A Single Granary
Drama
Thespian Theology
Lent/Easter
Thespian Theological Thoughts
Confession: The dialogue between Jesus and Granville Graham is not original. It happened, twenty-some years ago, between Jesus and yours truly.
It's not my intention to denigrate commercial enterprise and success, but rather to place "success" in its proper perspective. I think that Joshua 1:8, 9 (which is not a part of today's reading) does a wonderful job of defining success for us.
He is God, and I am not. As soon as I truly understand that, I will be successful.
I'm still working on it.
Cast
Narrator
Granville Graham
Gary Grain-grower
Dr. Psam Pseudo
Voice of Jesus (offstage)
Props/Costumes
Narrator -- Bible
Gary -- t-shirt: "AGAPE"
Psam -- sign: "Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal"
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Today we have for you the story of a self-made man: the embodiment of the American Dream. (Granville Graham enters stage right) Behold Granville Graham, founder, owner, and operator of the Granville Graham Granary of Greatville County, Georgia. (Granville bows and proceeds to strut around proudly during the following introduction)
Mr. Graham is truly a great American success story. Born into a dirt-poor family of sharecroppers, Graham pulled himself out of poverty through sheer grit, determination, and hard work. And today, he operates the Granville Graham Granary, the grandest granary in all of Georgia. Over forty stories tall, Granville Graham's grandiose granary stores the produce of every grain grower in Greatville County, Georgia.
Granville: And I did it all by myself! Wasn't nobody helpin' Granville Graham along the way ... no, sir! My daddy was a drunk; Momma was too busy raisin' thirteen kids; my brothers 'n' sisters are a buncha losers. Why, shucks, even the Greatville National Bank wouldn't lend me no money 'til I raised half-a-million on my own! But I showed 'em all!
Narrator: I guess you did, Granville. But what exactly is it that you showed them?
Granville: Well, hey: I showed 'em that I didn't need them, that I can succeed, all by myself!
Narrator: I see.
(Gary Grain-grower enters stage left)
Granville: And I certainly don't need losers and whiners like that bozo. (Points at Gary)
Narrator: (To Gary) Hello, there. And who might you be?
Gary: I am Gary Grain-grower, and I represent AGAPE: the Amalgamated Grain-growers Agricultural Protection Exchange.
Granville: Buncha losers 'n' whiners, all of ya!
Gary: Call us whatever you want to, Granville ... but we want to warn you about Dr. Psam Pseudo and his Synthetic Cereal. We need to band together here and meet this challenge!
(Psam Pseudo enters stage left and moves downstage; he holds a sign: "Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal")
Granville: Oh, petunia petals! Psam Pseudo (Pronounces the p's noisily) doesn't perturb me! He's a phony-baloney. The guy's not even a real doctor, ya know. He's just a psychologist!
Gary: Maybe so, Granville, but Psam Pseudo and his Synthetic Cereal are threatening our business!
Psam Pseudo: (To Granville) You better believe it, bubba! The national advertising campaign for Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal will drive you old-fashioned grain-growers out of business.
Granville: Oh, that's a bunch of bunk, Psam, and you know it.
Psam Pseudo: (Emphasizes the s sounds) Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal is a sublime, sweet-smelling snack. You'll salivate as you appreciate Psam Pseudo's supremely savory cereal!
Granville: Put a sock in it, Psam!
Psam Pseudo: Too late, bubba! My mega-bucks media blitz is gonna bury Granville Graham's grandiose granary. (Exits stage right)
Granville: Witless windbag! I don't need him, or anybody else. I stand alone, on my own two feet. (Exits stage left)
Gary: (Calls after Granville) You're entitled to your opinion, Granville, but I'll tell you this: My grain business is down fifty percent since Psam Pseudo came on the scene! (Exits dejectedly, stage right)
Narrator: Hmmm, I wonder if Granville Graham, the self-made American Dream-maker will really be able to stand alone in the face of this big-time threat.
(Granville enters stage left)
Granville: Those ungrateful grain-growers! How dare they? I just wanta know: How dare they?
Narrator: What's this? Grief at the Grandiose Granville Graham Granary?
Granville: Give it a rest with the alliteration, okay? I've got big-time problems here. That buncha dirt-bag grain-growers have cut me out!
(Gary enters stage right)
Gary: We didn't cut you out, Granville. The grain business has gone south, and we grain-growers went into the Synthetic Cereal business.
Granville: Why, you lousy --
Gary: I tried to warn you, Granville, but you stand alone, remember? (Exits stage right)
Granville: Buncha thankless whiners and losers! A pox on the lot of 'em. I don't need 'em! The Granville Graham Granary still stands. And it stands alone, a monument to my success!
Voice of Jesus: (Offstage) "Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
Granville: Huh? Who dat?
Voice of Jesus: Granville, this is Jesus speaking to you.
Granville: Jesus? I didn't know you were in the agricultural consulting business.
Voice of Jesus: I'm not. I'm in the soul-saving business, Granville.
Granville: Well, then, what's all this stuff about a grain of wheat falling into the earth?
Voice of Jesus: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain ... and a single grain cannot bear fruit -- any more than a single granary operator can, Granville.
Granville: What the heck is that supposed to mean?
Voice of Jesus: Granville, you said that your granary stands alone, a monument to your success, right?
Granville: That it is!
Voice of Jesus: Have you looked inside your granary lately, Granville?
Granville: Whattaya mean?
Voice of Jesus: Your grandiose granary is almost empty, Granville.
Granville: Well, um ...
Voice of Jesus: Not much of a monument to success, Granville.
Granville: Hmmmmm.
Voice of Jesus: Would you like to be a real success, Granville? A success in ways that truly matter?
Granville: Well, sure.
Voice of Jesus: Look at your empty granary, Granville. On your own, have you made a great success of your life?
Granville: W-e-e-l-l ... maybe not, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: Do you even know what success is, Granville?
Granville: Well, I used to think success was having the grandest granary in Greatville County ... but now I'm not so sure, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: Have you ever heard of Joshua, the son of Nun?
Granville: Sure. There's a funny riddle about him: Who is the only character in the Bible who had no parents? Joshua, the son of Nun.
Voice of Jesus: Right. Well, many centuries ago, I talked to Joshua about success: "This book of the law (the Bible) shall not depart from your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful."
Granville: So if I read the Bible, my granary is gonna fill up again?
Voice of Jesus: I won't guarantee that your granary will fill up, Granville, but your life will. But first ... like a grain of wheat, you must die.
Granville: Die? I don't wanta die, Lord! What kind of agricultural advice is that?
Voice of Jesus: You must die to self, Granville. Recognize that I am God, and you are not. Let me be your God, not that grandiose granary.
Granville: Oh, I see ... I think. But how do I do that, Lord?
Voice of Jesus: Get yourself a Bible, Granville. I believe our Narrator has one, and he knows what I want you to read; Psalm 51.
(Granville goes to Narrator who gives him a Bible)
Granville: (Reads) "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
Voice of Jesus: Does that prayer express the desire of your heart, Granville?
Granville: (Kneels at center stage) Yes, it does, Lord. I want you to be my God!
Voice of Jesus: Good! Then I will put my law within you, Granville, and I will write it on your heart. I will be your God, and you will be my child. And I will forgive your iniquity, and remember your sin no more.
Granville: (Stands up) O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise!
Confession: The dialogue between Jesus and Granville Graham is not original. It happened, twenty-some years ago, between Jesus and yours truly.
It's not my intention to denigrate commercial enterprise and success, but rather to place "success" in its proper perspective. I think that Joshua 1:8, 9 (which is not a part of today's reading) does a wonderful job of defining success for us.
He is God, and I am not. As soon as I truly understand that, I will be successful.
I'm still working on it.
Cast
Narrator
Granville Graham
Gary Grain-grower
Dr. Psam Pseudo
Voice of Jesus (offstage)
Props/Costumes
Narrator -- Bible
Gary -- t-shirt: "AGAPE"
Psam -- sign: "Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal"
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: Today we have for you the story of a self-made man: the embodiment of the American Dream. (Granville Graham enters stage right) Behold Granville Graham, founder, owner, and operator of the Granville Graham Granary of Greatville County, Georgia. (Granville bows and proceeds to strut around proudly during the following introduction)
Mr. Graham is truly a great American success story. Born into a dirt-poor family of sharecroppers, Graham pulled himself out of poverty through sheer grit, determination, and hard work. And today, he operates the Granville Graham Granary, the grandest granary in all of Georgia. Over forty stories tall, Granville Graham's grandiose granary stores the produce of every grain grower in Greatville County, Georgia.
Granville: And I did it all by myself! Wasn't nobody helpin' Granville Graham along the way ... no, sir! My daddy was a drunk; Momma was too busy raisin' thirteen kids; my brothers 'n' sisters are a buncha losers. Why, shucks, even the Greatville National Bank wouldn't lend me no money 'til I raised half-a-million on my own! But I showed 'em all!
Narrator: I guess you did, Granville. But what exactly is it that you showed them?
Granville: Well, hey: I showed 'em that I didn't need them, that I can succeed, all by myself!
Narrator: I see.
(Gary Grain-grower enters stage left)
Granville: And I certainly don't need losers and whiners like that bozo. (Points at Gary)
Narrator: (To Gary) Hello, there. And who might you be?
Gary: I am Gary Grain-grower, and I represent AGAPE: the Amalgamated Grain-growers Agricultural Protection Exchange.
Granville: Buncha losers 'n' whiners, all of ya!
Gary: Call us whatever you want to, Granville ... but we want to warn you about Dr. Psam Pseudo and his Synthetic Cereal. We need to band together here and meet this challenge!
(Psam Pseudo enters stage left and moves downstage; he holds a sign: "Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal")
Granville: Oh, petunia petals! Psam Pseudo (Pronounces the p's noisily) doesn't perturb me! He's a phony-baloney. The guy's not even a real doctor, ya know. He's just a psychologist!
Gary: Maybe so, Granville, but Psam Pseudo and his Synthetic Cereal are threatening our business!
Psam Pseudo: (To Granville) You better believe it, bubba! The national advertising campaign for Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal will drive you old-fashioned grain-growers out of business.
Granville: Oh, that's a bunch of bunk, Psam, and you know it.
Psam Pseudo: (Emphasizes the s sounds) Psam Pseudo's Synthetic Cereal is a sublime, sweet-smelling snack. You'll salivate as you appreciate Psam Pseudo's supremely savory cereal!
Granville: Put a sock in it, Psam!
Psam Pseudo: Too late, bubba! My mega-bucks media blitz is gonna bury Granville Graham's grandiose granary. (Exits stage right)
Granville: Witless windbag! I don't need him, or anybody else. I stand alone, on my own two feet. (Exits stage left)
Gary: (Calls after Granville) You're entitled to your opinion, Granville, but I'll tell you this: My grain business is down fifty percent since Psam Pseudo came on the scene! (Exits dejectedly, stage right)
Narrator: Hmmm, I wonder if Granville Graham, the self-made American Dream-maker will really be able to stand alone in the face of this big-time threat.
(Granville enters stage left)
Granville: Those ungrateful grain-growers! How dare they? I just wanta know: How dare they?
Narrator: What's this? Grief at the Grandiose Granville Graham Granary?
Granville: Give it a rest with the alliteration, okay? I've got big-time problems here. That buncha dirt-bag grain-growers have cut me out!
(Gary enters stage right)
Gary: We didn't cut you out, Granville. The grain business has gone south, and we grain-growers went into the Synthetic Cereal business.
Granville: Why, you lousy --
Gary: I tried to warn you, Granville, but you stand alone, remember? (Exits stage right)
Granville: Buncha thankless whiners and losers! A pox on the lot of 'em. I don't need 'em! The Granville Graham Granary still stands. And it stands alone, a monument to my success!
Voice of Jesus: (Offstage) "Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
Granville: Huh? Who dat?
Voice of Jesus: Granville, this is Jesus speaking to you.
Granville: Jesus? I didn't know you were in the agricultural consulting business.
Voice of Jesus: I'm not. I'm in the soul-saving business, Granville.
Granville: Well, then, what's all this stuff about a grain of wheat falling into the earth?
Voice of Jesus: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain ... and a single grain cannot bear fruit -- any more than a single granary operator can, Granville.
Granville: What the heck is that supposed to mean?
Voice of Jesus: Granville, you said that your granary stands alone, a monument to your success, right?
Granville: That it is!
Voice of Jesus: Have you looked inside your granary lately, Granville?
Granville: Whattaya mean?
Voice of Jesus: Your grandiose granary is almost empty, Granville.
Granville: Well, um ...
Voice of Jesus: Not much of a monument to success, Granville.
Granville: Hmmmmm.
Voice of Jesus: Would you like to be a real success, Granville? A success in ways that truly matter?
Granville: Well, sure.
Voice of Jesus: Look at your empty granary, Granville. On your own, have you made a great success of your life?
Granville: W-e-e-l-l ... maybe not, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: Do you even know what success is, Granville?
Granville: Well, I used to think success was having the grandest granary in Greatville County ... but now I'm not so sure, Lord.
Voice of Jesus: Have you ever heard of Joshua, the son of Nun?
Granville: Sure. There's a funny riddle about him: Who is the only character in the Bible who had no parents? Joshua, the son of Nun.
Voice of Jesus: Right. Well, many centuries ago, I talked to Joshua about success: "This book of the law (the Bible) shall not depart from your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful."
Granville: So if I read the Bible, my granary is gonna fill up again?
Voice of Jesus: I won't guarantee that your granary will fill up, Granville, but your life will. But first ... like a grain of wheat, you must die.
Granville: Die? I don't wanta die, Lord! What kind of agricultural advice is that?
Voice of Jesus: You must die to self, Granville. Recognize that I am God, and you are not. Let me be your God, not that grandiose granary.
Granville: Oh, I see ... I think. But how do I do that, Lord?
Voice of Jesus: Get yourself a Bible, Granville. I believe our Narrator has one, and he knows what I want you to read; Psalm 51.
(Granville goes to Narrator who gives him a Bible)
Granville: (Reads) "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
Voice of Jesus: Does that prayer express the desire of your heart, Granville?
Granville: (Kneels at center stage) Yes, it does, Lord. I want you to be my God!
Voice of Jesus: Good! Then I will put my law within you, Granville, and I will write it on your heart. I will be your God, and you will be my child. And I will forgive your iniquity, and remember your sin no more.
Granville: (Stands up) O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise!
