The Orphan
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
Talking to someone about love, even the love of God, is a poor substitute for loving that person.
Summary
Dale is an orphan and is feeling the pangs of not having a loving parent. Wyn tries to help, but it turns out to be just talk. Wyn has no ability to love Dale, and Dale is left feeling worse.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
Your church
Props
None
Costumes
Whatever is appropriate for your church
Time
The present
Cast
DALE -- the orphan
WYN -- Dale's companion
WYN: (ENTERS WITH DALE) Want to go have some ice cream?
DALE: Yeah, I guess so. Why not?
WYN: Well, what did you think of the Bible study?
DALE: It was all right, I guess.
WYN: Jesus has a lot of love to give to us, doesn't he? Today's lesson made that clear.
DALE: To tell you the truth, I don't feel loved.
WYN: That's important to you, isn't it?
DALE: Important to me? You bet it is. Isn't it important to you?
WYN: Why, of course it is. Being loved is probably the most important need of everyone in this entire world.
DALE: Then why are you giving me a hard time?
WYN: I'm not. I just wonder why you mentioned the fact that you didn't feel loved.
DALE: Because I've been having a difficult time with the Bible teaching lately. I know that God loves me, but I don't feel loved.
WYN: Was there ever a time that you felt loved?
DALE: Well, I guess so. I don't know. I guess so.
WYN: When?
DALE: When did I feel loved?
WYN: You want to feel loved, right?
DALE: Right, I do.
WYN: Well, I just wanted to know if you ever felt loved before.
DALE: I can't remember.
WYN: I was just thinking -- if you've never felt love before, how would you know the feeling if you felt it?
DALE: I don't really know. I guess I would just know, that's all. How does a baby know it's loved?
WYN: If a baby is well taken care of and has a lot of touching, I suppose the baby would feel loved.
DALE: Yeah, I guess so.
WYN: Were you ever taken care of like that?
DALE: I'm an orphan.
WYN: An orphan. I didn't know that.
DALE: My mother and father were both killed in a plane crash. I was a month old.
WYN: Who raised you?
DALE: I was raised by foster parents and then when I was twelve I was put in an orphanage.
WYN: Were you adopted?
DALE: I was too old. No one wants an older child.
WYN: And you can't remember feeling loved?
DALE: No. Never.
WYN: Did you ever have a good friend?
DALE: A good friend -- no.
WYN: How about Jesus?
DALE: I know what you're thinking -- Jesus is my friend; he died for me. Right?
WYN: Well, that was quite friendly, wasn't it?
DALE: Now that you mention it, it was.
WYN: Well?
DALE: I told you this need that I have because I thought you wouldn't give me a bunch of spiritual mumbo-jumbo.
WYN: I didn't mean it to sound like spiritual mumbo-jumbo. I just wanted to establish who Jesus is in your life.
DALE: Jesus is my friend, I guess. I pray and talk to him daily but I still don't feel loved. I still want that warm, cozy feeling.
WYN: Do you know what? I think I understand what you mean. You know with your mind that you are loved, but that isn't enough for you. You want to feel it too.
DALE: I really want to have someone to love me like Jesus loves me.
WYN: Would that do it?
DALE: I think it would.
WYN: You need a friend. Did you ever try being a friend to anyone?
DALE: I guess I've heard that one before: "If you want a friend, be a friend." That still doesn't make the lonely feeling go away.
WYN: I was thinking a little deeper than that.
DALE: Like someone you could share your innermost secrets with, like I just did with you.
WYN: Sure.
DALE: And someone I could go have ice cream with, like we're doing.
WYN: Right. Do you know what? I know what I'll do.
DALE: What's that?
WYN: I'll pray for you. (WYN EXITS, LEAVING DALE STANDING ALONE)
Talking to someone about love, even the love of God, is a poor substitute for loving that person.
Summary
Dale is an orphan and is feeling the pangs of not having a loving parent. Wyn tries to help, but it turns out to be just talk. Wyn has no ability to love Dale, and Dale is left feeling worse.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
Your church
Props
None
Costumes
Whatever is appropriate for your church
Time
The present
Cast
DALE -- the orphan
WYN -- Dale's companion
WYN: (ENTERS WITH DALE) Want to go have some ice cream?
DALE: Yeah, I guess so. Why not?
WYN: Well, what did you think of the Bible study?
DALE: It was all right, I guess.
WYN: Jesus has a lot of love to give to us, doesn't he? Today's lesson made that clear.
DALE: To tell you the truth, I don't feel loved.
WYN: That's important to you, isn't it?
DALE: Important to me? You bet it is. Isn't it important to you?
WYN: Why, of course it is. Being loved is probably the most important need of everyone in this entire world.
DALE: Then why are you giving me a hard time?
WYN: I'm not. I just wonder why you mentioned the fact that you didn't feel loved.
DALE: Because I've been having a difficult time with the Bible teaching lately. I know that God loves me, but I don't feel loved.
WYN: Was there ever a time that you felt loved?
DALE: Well, I guess so. I don't know. I guess so.
WYN: When?
DALE: When did I feel loved?
WYN: You want to feel loved, right?
DALE: Right, I do.
WYN: Well, I just wanted to know if you ever felt loved before.
DALE: I can't remember.
WYN: I was just thinking -- if you've never felt love before, how would you know the feeling if you felt it?
DALE: I don't really know. I guess I would just know, that's all. How does a baby know it's loved?
WYN: If a baby is well taken care of and has a lot of touching, I suppose the baby would feel loved.
DALE: Yeah, I guess so.
WYN: Were you ever taken care of like that?
DALE: I'm an orphan.
WYN: An orphan. I didn't know that.
DALE: My mother and father were both killed in a plane crash. I was a month old.
WYN: Who raised you?
DALE: I was raised by foster parents and then when I was twelve I was put in an orphanage.
WYN: Were you adopted?
DALE: I was too old. No one wants an older child.
WYN: And you can't remember feeling loved?
DALE: No. Never.
WYN: Did you ever have a good friend?
DALE: A good friend -- no.
WYN: How about Jesus?
DALE: I know what you're thinking -- Jesus is my friend; he died for me. Right?
WYN: Well, that was quite friendly, wasn't it?
DALE: Now that you mention it, it was.
WYN: Well?
DALE: I told you this need that I have because I thought you wouldn't give me a bunch of spiritual mumbo-jumbo.
WYN: I didn't mean it to sound like spiritual mumbo-jumbo. I just wanted to establish who Jesus is in your life.
DALE: Jesus is my friend, I guess. I pray and talk to him daily but I still don't feel loved. I still want that warm, cozy feeling.
WYN: Do you know what? I think I understand what you mean. You know with your mind that you are loved, but that isn't enough for you. You want to feel it too.
DALE: I really want to have someone to love me like Jesus loves me.
WYN: Would that do it?
DALE: I think it would.
WYN: You need a friend. Did you ever try being a friend to anyone?
DALE: I guess I've heard that one before: "If you want a friend, be a friend." That still doesn't make the lonely feeling go away.
WYN: I was thinking a little deeper than that.
DALE: Like someone you could share your innermost secrets with, like I just did with you.
WYN: Sure.
DALE: And someone I could go have ice cream with, like we're doing.
WYN: Right. Do you know what? I know what I'll do.
DALE: What's that?
WYN: I'll pray for you. (WYN EXITS, LEAVING DALE STANDING ALONE)
