GENRE: Comedy TIME:
CAST BREAKDOWN: 2M, 1F or 2F, 1M
PURPOSE: To emphasize the importance of praise.
THEME: Praise, Worship
SYNOPSIS:
Traci is on her lunch break and is relaxing on a park bench. The silence is suddenly broken by two very loud, enthusiastic rocks praising God. The rocks show her the importance of praising God wherever we are and Traci experiences the joy that comes from true worship.
SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:40
CHURCH YEAR SEASON: Year-round
SUGGESTED USE: Worship, Bible study, youth group
CHARACTERS:
Granite ~ Loud and boisterous, loves to put on his ultra-evangelist voice for greater effect
Crystal ~ A bit quieter and gentler but very emotional and melodramatic
Traci ~ Very no-nonsense, practical person, not prone to overly emotional displays
PROPS: Park bench, lunch bag, magazine
COSTUMES: Two large cardboard cutouts shaped and painted like rocks with holes cut out for faces. Actors can use gray make-up on faces if desired.
SOUND: General
LIGHTING: General
SETTING: Exterior, park
The Stones Cry Out
By Shelli Mosteller
Copyright © 2001 Shelli Mosteller
Scene opens with Traci entering and sitting down on park bench. She takes out a sandwich and a magazine, not even glancing at the two large rocks next to her. After a moment, Granite opens his eyes and looks at Traci for a moment as if waiting for something. He glances at Crystal, back at Traci, then out to the audience. He takes a deep breath and shouts loudly.
Granite: Wow! Would you look at that view?
Traci is startled and jumps. Granite and Crystal close their eyes.
Traci: Who said that?
Traci looks around, sees nothing, and goes back to her sandwich and magazine. Granite and Crystal open their eyes again. They look at Traci, each other, out to the audience and grin before loudly shouting.
Crystal: Absolutely amazing!
Granite & Crystal: Praise God!
Traci throws down sandwich and magazine, jumps up and starts looking around.
Traci:
Granite: Lord, you are amazing—
Crystal: Incredible—
Granite & Crystal: Unbelievable!
Traci: (looking at rocks for the first time) Wait, did you just say something?
Granite: Just praising God.
Granite & Crystal: Hallelujah!
Traci: But you’re a rock!
Granite: (to Crystal) She doesn’t miss much, does she?
Traci: No, I mean—you’re a rock! Rocks don’t talk.
Crystal: Only when we have to. (looking up and gasping loudly) Look at that bird!
Granite & Crystal: Praise God!
Traci: Okay, so this is the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me.
Granite: Why? Don’t you read your Bible?
Traci: Not that it should matter to you, but yes.
Granite: Then you know about the stones.
Traci: What stones? Wait, no, I cannot have this conversation. I am not talking to a couple of rocks. No—
Granite: (sighs and launches into a speech he’s obviously given many times) Once, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, everybody was shouting praises. Some guys told Jesus to make the people be quiet but Jesus said: (grand pause as he puts on his "God" voice, Crystal mouths the words to the verse) "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40
Crystal: (teary and choked up) I just love that verse.
Traci: (rolling eyes) Oh please.
Granite: Don’t you get it?
Traci: No. Please enlighten me. I might as well take advice from a rock since I’ve obviously lost my mind.
Granite: Look, we keep silent as long as you’re praising God. If you stop praising him, we have to do it.
Traci: You’re kidding, right?
Crystal: No. Don’t you remember what it says in Psalms?
Traci: (sarcastically) Let me guess; praise God?
Crystal: Yes, but who’s supposed to praise him?
Traci: (getting very irritated) This is just a wild guess, but I’d say—I don’t know—HUMANS?!
Granite: (buzzer sound) WRONG! The Bible clearly states that all creation should praise his name.
Crystal: That’s right. (Her big moment, as she recites the verse, she gets completely carried away) Psalm 148: "Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and storm, wind and weather—
Traci: (interrupts loudly just to stop her) I get the picture!
Granite: She gets the picture!
Crystal: Hallelujah!
Granite: Amen!
Granite & Crystal: Glory to God!
Traci: (unbelieving) You’ve got to be kidding. Nobody talks like this.
Crystal: (gently) Maybe you should.
Granite: When’s the last time you praised God?
Traci: (defensive) Hey, I praise God plenty, okay? I go to church every Sunday. I sing the songs. We even sing worship choruses—with a guitar!
Crystal: That’s great. But you can praise God anytime. You don’t have to be in church. You don’t even have to sing.
Granite: Praise is about lifting the name of the Lord, giving him honor, worshipping him. It should be as easy as breathing for you.
Crystal: Look around you; his handprints are everywhere. How can you keep silent?
Traci: I don’t know. I mean, I pray, I—
Crystal: Why not try it now?
Traci: What, here?
Crystal: Why not?
Granite: (starting to get loud again) Besides, if you don’t, we’re going to start yelling our heads off again.
Traci: (interrupts) Okay, okay. (looking around) This seems crazy. (pause, takes a breath) Father— (stops and addresses Crystal) I don’t know what to say.
Crystal: (gently) Look around you; there are miracles everywhere.
Traci: (pauses, looks around, thinks, then smiles and realizes) Yeah. Father, I’m sorry. I get so busy sometimes; I forget to notice what you’ve done, who you are. Just looking at what you’ve created reminds me of how amazing you really are. You are a God of such beauty and power. And your mercy, the things you’ve done for me—I can’t understand it. I can’t even-- Holy Spirit, please lift my voice to heaven and say what I can’t. (pauses in silent prayer, then looks at Crystal and Granite whose eyes are closed again) You were right! I didn’t know praise could be like that. Hey, are you still there? (sees that eyes are closed and realizes) Oh. No, I guess you wouldn’t be. Well, if you can hear me, thanks. I hope you stay quiet for a long time. No offense. (exits)
Granite & Crystal: (open eyes) None taken.