A Cloud of Witnesses
By Eric Fisher
Summary
Everyone has something to contribute to the Kingdom…besides excuses.
Scripture
Heb. 12:1-3
Characters
Jason
Paul
Rahab
David
Erik
Script
(Setting: A strangely eerie gathering room. Everyone is standing around
laughing, talking, etc. King David is singing and dancing around.There
are two chairs center stage.)
Erik enters. Whoa, where am I? (Trying to get attention) Um,
hello!
(Everyone pauses to look over at him and then goes back to talking
(quietly).
Jason: Can I help you?
E: Yes. Where am I? Who are all these people?
J: You must be new around here. (Getting everyone's attention) Listen
up everybody we got a new guy.
Paul: Hi, I'm Paul (shakes E's hand)
Rahab: I’m Rahab. (big smile)
David: David's my name. King David. Hey you don't play flute do you?
We need someone to play flute in the band.
E: King David? Paul, Rahab? Wait…(shocking realization) …am I dead?
P: Either that or you're dreaming. (aside)
E. Dear Lord, I've died! Why God why! I was too young to die! (drops
to his knees.)
Rahab: Now, now calm down. It'll be all right.
E: (Standing Up) But I had so much left to do. I had so much life left
to live. I had dreams, goals. I had a date with Amy Gilmore on Friday night.
R: There's nothing you can do about it now.
J: How did you get here? Were you shot?
P: Were you beheaded? Set on fire?
E: What? No. (Thinking) I don't know.
R: Well, you must have had great faith to end up here.
E: Why do you say that?
P: Everyone here had tremendous faith in God …or did something extraordinary
for the cause of Christ.
E: Oh no, not me. I could never have done anything great for God.
R: Why not?
E: I just couldn't have. I mean, I don't really have that kind of “personality.”
I have the “wrong temperament”. I’m not “people friendly” I don’t “pray
or read my Bible”. I even failed my “Spiritual Gifts” test.
P: Sounds like bunch of excuses to me.
E: You don't understand. I love God and everything but…
D: But nothing. What do you mean you don't have the personality, huh?
What kind of personality do you think I had? All those years talking to
a bunch of sheep. I sing - they baaaah. I talk - they baaaaaah. I had the
social skills of a rock when God called me.
E: Yes, but you were at least brave. I mean, you fought a lion and
a bear.
D: Brave!? It’s not about being brave. Remember that time (acting it
out as he explains it) I acted crazy and spit all over myself so no one
would know who I was?
R: I was so scared that when those two spies told me God's people were
going to take the city, I bargained for my life.
(Everyone looks over at Rahab. There is a long Pause)
E: Sure, but you guys don't understand. Someone like me can't do stuff
like that.
J: Why not?
E: (Think) I 'm not a devoted enough follower.
P: Maybe that's your problem, Erik. What you need is an encounter with
God.
E: I don't know.
P: I do. I was out to kill every follower of Jesus when He came to
me. From that moment on I was never the same.
J: You see Erik, none of us are great because of anything we did....
D: .... but because we responded to the call of God on our lives. The
call to do something.
R: No matter how small.
E: I just don't think that God really sees me that way.
D: Dude look, it ain't that difficult to figure out. Gideon was about
to wet his pants when God called him a mighty man of valor. Moses sttttuttered,
Paul hated anyone who even mentioned the name of Jesus. And Rahab, well,
let's not go there. The point is that when God sends you He will empower
you.
R: If God wants you to do something for Him, He’ll make it possible.
J: That's right. We all had times of doubt, but God was always faithful.
E: (Pause) Who are you anyway?
J: Jason, (Erik looks at him blankly) You know in the Bible. In the
book of acts. Don’t you read your Bible?
E: If you say so. But I still want to know how I got here. (Erik looks
forward and as he talks everyone except "David" fades to the back. David
sits in a chair and looks forward.) Let's see I went to church. No, wait.
Yeah, I went to church after I stopped at Taco Bell. I was in youth and
I sat down after worship…. ( sits down and lays his head on "David's'"
shoulder. He is asleep)
D: Dude, wake up. You're drooling! That's gross!
E: What, who, what, huh? (Wipes drool) What's going on?
D: You fell asleep - again!
E: What's he talking about?
D: You know, you should really pay more attention in church. You might
learn something. Hebrews 12:1-2
E: What's it say?
D: Read it yourself it’s up on the screen.
E: (Reads) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud
of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that
so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out
for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our
faith…”
.........................................
Copyright Eric S. Fisher, all rights reserved.
This script may be used free provided no charge is made for entry to
the performance. In return the author would like to be told of any performance.
He may be contacted at efish_2000@msn.com