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The Most Shockingly Significant Week in History

Posted on by Patricia Souder

Holy Week     Commonly known as Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter offers us an opportunity to reflect on the unbelievable twists and turns that changed the “Hosannas!” of Palm Sunday into cries of “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” in less than a week.

How could public opinion reverse so rapidly? Who was behind it? Why? Could it have been stopped?

Twenty centuries later, the questions remain. The story still shocks us. Or, at least it should.

But what if you had been there? What if you had been with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night he was arrested? What if you had witnessed the treachery and illegal collusion that condemned him to death? What if you had watched as he was nailed to the cross?

What would you have felt? What would you have done?

The questions stretch through the centuries, not only because of the shocking insanity of condemning an innocent man to death, but also because of the divine significance being played out behind the events.

Romans 5:8, 9 shows us God’s ultimate purpose in allowing Jesus to be crucified for us: “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment” NLT.

That, too, is shocking, but in a marvelous, life-transforming way. AlphaStarDrama offers monologues and two-voice dramas that bring Bible characters to life. Use our Free For Easter special to choose a script to minister to your church, small group, or youth group. It could have eternal results!

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!