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| LD-OA The Best of the Lectionary Dramas for Cycle "A" (Select a link below or scroll through the page for details.) Whether you are a seasoned veteran or are brand new to the world of Bible drama, this series of 56 dramas is a perfect fit! We know you will be pleased, and your congregation will endorse drama as an invaluable tool in spreading the gospel message! Lectionary dramas are short and use a limited number of cast members. They are designed to be used in worship and other areas of congregational life by churches of all sizes.
Click Here to Order The Best of Lectionary Cycle "A" or Contact Us Sample Dialogues Lectionary A Excerpt from Luke 1:26-38 Mary and Gabriel Mary: I would really like to believe you, but you still haven't proven anything. Gabriel: Would you like me to make a few walls come tumbling down, appear in a burning bush, strike down the first born of Egypt? Mary: How about the burning bush thing? Gabriel: Listen, young lady, I have no time for this. Mary: Well, I would think that an angel, a real honest-to-goodness angel, could give me some proof. Gabriel: (He thinks a moment.) All right. Last night after supper when your father went to his study, you went in with him, and you both studied the Word of God. In fact, you were studying the scroll of Second Samuel. You and your father were discussing how and when God would fulfill his promise of a davidic dynasty. Mary: (Shocked.) How did you know that? Gabriel: I know that your father has been discussing the Word of God with you since you were just a child. Mary: (Pleading.) You're not going to turn him in, are you? I mean, I know that he isn't supposed to be teaching a woman about the Word of God, but you know, please don't get him in trouble. I promise I will never discuss the Word of God with him again. Gabriel: Mary, I have not come here to turn anyone in. I told you I have come from the Most High with an important message. Mary: Well, I don't know. Maybe if you give me the message, I will know if you are on the up and up. Gabriel: Mary, you are blessed among all women. Mary: Blessed. What do you mean blessed? Blessed by whom? Gabriel: By God. Mary: (She is afraid and steps back in fear.) What does God want with me? Gabriel: Mary, do you remember the passage from Second Samuel? Mary: You mean the one about the davidic dynasty? Gabriel: That's the one. Mary: What about it? Gabriel: Well, Mary, God is about to fulfill that promise. Mary: You mean he is going to send the Son of David, the Messiah, now? Gabriel: Yes, Mary, now. Mary: Well, what does that have to do with me? Gabriel: Mary, do you know the scriptures? Mary: Yes, I have committed many passages to memory. I know the sacred stories about Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, the prophets, and God's promise to send his Messiah. Gabriel: Good. Are you familiar with the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign-- Mary: --a young woman who is with child shall bear a son, and he shall be called Immanuel, God with us." Gabriel: Mary, Mary: (Having figured it out.) Don't say it. Gabriel: Mary, you are that young woman. Mary: But why me? I am nobody special. I'm just an average, ordinary woman. Gabriel: God does his best work with average and ordinary. Mary, God chose you not because you are great, not because you are special, but he chose you because he knows that you will respond to his calling in faith. You are blessed not because of who you are, but because of who God is and what he is about to do for the world. Click Here to Order The Best of Lectionary Cycle "A" or Contact Us Excerpt from Matt 4:1-11 Jesus & Satan: The Temptations Satan: (Jesus walks on stage and stands for a moment looking toward the front of the stage.) Ah, there you are. (Jesus looks as Satan gets up and walks down stage.) At least, I think you are the one I'm here to meet. Jesus: I'm sorry. You seem to have the advantage over me. Satan: I've had the advantage over people since the beginning of time, dear boy. Jesus: What I meant was that you seem to know me and why we're here, but I don't have a clue. Satan: Come, come, are you trying to tell me you have no idea who I am and what this is all about? You mean the Father didn't tell you, didn't prepare you for this? Jesus: That about sums it up. Satan: Like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I will try to make this as painless as possible for you. I have bad news and I have good news. First, the bad news. I'm Satan, (He extends his hand, but Jesus ignores it and Satan brings his hand back.) This little encounter was set up by God in order to find out what kind of a Messiah you are, and you can't win. Jesus: What's the good news? Satan: I lied. There is no good news. (He chuckles.) Jesus: You lied? Satan: Of course. I'm the inventor of lies. You know. Like when you are caught doing something you shouldn't be doing and someone asks you what you are up to. Well, that outrageous story you come up with to cover your tracks . . . My work! I take full credit. Jesus: Can you tell me what this is all about? Satan: Are you kidding? This is the fight, the match of eternity. You and me locked in mortal-- or maybe it's immortal-- combat. No holds barred, no time limit, one match, winner take all. Once and for all we are going to find out who runs things around here. Trust me, I will be kind and gentle. Jesus: You will? Satan: I lied again. I intend to take no prisoners. In a few moments I will own you. Jesus: Is this going to take a long time? I've been out here for forty days, fasting and praying. Satan: Fasting? Did you say fasting? Jesus: Yes. Satan: (He laughs.) This is going to be easier than I thought. (He picks up the stone and holds it up to Jesus.) This almost seems unfair, even for me. Here take this stone and turn it into bread. Jesus: I'd like to, but I can't. Satan: (Irritated.) What do you mean you can't? Why not? I mean you are the Son of God, aren't you? You've got the power, don't you? (He brandishes the rock in front of Jesus' nose.) As the old saying goes, "JUST DO IT!" Jesus: When I agreed to come here, I agreed not to use my divine nature for my own needs or desires. The Father told me that I could use my divine nature to help supply the needs of others, but not my own. The Father's word is the only thing there is. You can't live (He points to the rock.) by bread alone, but you need the Word of God to have life. Satan: Hmmm. Not bad. All right, my boy, (He puts his arm around Jesus' shoulders and leads him off to one side of the stage.) step right up. You do recognize this place, don't you? The pinnacle of the Temple. You see all those poor people down there? (He waves his arm indicating the congregation.) Jesus: Yes. Satan: The wretched refuse of humanity. They want a hero, they want a champion. Someone they can look up to, a role model for their lives. They have so little to cheer about. You can give them what they need. God has said, "The sons of God will not stumble or fall because God will send his angels to protect you." So, if you really depend only on the Old Boy's Word, then jump. God will save you, you will be a hero, and the folks below will have something to cheer about. Jesus: Since before the World was created, God has been making promises and he has kept every one of them. There is no need for me, for you, for anyone to doubt God's Word. There is no reason to put God to some arbitrary test. Satan: You are the most unambitious person I have ever met. This is your chance for your fifteen minutes of glory. Jesus: The one who follows the Word of God will have more glory than anyone could ever imagine. Satan: Ahhhh. You fanatics make me sick. Drag this out. I don't care. Like you can really resist me! (He puts his arm around Jesus and walks him to the other side of the stage.) All right. I saved the best for last. I can tell you are beginning to wear down and this ought to do it. Here is the world. I'm in charge and I will give you an empire that will last for a thousand years. Rome has a great empire, but compared to what I will give you, it will look like swamp land. It's all yours. All you have to do is bow your head and bend your knee to me. Go ahead. Jesus: (He roars.) LEAVE! (Satan takes couple of faltering steps back.) In the name of God I command you to leave! My head will bow and my knee will bend to only one and that is to God Almighty! You are a fraud. You are a phony. I have come not to be served, but to serve God and to serve his creation. So, LEAVE! Satan: (Completely flustered.) This...this is not the end of it, you know. (He turns and takes a few steps.) You...you can't beat me. I may have underestimated you, but I will win in the end. I'll be back. Count on it! (He leaves.) Jesus: The Lord is my strength and my salvation. (Jesus exits in the opposite direction.) Click Here to Order The Best of Lectionary Cycle "A" or Contact Us Excerpt from Matt 9:9-13 Jesus Calls the Tax Collector Matthew: I don't know how many times I've tried to tell you people not to wait until the last minute. All right. Sit down. But let's be quick about it. (He holds up two forms.) Will you be using the short form or the itemized form? Jesus: I said this wouldn't take long. Matthew: All right, the short form it is. Name? Jesus: Jesus. Matthew: Address? Jesus: Wherever there is room for me to spend the night. Matthew: All right, where are you from originally? Jesus: From my Father's kingdom. Matthew: A king, huh? That makes you a prince and that usually means a lot of money. You sure you don't want to use the long form? Jesus: This is not about me; it's about you. Matthew: Pardon me? Jesus: I said this is about you. Matthew: Listen, uh, (He looks at the form.) uh, Jesus. I don't know what you mean. Jesus: Matthew, you weren't always like this. Matthew: What do you mean, "I wasn't always like this"? I lived in this town and you lived in some palace with your father. I have no idea who you are. You couldn't possibly know a thing about me. Jesus: I know more than you think. I know what's inside of you. Matthew: Are you with the RIA? Jesus: RIA? Matthew: Yes, Roman Intelligence Agency. Jesus: No. Matthew: Well, they are the only ones who know what's inside of a person. Jesus: I know as well. Matthew: All right. I'll play along. What's inside of me? Jesus: Inside of you is a man of faith. A man who is waiting for the Messiah. Matthew: You mean "was." Jesus: "Was?" Matthew: I don't wait for the Messiah anymore. Jesus: But you used to believe. Matthew: That's right, used to. I also don't believe in Mother Goose, the Stork, or the Tooth Fairy. Jesus: You believe the Messiah is a fairy tale? Matthew: Sir, I don't know who you are, nor do I care. I thought you wanted to pay your taxes. If you want to do business, then get on with it. If you want to talk fairy tales, try the day care center across the street. Jesus: What changed you? Click Here to Order The Best of Lectionary Cycle "A" or Contact Us Excerpt from Acts 2:42-47 Three Friends Discuss "Those Christians" Friend 3: Hi, guys. Sorry I'm running late, but I got held up. (He pours himself some coffee.) A whole bunch of people were going into the Temple. Friend 2: But today's Sunday. Friend 1: I bet it was those Christians. Friend 3: They're the ones! They never miss a Sunday. You ever wonder why they worship on Sunday? Friend 1: That's the day that their leader allegedly was raised from the dead. So, for them every Sunday is a celebration of his resurrection. Friend 2: You think it's true, about this resurrection thing? Friend 3: Well, I'm not sure, but I've heard that his apostles have worked some signs or miracles or something. There was that blind guy, Friend 1: And a leper, then the crippled fellow, and some guy with the fever. Friend 2: You think it's rigged? Friend 1: (Shaking his head) Well-- no, I don't think so. At least no one has been able to prove anything. Friend 3: But it's not just Sunday worship. They meet every day in homes for prayer and singing and scripture. Friend 1: They also take their meals together. The wealthier ones actually provide food for the poorer ones. Friend 2: From what I've heard, they're all poor. Slaves, women, orphans-- they make up the majority of his followers. Friend 3: But they are all willing to share; that's what's so unique about them. If a widow needs money for food, the whole group supplies it. If someone needs money for rent or to buy clothing, the community supplies it. They share everything. They aren't all caught up in greed and materialism. If an orphan needs medical attention, they take up a collection and he gets treated. Friend 2: And you know what else? They take care of all kinds of people. They will take care of any sick person, whether that person is one of their fellow believers or not. They have no regard for their own health, and when others have refused to take care of the sick for fear of getting sick themselves, those, those Christians stay around. They are a unique bunch. Friend 1: What would make them put their own health and welfare aside? Friend 3: Well, I'll tell you what I heard. They think that if they remain faithful to their Lord and if they serve others, well-- get this-- they think that when they die, they will be raised to new life, just like their Lord. So, they're not afraid of anything. Friend 2: Well, I guess if I could be assured of new life after death, I wouldn't be afraid either. Friend 3: I don't know. It's a pretty big gamble. Friend 1: Hey, every time you get out of bed it's a gamble. (The others laugh.) Friend 3: I suppose you're right. Friend 1: You know what else? Friend 2: What? Friend 1: Well, you know the Empire has declared them to be traitors. Governors, even the Emperor, have demanded that they renounce their faith, but not one of them has. Friend 3: Talk is cheap. Friend 1: No, no. Not even when they are tortured. In fact, last week they arrested a couple of them and told them that if they didn't recant their Lord, they would be put to death. Well, they didn't recant, and they were executed. Friend 2: You're kidding! Friend 1: No. They are really committed to their beliefs. Once you join, well, it changes everything. They are not just "Sunday" followers, but they follow twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Click Here to Order The Best of Lectionary Cycle "A" or Contact Us Excerpt Excerpt from Micah 6:1-8 Israel Divorces God Judge: Before we begin I want to remind you both that you are under oath. In other courtrooms people have become rather lax in telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But in this courtroom, no matter what, you will tell the truth or you will go to jail for perjury, no matter how big or how small the lie. Do I make myself clear? Israel: Yes, your honor. God: Clear as crystal. Judge: Now, if I have it correct, this is a...a kind of...uh...divorce proceeding. Israel wants to divorce himself from God and the covenant made at Sinai. Is that pretty much the size of it? Israel: Yes, your honor. God: (Nodding) It is. Judge: All right. Israel, you are the one who has filed the petition, is that correct? Israel: Yes it is, your honor. God: Your honor, I would like to go on record at this time to say that I have never, since the beginning of time, broken any covenant that I have made. Judge: Israel, do you agree with this statement? Israel: Your honor, are we talking about breaking covenants in the past, present, or future? Judge: Israel, just answer my question. Israel: Well, the tense and/or time frame is very important to my case. Judge: (Bangs the gavel) Yes or no! Israel: I guess I have no knowledge of
God breaking the covenant. I would at this time like to define
the word covenant. Now according to Webster's dictionary and
the definition that my attorney gave Judge: That legal mumbo jumbo may work in other courts, but it does not work here! Israel: But, your honor, the legal definition is very important to my case. Judge: God, are you sure YOU don't want to divorce HIM? I wouldn't blame you one bit. God: Well, I've thought about it. But it just isn't in my nature not to finish something I have started. Israel: YOU started. What do you mean YOU started? WE were the ones who-- God: You can't be serious. What have I done to you? When you were suffering in Egypt, who responded to your cries and freed you? I ransomed you from slave labor and certain death. Israel: Your honor, could you instruct the witness to define "slave labor"? Judge: God, you may continue. God: I gave you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to be your earthly leaders. When you were caught between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea, I saved you. Israel: Would you define the word saved? Judge: (Bangs the gavel.) Israel, you are out of order. God, you may continue. God: I made a covenant with you at Sinai, I supplied food and water for you in the Wilderness. I confounded and defeated every one of your enemies from King Balak to Balaam, from Shittim to Gilgal. I gave you the land which I promised to Abraham. There has not been one moment when you have not known my love and saving justice. Judge: Israel, do you have anything to say to that? Israel: I, uh, I was not prepared for...If I could have a few moments. (Shuffles through his papers.) Ah, that's it. We are suing for divorce because we...uh...because we...are not sure how to respond to such a great God. Judge/God: (At the same time.) WHAT?! Israel: Well, it is most confusing. When I come before God, am I supposed to bow down? Am I to offer my first-born bulls as a burnt offering to God? Would God prefer me to sacrifice a thousand rams? Or maybe God would rather have ten thousand streams of oil. Maybe God expects me to offer my first-born son to him to atone for my sins. God: If anyone is going to offer his first-born son for atonement for your sin, it will be Me! Click Here to Order The Best of Lectionary Cycle "A" or Contact Us
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