Christianity 500m

By Dave Marsh
Contributor
March 12, 2024

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A drama about judging other and the simple walk

Director's Notes:
This drama has an Olympics theme and focuses on how we can't judge others by what we perceive with our own eyes. This includes people we know (a person at church for example) or ones we don't but have "heard" about (like Amy Grant.) We are only accountable to God for our own walk with Him, not others' walks. Living the Christian life and being knocked down and judged by the world is hard enough, let alone when that abuse comes from within the church.

This drama also touches on the fact that the walk with the Lord is supposed to be simple. Certainly Enoch (from Genesis 5) had a simple walk with God and look what happened with him! It is easy for us as Christians to get bogged down with so much stuff that either doesn't matter or that a certain church or denomination says we are supposed to do.

If we obey the Great Commandment, we should love God with all of our hearts and do the things that make Him happy and avoid things that make Him sad (as well as love others as much as ourselves.) Simple, right? Yeah, but tough in practice...

Cast:
Amanda: A typical teenager
Jim: An announcer (off stage)
Tammy Jo: An Announcer (off stage)

Props:
CD's
Table
Homework
Backpack
2 songs
Olympic theme
Couch/Chair

Setting:
The family room

(LIGHTS UP CENTER STAGE where Amanda comes home from school and is in the family room. Play Olympic theme.)

Jim: Welcome back to the 2004 Olympic games – live coverage from Greece. Jim Castel here with Tammy Jo Robbins. Wow, these have been some games huh, Tammy Jo?

Tammy: Absolutely, Jim. Americans have been dominating the gold medal hunt to this point. It reminds me of my days as a gymnast in Atlanta.

Jim: Yes it does, Tammy Jo. And today, we’re moving from the mats of Olympic stadium to the home of Amanda Daughtry and the preliminaries of the Christian 500 meters. Describe this sport for us, Tammy.

Tammy: Well Jim, this sport was added by the F.I.G. back at the Los Angeles games. Knowing that Christianity is a long distance race, this competition focuses past the so-called “simple lifestyle” of a believer but rather on all the thousands of small details a Christian must adhere to if they are to maintain and grow their walk with Christ. These include obscure references to Israel in the Old Testament, New Testament obedience, as well as current Christian fads.

Jim: Excellent summation Tammy. It should be noted that Amanda was once considered the fore-runner for the Americans in this long-distance run but I talked with her team mates earlier and they said that she hasn’t been quite up to form as of late.

Tammy: But, she is doing well enough to qualify for these semis. So, let’s listen in and see how she’s doing.

Amanda sits down and pulls out her homework. She looks at it and says that she hates math and will do it later.

Tammy: Ooooh. Too bad there, Jim.

Jim: Right you are, Tammy Jo. She’s gonna see some deductions for actually “hating” something as we know that Christians are supposed to love everything right?

Tammy: Exactly, Jim. She also is going to lose at least 2/10ths of a point by procrastinating. We all know that God hates people who procrastinate. I mean, did you ever see Jesus procrastinate?

Jim: Nosiree. Back to the action and Amanda’s next routine…

Amanda walks over to a chair and starts looking through some CDs…

Jim: Ah, here we go, she’s looking through a number of CD’s. For this competition, which do you think she will choose, Tammy Jo?

Tammy: Traditionally, the athletes have been going with some of the big praise bands or crowd-favorites Michael W. Smith or Steven Curtis Chapman. In the Sydney games, former Gold Medalist Stacy Tucker lost in the semis when she chose a new Amy Grant album.

Jim: Wow. Huge mistake there cause we all know that cross-over artists like Amy Grant have certainly stumbled down the path to eternal destruction.

Tammy: Right you are, Jim. Let’s see who Amanda chooses…

Amanda chooses a Stryper CD and puts it in a CD player (play a Stryper song).

Tammy: Not good, Jim. Amanda has chosen the 80’s Christian hairband Stryper.

Jim: Unbelievable, Tammy Jo. Just listening to heavy metal as a Christian is going to cost her a deduction, regardless of the content.

Tammy: Okay, she still gets another pass at this routine so let’s see if she chooses something else. Remember, Jim, the lowest score is thrown out.

Amanda puts “Dream On” by Aerosmith on. Fade out after a while.

Jim: Oh, what a mistake. This is gonna cost her the Gold.

Tammy: Secular music? Forget the Gold, Jim, I don’t think she’s even gonna medal.

Jim: Unbelievable. Okay, she’s still has one more routine in these semis.

Tammy: That’s right, Jim. Let’s see what kind of quiet times she has.

Amanda goes to grab her Bible.

Jim: It is a good-sized Bible, Tammy Jo.

Tammy: Good observation, Jim. In fact, it’s a Women of Faith bible so the Judges should look favorably upon that.

Jim: Looks like she’s in the Psalms.

Tammy: A risky move for such a young girl but one that might pay off…..(pause) oh, no, she’s closed the Bible and is getting ready to pray. What a huge mistake!

Jim: Absolutely, Tammy Jo. There are gonna be some major reductions for that as she exited that routine way too early.

Tammy: Yep and while she appears to be in communication with the Lord, it’s really too late. She lost way too many points before this and I doubt the judges are going to score her high enough to go into the medal round…

Jim: And the judges have just scored her… 8.95 and the crowd doesn’t like it.

(put slide up on the screen)

Tammy: It’s a good score Jim considering what a terrible performance she is having in this event.

Jim: So with that dismal performance, Amanda Daughtry has found herself in 8th place and out of the medal contention.

At this, Amanda stops praying and looks up at a list that is on the screen. The list looks like this.

1. Billy Graham 9.97

2. Jim Duncan 9.85

3. Max Lucado 9.74

4. Stacy Sanchez 9.71

5. Thomas Kincade 9.63

6. Father James Kirkpatrick 9.25

7. Alice Cooper 9.05

8. Amanda Daughtry 8.95

Amanda: Alice Cooper? I’m ranked lower than Alice Cooper?? (sits back in couch in disgrace)

Jim: Looks like she’s getting angry there, Tammy Jo.

Tammy: And perhaps a bit envious, Jim. That’s going to cost her an additional ½ point. Too bad she doesn’t know how to play by the rules.

Jim: Oh well, that’s it from us here in Athens. We’re gonna send you to our live coverage of the Proper Church Attire 100. That’s all from now.

Play Olympic theme again.

Lights out slow.

END

© 2004 Dave Marsh



















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