Author: Patricia Souder

Higher Stakes Than The Olympics

Posted on by Patricia Souder
Pilate's Wife
Pilate’s wife agonizes over the charges against Jesus.

Stakes soared at the Olympics. Topnotch skaters, skiers, snowboarders, bobsledders, and hockey players from around the world risked everything to win Olympic gold. Some exalted in stellar performances. Others were crushed by an unexpected fall, a missed landing, or being a nanosecond behind. Once-in-a-lifetime experiences imprint themselves deeply in our memories.

Lent invites us to look back to a time when the stakes loomed far higher than those at the Olympics. The crowds finally realized who Jesus was and shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Less than one week later, they reversed themselves and cried, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

We know the end of the story, so it’s easy to ask how they could be so fickle. But is that fair if we don’t make an effort to slip into their skins and experience the pressures and presuppositions as they did?

I’ve been humbled and enriched as I’ve spent time with Martha, Lazarus, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Peter, Pilate, Pilate’s wife, and Barabbas. Somehow, as I struggle with what they might have felt, I get a clearer picture of how incredible Jesus really was. And is. For them. For me. For you. For everyone.

Peter, so quick to speak up or act out, says, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:23-25 NIV).

I’m inviting you to bring some of the key Bible characters to life this year through monologues or drama sketches for your small group or your congregation so that people engage in getting to know Jesus Christ, the One who  revolutionizes our lives. Then. Now. For eternity. Do you know of any higher stakes?

Missing What’s Most Important?

Posted on by Patricia Souder
Performance of "Missing the Messiah"
Performance of “Missing the Messiah”

It’s a new year. Christmas is over, and many people have packed Christmas in storage boxes for next year.

Not us, however. My husband likes to keep our tree up as long as possible. “January needs something to brighten it up,” he says, and who can argue with that? Or wants to?

We live in a hustle, bustle world where we rush from one season to another, from one activity to another, from one crisis to another.

But what if we’re missing what’s most important in life?

I recently reread the script for “Missing the Messiah” because a friend mentioned they had done it at her church on Christmas Eve. It made me ask myself a few questions:

  • Am I missing life’s important moments?
  • A breath-stopping sunrise?
  • A child’s need for affirmation?
  • An underlying plea for help masked by “Fine” because that friend thinks I’m too busy to listen?
  • Or worse yet: The Messiah Himself because I’m rushing to get my to-do lists done?

Oh yes, we’ll soon have to take down our tree and stash our decorations on shelves, but before we do, I want to make sure I don’t miss the Messiah by spending some quality time worshiping and adoring the One who came to redeem us.

Lord, You are the Joy-giver who makes life worthwhile. In this new year, help me treasure my time with You. Let me sense Your gentle nudges and notice Your tender fingerprints so I come to know and love You with all the ardor You’ve put within me.

Gratefully yours forever—

Amen.

 

CHRISTMAS EUCHARISTEO

Posted on by Patricia Souder

Eucharisteo? Does that sound like Greek to you? Well, no wonder. It is Greek! And it’s my favorite new word for the year, first encountered in Ann Voscamp’s One Thousand Gifts, an engaging and energetic invitation to find joy by embracing everyday life with gratitude for God’s gifts of grace.

I’m fascinated by the beauty of the word as well as its meaning. Eucharisteo is used 37 times in the New Testament and is translated “thank” or “giving thanks” in English. That alone makes it appropriate to connect with Christmas in a year when Thanksgiving and Christmas nearly bump into each other.

But eucharisteo encompasses so much more. It grows out of the root word, charis, which means grace, and leads to chara, a spinoff from charis which means joy. Gratitude, grace and joy? What rich gifts!

I adopted Ann’s challenge to watch for and write down God’s simple gifts of grace. I’m up to 727 journal entries of simple blessings like morning dewdrops, Nathaniel’s two-year-old sparkle, and a serendipitous rendezvous with a friend whose photography-loving niece moved to town just when I was looking for a photographer for my parents’ 70th anniversary party. What priceless gifts that require neither ribbons nor dusting!

Our increasingly materialist society, however, substitutes consumer spending as the bottom line by which to measure the success of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Work and family demands in our fast-paced, instant internet world also rush and stress us, leaving us devoid of eucharisteo.

Those who lived in Bethlehem two thousand years ago had none of the modern conveniences that both simplify and complicate our lives. We may think that eucharisteo was easier for them, but they also faced frustrations and complications. Especially during the census that required them to return to the town of their birth. No airplanes. No trains. No cars. No way to call ahead for reservations. No room for Mary and Joseph after their long journey even though Mary was about to give birth to the Son of God.

It’s easy to look back at that incredible night and Tsk! Tsk! the people who failed to recognize the miracle taking place in their midst. But what if we had been there? Would we have realized what was happening?

1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that the events in Scripture serve as examples to help us live wisely. AlphaStar Drama offers drama sketches that invite you to get to know the characters of Christmas. To slip into their skins and see life as they did. To experience their fears and perplexities and to wake up to the ways God worked in their lives and wants to work in ours.

Awareness. Fresh insights. A new alertness to God. Are they not steps toward experiencing eucharisteo?

Enjoy the scripts. Share them with others. And let me know if they add eucharisteo–gratitude, grace, and joy– to your Christmas celebration. That would be an eucharisteo entry for me!

Make a Difference

Posted on by Patricia Souder

It’s time to make a difference in your school, church, and community! ALPHASTAR DRAMA wants to help you do that with a “MAKE A DIFFERENCE SPECIAL” through Labor Day that offers

  • All individual sketches for only $.99 each (Use code: SKETCH99)
  • It All Started in Eden, a 20-minute collection of drama sketches from Genesis, for only $5.00 (Use code: EDEN5)

AlphaStar Drama offers short drama sketches based on Bible characters that feature word-play and humor designed to open hearts and minds to consider God’s perspective on marriage, family, justice, compassion, integrity, and truth. Short and pithy, the sketches are effective and easy to do whether acted out or read dramatically.

Here are a few possibilities guaranteed to generate discussion and make your programs memorable this year:

  • It All Started in Eden: A memorable, easy-to-do 20-minute collection of drama sketches from Genesis that promote discussion about relationships with God and each other. Especially good for Marriage Enrichment weekends or to kick off a series of studies in a small group.
  • What’s Wrong with Vegetables? A humorous sketch that challenges us to examine how attitudes affect our worship and service for God.
  • We’re Gonna Miss That Boat! A fun-filled sketch where Noah’s hillbilly neighbors ridicule Noah and his “ark boat” until the rain begins. The dramatic climax reminds us to get on board while there’s still time.
  • Weak Like Other Men: A sketch that exposes how easily a strong man like Samson can fall when enticed by temptation. A graphic reminder of our constant need of God’s strength to do what’s right.

There are many more sketches available, including wonderful pieces for Advent and Christmas. Remember: Individual sketches are only 99 cents and It All Happened In Eden is marked down to $5.00 from now through Labor Day.

Don’t miss this great opportunity!

THEY DIDN’T KNOW EASTER WAS COMING!

Posted on by Patricia Souder

It’s been a busy month of writing and recording new drama sketches for the period leading up to Easter. But what a privilege to spend time researching and imagining what it was like for those who lived through it!

What I’ve discovered as I’ve focused on writing drama sketches about those who peopled the stories is that it’s easy to read the story and self-righteously ask:

  • How could Jesus’ disciples and friends have missed Jesus’ warnings that he was headed the cross?
  • How could the crowds shout “Hosanna!” on Sunday and “Crucify Him!” on Friday?
  • How could the religious leaders connive to crucify the Messiah whom they should have welcomed?
  • How could Pilate condemn a man he called innocent?

Oh, it’s easy to see their faults. But incredibly, when I go back to the first century and put myself in their place, I begin to understand why they did what they did. After all, they didn’t know that Easter was coming!

If I’m honest, I have to admit that, like Martha, I’m often puzzled about why God does what He does. Like Pilate, I sometimes cave under pressure and justify myself for doing it. Or, like Mary Magdalene, I find myself failing to recognize the risen Lord even when he’s right beside me.

I hope you’ll not only listen to the free audio link for “Father, Forgive Them,” but that you’ll also read through the other scripts as if you were the person living through the various events. I think you’ll be richer for it. I know I am!

And, of course, if you have the opportunity, turn them into live drama for your church or small group. It could make an eternal difference!