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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!

The Greatest Drama Ever Lived

Posted on by Patricia Souder

Drama. It entertains and energizes, informs and inspires, challenges and changes us.

So how do we feel about drama in real life? Do we welcome it or run from it?

Shakespeare wrote:

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players . . .” (As You Like It, Jacques, Act II, Scene VII).

Shakespeare plunks us all on the stage of life. No choice. Just seven stages of life that begin and end with dependency. Although artistic, his depiction leaves us with a sense of futility.

To be sure, life hands us many surprises. But is this all there is to life? Or is there a meta-drama that transcends and orchestrates the drama of life in which we’re involved? And if there’s a meta-drama, who’s writing the script and directing the production?

Think creation. Insubordination. Incarnation. Crucifixion. Resurrection. Redemption. Eternity.

Then think God.

Who but God would not only craft a master script but also direct, produce, and play the lead role in the incredible drama of redemption?

Drama is often used to portray the events leading up to Easter. And no wonder: The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is filled with drama. Characters with diverse motives and agendas enter and exit, spinning plot reversals that nail Jesus, an innocent man, to the cross. All seems lost.

To be sure, all would be lost except for the meta-drama of redemption that’s going on behind the scenes. It’s the greatest drama ever lived! And it’s the marvelous meta-drama that’s so needed in our world today.

Christ-centered drama can be a vital tool for outreach or discipleship in your church during the Lenten and Easter season. Check out our special offers at www.AlphaStarDrama.com.

It All Started in Eden . . .

Posted on by Patricia Souder

It’s a new year! Think new. Think creative. Think drama! It works for so much more than traditional drama productions, wonderful as they are.

Are you planning a Marriage Conference? A Couples’ Getaway? A Premarital Seminar? A Sweetheart Banquet? A Valentine’s Day Outreach?

Would you like to make it memorable and meaningful?

“It All Started in Eden,” is a brand new narrated collage of five tightly-scripted drama sketches that  offer a revealing look at how we relate to each other by allowing us to revisit the original creation through the eyes of Adam and Eve.

The first sketch, “Designed for One Another,” gives us a wonder-filled glance at what God intended when He made man and woman.  “Just One Bite,” the second sketch, highlights the alluring appeal of temptation. “Not Me, Lord” and “I Don’t Have Anything to Wear” use humor to underscore our tendency to engage in the blame game and instant cover-ups. The final sketch, “Bring Back the Music,” captures our deep longing for what could have been even as it points to our ultimate redemption.

The entire collage requires only two narrators and three actors. It can be produced as a twenty-minute drama production or a staged reading with minimal rehearsal time and props. Each drama sketch can also be used individually to stimulate discussion. And remember: When it comes to beginnings, you can’t beat Genesis!

Take a few minutes to read through the free preview. See if you can find a creative way to use it at your church or school. Then drop us a note on our Contact Page to tell us how you used it. We’d love to know!

Christmas: God’s Great Drama. Surprising or Scandalous?

Posted on by Janelle

Scandalous! Is that a word you associate with Christmas?

I’m reading a series of Advent devotionals this year that uses the word repeatedly. To be sure, it catches my attention. That the Creator of the universe willingly chose to clothe Himself in helpless infant flesh shocks me. That He chose a young woman with no special pedigree, an honest but humble carpenter, and shepherds who were regarded as the lowest of the low to be the main characters in this greatest of all dramas stuns me.

But scandalous? The 136 synonyms in my thesaurus all have negative connotations. Would God ever do anything that is disgraceful, shameful, or dishonorable? Of course not. But would His methods be so unorthodox that people in power might view them as scandalous? Quite possibly.

Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the townspeople, Herod, the Magi . . . who among them really understood what was happening?

God surprised them. He continues to surprise us. Drama sketches of Bible characters allow us to see the situation from their viewpoint. As we do, we discover truths that transcend the centuries. We also find  we’re faced with the same dilemma they faced: Will we trust the God who orchestrated this great drama of redemption, or will we judge Him as scandalous? Which is, if you think about it, quite scandalous!