Style : Lighthearted. Duration : 9min
Actors : 1F, 1VO
Scripture: Romans 12:1
Characters: Girl and God (offstage voice)
Setting: bare stage except for a big circle marked on the floor with masking tape or rope. A sign beside it reads "Offering."
Girl enters SR, distracted and hurriedly on her way somewhere. She begins crossing to exit SL, but stops for a moment when she notices the "Offering" sign. She shrugs and pulls out 30 Ksh. [loose change of local currency] from her pocket, tosses it in the center, and starts out again.
God’s Voice: (disappointed) Is that it?
Girl: (jumps and spins around, looking for the source of the voice.) What?!
God: Up here.
Girl: (looking around up higher, frowning, then suddenly understanding.) Ooooh.... You mean up there as in waaaay up there. It’s You, huh? Guess it’s been a while since we really talked.
God: Yes, it has. How are you doing these days?
Girl: Uh... surviving. Yourself?
God: Well, I’ve been missing you a lot. (Sad pause. Girl shrugs and looks away.) Anyway, is that it?
Girl: What?
God: What you put in the offering. Is that it?
Girl: Well, I just figured I might as well donate my loose change to a good cause, and that’s what I had floating in my pocket.
God: Sooo... That’s the best you can offer Me?
Girl: (defensive and sarcastic) Well, sorry! Ok, fine, guess I can part with a couple hundred [around $10, or local equivalent]... (digs around in pocket, and then tosses money into the center again.) There! Considering the size of my allowance, that’s pretty generous!
God: Your benevolence is overwhelming.
Girl: I’m sensing a little sarcasm here...
God: Your money is not what I truly desire of you.
Girl: (puzzled) Well, then, what DO You want?
God: (sad sigh) For years people haven’t gotten it.
Girl: Oooh... church, right? Is that what you want? (grudgingly) Mmmm.... well, ok... I’ll try to come to church on Sabbaths.
God: For my sake you would subject yourself to two torturous hours in my presence every week? Wow, I feel so appreciated...
Girl: Oh, come on! Seriously, it’s NOT easy! (exasperated pause) OK, I’ll actually make an attempt to keep the whole Sabbath, not watch movies or any of that other fun stuff. Happy now?
God: I see. So I’m so painfully boring that I should be grateful that you would even condescend to sacrifice one day in seven for me. Spending time with me is agony for you?
Girl: You sure have a way of twisting people’s words around! That isn’t what I said.
God: But it’s what you meant, isn’t it?
Girl: (awkward pause...) Is there still something more that you want?
God: Yes!
Girl: Alright, let’s say I give you 400 Ksh [around $20, or local equivalent] a month, go to church and keep the whole Sabbath, and do five minutes of devotional time every morning. Deal?
God: (sad) Oh, My child, you still don’t get it...
Girl: (frustrated) I guess not...
God: I don’t want your offerings if you give them grudgingly and just on the surface. It needs to go deeper. I’ve been telling people for years that their animal sacrifices and burdening vows are not true worship. I desire obedience and mercy, a broken heart and humility: love worship.
Girl: Could you be a little more specific?
God: Well, there’s a lot of stuff that you’ve refused to give to me. For example, I’ve been trying to send you hints for a long time that we need to work on taming your tongue a little. You’ve really been hurting a lot of people with that deadly thing. A little harmless gossip here and there can be very damaging slander. Give your tongue to Me. Let Me teach it how to bring My joy and glory to this world.
Girl: Hey, whatever happened to freedom of speech?
God: And your social life...
Girl: Oh, no way! Now you’re going to start talking like my mother, trying to tell me who I should and shouldn’t hang out with. You are treading on dangerous ground, I think You should know...
God: And then along with that there’s boys....
Girl: (rolling eyes) Oh, PLEEEASE! Don’t go there!
God: You don’t think you can trust me with that? I am all-knowing and all-loving, you know.
Girl: (grimaces, scratches her head, mutters and coughs) Not to mention all-out-of-date and
all-boring...
God: And all-hearing (girl glances up with fake innocent expression) Oh, and I would be honored if you would surrender your time management and entertainment choices to me. You’ve been spending a lot of time watching TV lately, and some of it is really bad for you. I think I have some better suggestion in those areas...
Girl: Good grief! So basically, You want to take over my whole life?!
God: Ah! Now we’re getting somewhere!
Girl: (angry and incredulous) OK, with all due respect - I mean, You are God - but some people might say You had an awful lot of nerve demanding that of a person!
God: What have I given you?
Girl: Well, there was the time I prayed to get a bicycle for Christmas and actually got one. I suppose You could take credit for that if You like...
God: (hurt) I have given you everything! The very gift of life, every breath you breathe. I have saved you from death more times than you are aware. You have a family and a home and an education, food in your belly and clothes on your back. Every thing of beauty you see, every loving friend in your life, every bird’s song you hear – every good and perfect gift comes from Me!
Girl: Yeah, I suppose. All those things are nice. Thanks. But, still...
God: Wait, I haven’t got to the best part. I ask for your life because I gave mine up in exchange for it. Don’t you remember? Can’t you see? I came down from heaven to live among a lost people who despised me and love them anyway. I came to rescue them from Satan who held them captive, even though they couldn’t see it. I spent thirty-three years pouring every fiber of being into my mission and at the end of it let them take my very life in the most painful agonizing way, even though billions of those I died for would never accept this way out. I did it for you. I love you. I want you to love me back. What I truly desire is your heart.
Girl: OK. I see Your point.
God: I want to be your best friend, but you are letting things come between us. Whatever you don’t sacrifice to me will be used as a weapon to keep you in slavery. I am the Lord your God who brought you to freedom and you shall have no other gods before me. I paid the price for your life, and if you will let me buy it from Satan, I will transform it into a beautiful work of art. I love you just as you are, but I love you too much to leave you that way. You never can pay me back for all I’ve done for you, but You will bring Me the greatest joy by offering your whole self to me, mind, body and spirit, as a living sacrifice.
Girl: Will it hurt?
God: Sometimes, but not as much as it will hurt you to keep holding on to it yourself.
Girl: I don’t know if I can do it, if I can give up ALL of it.
God: Trust me, My child.
Girl: (resigned and at peace) Alright. (steps in and raises arms) I’m Yours.
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© Copyright Sara Saunders, all rights reserved. The script may not be reproduced, translated or copied in any medium, including books, CDs and on the Internet, without written permission of the author.
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