah: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you one will go forth for me
to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Narrator: When you stop and think about it, that was a pretty outlandish prediction, 700 years before it happened! To find out more about the man behind this peerless prophecy, we sent our investigative reporter, Vincent Videocam, back in time.
(Vincent enters stage right, holding a microphone)
Vincent: So, Micah, tell me: What is it like, living in Moresheth-Gath in the year 735 B.C.?
Micah: What's B.C.? I don't know from "B.C." But I'll tell you what it's like living in Moresheth-Gath: It's hard living, that's what kind of living it is! My people scratch out a mere subsistence on their dirt farms, and they just keep getting poorer -- while the fat cats in Jerusalem keep on getting richer at their expense.
(Fat Cat 1 and Fat Cat 2 enter stage left)
Fat Cat 1: Man, I don't know what to do with the camel I just bought! It's the latest model BMW, but it just doesn't have any acceleration, and it handles like a truck ... and the upholstery! My God, it's disgusting: only comes in Desert Sand or Oasis Blue, and it's so darned uncomfortable! How can I ever get around to all my exploiting of the powerless and extorting from the poor and bribing of judges, when I've got to ride around in this old beat-up Oasis Blue BMW, for God's sake?
Fat Cat 2: Yo, that's harsh! Maybe you should trade it in, man. My brother-in-law runs the Volvo camel dealership in Ramah. He can get you a great deal.
Fat Cat 1: Oooh, do you think so? Wow, I'd really like to have a Volvo. That would impress the socks off those snooty in-laws of mine. My father-in-law thinks he's such hot stuff, just because he got one of the fanciest condos up at Ramoth Gilead Estates. Let me send my chief slave down to Ramah with that junky BMW camel.
(Beggar enters stage right)
Beggar: Alms for the poor, Your Wealthiness?
Fat Cat 2: Begone, you filthy beggar! Go get a job!
Fat Cat 1: Ugh, those people are so disgusting.
(Fat Cat 1 and Fat Cat 2 exit stage right; Beggar exits stage left)
Micah: You see what I mean? So many of the rich and powerful are not living lives which bring glory to God. Their lives are filled with fraud and theft and greed and debauchery and hypocrisy and heresy and extortion and lying ... and the list goes on! And God hates these sins.
Vincent: Uh, excuse me, Micah, but how do you know that you're really speaking for God here?
Voice of God: (Offstage ... Micah mouths the words as offstage voice says them)
"But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
and to Israel his sin."
Vincent: Oh, I see ... I think! Well, um ... moving right along now. If God hates all these sinners --
Micah: Whoa! I didn't say that God hates sinners: He hates the sins -- but he loves the sinners.
Vincent: (Takes out notebook and writes) Hmm, let me get this straight: God hate sins, but loves sinners. Well, I know our viewers will be glad to hear that! But now then, Micah: If God hates all these sins, what's he gonna do about 'em?
Micah: God will execute judgment on the rulers and justice for the people: He will bring the rulers down from their thrones, and he will lift up the humble. He will fill the hungry with good things, but the rich he will send away empty.
Vincent: Hey, that sounds familiar. Now where have I heard that before?
(Mary enters stage right, singing)
Mary: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
(Mary exits stage left)
Micah: Who was that?
Vincent: That was the answer to my question. But you probably wouldn't understand: She hasn't been born yet. And that brings up the big question, Micah: Did God tell you why he chose for Jesus to be born in an obscure little wide-place-in-the-road like Bethlehem?
Micah: Jesus? Who is Jesus? All I know is what God told me to say:
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you one will go forth for me
to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Vincent: But why Bethlehem, Micah: Why not Jerusalem, or even Philadelphia.
Micah: Not my job to second-guess God. But maybe the name Bethlehem has some significance. Do you know what "Bethlehem" means?
Vincent: Er, um ... I gotta confess my Hebrew isn't so hot!
Micah: "Bethlehem" means "house of bread."
Vincent: Hmmm ... Jesus said that he is the bread of life! And that whoever comes to him will never be hungry.
Micah: This Jesus you keep talking about: Was he from "the days of eternity"?
Vincent: Oh, indeed he was!
Micah: Did he "arise and shepherd his flock"?
Vincent: He sure did!
Micah: Sounds to me like this Jesus was the answer to humankind's prayer.
(Entire Cast enters; they move to center stage and chant)
Cast: O Lord God of hosts, restore us;
Cause thy face to shine upon us,
And we will be saved.
The introduction to the book of Micah in my Bible tells me that this book of prophecy is all about the integral relationship between true spirituality and social ethics. Of course, Micah 6:8 summarizes this idea nicely:
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
But, hey -- wait a minute! Micah 6:8 isn't part of the reading for today, so how can we work our social ethics message into this story of Micah?
Aha! Look at the Song of Mary (Luke 1:51-53): Jesus' mother-to-be magnifies the Lord, who has
• scattered those who are proud in their deepest thoughts;
• brought down rulers from their thrones; and
• filled the hungry with good things.
Mary echoes the social concerns of Micah: God seeks justice and equity, tempered with mercy and compassion. This is the essence of true godliness.
And finally, in Jesus, the God of hosts did in fact restore us; he caused his face to shine upon us, and we are saved. Praise the Lord!
Cast
Narrator
Micah
Vincent Videocam
Fat Cat 1
Fat Cat 2
Beggar
Voice of God (offstage)
Mary
Props/Costumes
Vincent -- microphone, notebook, and pencil
(Cast enters from both sides; they come together center stage, and chant)
Cast: O Lord God of hosts, restore us
Cause thy face to shine upon us,
And we will be saved.
(Everyone except Narrator exits; Narrator takes his place stage right)
Narrator: Generation after generation, this was humankind's plea: "Cause thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved." And then, 2,700 years ago, Micah, a Jewish peasant, was called from his rustic home in Moresheth-Gath to speak one of the clearest and most important prophecies in all of Hebrew Scripture.
(Micah enters stage left)
Micah: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you one will go forth for me
to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Narrator: When you stop and think about it, that was a pretty outlandish prediction, 700 years before it happened! To find out more about the man behind this peerless prophecy, we sent our investigative reporter, Vincent Videocam, back in time.
(Vincent enters stage right, holding a microphone)
Vincent: So, Micah, tell me: What is it like, living in Moresheth-Gath in the year 735 B.C.?
Micah: What's B.C.? I don't know from "B.C." But I'll tell you what it's like living in Moresheth-Gath: It's hard living, that's what kind of living it is! My people scratch out a mere subsistence on their dirt farms, and they just keep getting poorer -- while the fat cats in Jerusalem keep on getting richer at their expense.
(Fat Cat 1 and Fat Cat 2 enter stage left)
Fat Cat 1: Man, I don't know what to do with the camel I just bought! It's the latest model BMW, but it just doesn't have any acceleration, and it handles like a truck ... and the upholstery! My God, it's disgusting: only comes in Desert Sand or Oasis Blue, and it's so darned uncomfortable! How can I ever get around to all my exploiting of the powerless and extorting from the poor and bribing of judges, when I've got to ride around in this old beat-up Oasis Blue BMW, for God's sake?
Fat Cat 2: Yo, that's harsh! Maybe you should trade it in, man. My brother-in-law runs the Volvo camel dealership in Ramah. He can get you a great deal.
Fat Cat 1: Oooh, do you think so? Wow, I'd really like to have a Volvo. That would impress the socks off those snooty in-laws of mine. My father-in-law thinks he's such hot stuff, just because he got one of the fanciest condos up at Ramoth Gilead Estates. Let me send my chief slave down to Ramah with that junky BMW camel.
(Beggar enters stage right)
Beggar: Alms for the poor, Your Wealthiness?
Fat Cat 2: Begone, you filthy beggar! Go get a job!
Fat Cat 1: Ugh, those people are so disgusting.
(Fat Cat 1 and Fat Cat 2 exit stage right; Beggar exits stage left)
Micah: You see what I mean? So many of the rich and powerful are not living lives which bring glory to God. Their lives are filled with fraud and theft and greed and debauchery and hypocrisy and heresy and extortion and lying ... and the list goes on! And God hates these sins.
Vincent: Uh, excuse me, Micah, but how do you know that you're really speaking for God here?
Voice of God: (Offstage ... Micah mouths the words as offstage voice says them)
"But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
and to Israel his sin."
Vincent: Oh, I see ... I think! Well, um ... moving right along now. If God hates all these sinners --
Micah: Whoa! I didn't say that God hates sinners: He hates the sins -- but he loves the sinners.
Vincent: (Takes out notebook and writes) Hmm, let me get this straight: God hate sins, but loves sinners. Well, I know our viewers will be glad to hear that! But now then, Micah: If God hates all these sins, what's he gonna do about 'em?
Micah: God will execute judgment on the rulers and justice for the people: He will bring the rulers down from their thrones, and he will lift up the humble. He will fill the hungry with good things, but the rich he will send away empty.
Vincent: Hey, that sounds familiar. Now where have I heard that before?
(Mary enters stage right, singing)
Mary: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
(Mary exits stage left)
Micah: Who was that?
Vincent: That was the answer to my question. But you probably wouldn't understand: She hasn't been born yet. And that brings up the big question, Micah: Did God tell you why he chose for Jesus to be born in an obscure little wide-place-in-the-road like Bethlehem?
Micah: Jesus? Who is Jesus? All I know is what God told me to say:
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you one will go forth for me
to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Vincent: But why Bethlehem, Micah: Why not Jerusalem, or even Philadelphia.
Micah: Not my job to second-guess God. But maybe the name Bethlehem has some significance. Do you know what "Bethlehem" means?
Vincent: Er, um ... I gotta confess my Hebrew isn't so hot!
Micah: "Bethlehem" means "house of bread."
Vincent: Hmmm ... Jesus said that he is the bread of life! And that whoever comes to him will never be hungry.
Micah: This Jesus you keep talking about: Was he from "the days of eternity"?
Vincent: Oh, indeed he was!
Micah: Did he "arise and shepherd his flock"?
Vincent: He sure did!
Micah: Sounds to me like this Jesus was the answer to humankind's prayer.
(Entire Cast enters; they move to center stage and chant)
Cast: O Lord God of hosts, restore us;
Cause thy face to shine upon us,
And we will be saved.
