MONOLOGUES that Minister By Venus Bardanouve Performance Rights To copy this text is an infringement of the federal copyright law as is to perform this play without royalty payment. All rights are controlled by Eldridge Publishing Co., Inc. Call the publisher for further scripts and licensing information. On all programs and advertising the author s name must appear as well as this notice: Produced by special arrangement with Eldridge Publishing Co. PUBLISHED BY ELDRIDGE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1994 by Eldridge Publishing Company Download your complete script from Eldridge Publishing http://www.95church.com/playdetails.asp?pid=1174
2 Dedication To my friend, Janey Norheim. A monologue about her would be called The Encourager. The Playwright, Venus Bardanouve Here s a resource book you won t want to be without. As the title suggests, these 20 monologues are intended to minister to the needs of people today in a dramatic context. Built around a Biblical character, incident, or parable, seven of the monologues cover specific holidays while the rest can be used any time. Each one arouses thoughts and feelings that will either minister to the listener or cause that person to be more sensitive to other peoples problems and be Christ s hand extended to them. While quite effective with sermons, the monologues are so easy to produce that they work well in other settings, too. Use them to minister, entertain, and inspire! CONTENTS I. MONOLOGUES FOR HOLIDAYS 1. Where Are the Nine? To remind us to have thankful hearts. Ideal for Thanksgiving. 2. The Oldest Shepherd For the Christmas season. 3. The Six Marys of the New Testament Six separate monologues to emphasize different types of women. (Requires six women) Perfect for Mother s Day, could be used anytime. 4. The Man Who Owned the Donkey For Palm Sunday. 5. The Centurion After the Cross For the Easter season. 6. Simeon Meets the Messiah For the Christmas season. 7. Timothy Remembers For Father s Day, Mother s Day or anytime to make us aware of the needs of the fatherless, and to emphasize godly training of children. II. EVERYDAY MONOLOGUES 8. A Child Like This To remind us how Jesus viewed all children, especially the poor. 9. A Prodigal s Father To make us aware of the hurt in prodigals parents. 10. Nicodemus, The Silent Christian To remind us to be bold in our commitment to Jesus. ELDRIDGE PLAYS 1-800-95-CHURCH www.95church.com
3 11. Agrippa, Who Almost Believed To appeal to the non-committed. 12. Abigail, Whose Marriage Was Difficult To remind us of those in difficult marriages. 13. Shiphrah, God s Important Woman To remind us that we may unknowingly be an important part of God s plans. 14. Noah s Wife Looks Back To relate to our sometimes bewildered reactions to God s plans. 15. Samuel Sorrows Over His Sons To emphasize that we make our own adult choices. 16. The Man Healed of Blindness To emphasize that there is no set pattern in the way Jesus heals. 17. Lydia, A Business Woman To remind us God loves us equally and to suggest priorities in our lives. 18. Paul and the Potter To remind us we are all important in God s work although we may not always be aware of it. 19. Naomi Finds God s Sunshine To remind us God does not forget his own and comforts the sorrowing. 20. Miriam Faces Her Inner Self To help us look within ourselves and admit our weaknesses. Licensed for copies and performance to original purchaser only.
4 WHERE ARE THE NINE? (A monologue based on Luke 17:11-19, suggested for the Thanksgiving season, although appropriate anytime.) Character: Jotham, one of the ten lepers Jesus healed. Costuming: Simple biblical. Setting: No special requirements. MONOLOGUE (AT RISE: JOTHAM enters, looking at hands and arms, rubbing them and talking to self, face rapt with wonder.) It s been a week since I met Jesus, and I still can scarcely believe that I m healed! (Looks up.) God, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for your goodness to me! (Pauses reflectively.) But, I keep remembering Jesus question, Where are the nine? (Regretfully.) My friends never did return to thank Him. (Pauses.) I guess they were too excited about the wonder of their healings. And yet (Pauses, examining arms and hands and touching face.) all those ugly, old, white scabs are gone. All those hateful sores are healed! And I can t believe it - even my fingers and toes that were all deformed are straight! And, thank God, the missing ones have grown back! (Notices audience and speaks to them.) Look at my hands and face! (Touches face and holds out hands.) I had been a leper for seven long years! I had to leave my family and live with others who had leprosy, too. We lived in caves outside the city gates. We begged for food, but often we were hungry. And the caves were cold at nights. But above all, we were lonely without our families. (Shutters.) And the awful hopeless disease! (Looks up.) God, I thank you for Jesus. He didn t even care that I am a Samaritan. Other Jews hate us but not Jesus. My heart is overflowing with gratitude! I am thankful to You and thankful to Him. (To audience.) You know, there were ten of us lepers who lived together in a big cave on the border between Samaria and Galilee. One day Josiah, one of my companions, came in limping as fast as he could. He was very excited, waving his crutch and calling out. Jotham - (Points at SELF.) that s me, Azur, Jacob - all of you, come quickly. That man Jesus we ve heard about is going toward the village. People say He can heal. Maybe He CAN. All of us hurried to leave the cave. We had to help - almost carry - some of our crippled friends, but we all managed to move toward the village. We didn t dare go too near the people, but when we saw the crowd, we began to call out, Jesus, Jesus, Master, have pity on us! He turned and saw us over the crowds and said, Go, show yourselves to the priests, and then He went on His way. Azur began to cry. The priests! All they ll tell us is that we are lepers! They ll tell us to get out and go back to our cave. (Wailing in ELDRIDGE PLAYS 1-800-95-CHURCH www.95church.com
5 despair.) Oh, He didn t hear us! Then I remembered the old story I had heard in the synagogue about Naaman, the Syrian captain who had leprosy. He came to Elisha hoping to be healed, and Elisha told him to go dip in the river seven times. He was hopeless, too, but when he obeyed, he was healed. I cried to my friends, Let s do what Jesus said! And as I quickly started toward the town, the others straggled behind me. It s almost unbelievable! But as we limped along, our sores began to rapidly heal. (Looking at hands.) The white spots began to disappear, fingers straightened and GREW BACK ON! We all began to be healed! My friends hurried to show themselves to the priests, throwing away crutches and canes as they ran. (Remembering.) I just stood there amazed. Then I looked back, and Jesus was looking at me. I was overwhelmed with thankfulness! I ran to Him and threw myself at His feet - and thanked Him - and thanked Him - and thanked Him! I thought my heart would burst with gratitude. He touched me and blessed me. Then His eyes looked sad and He said, Where are the nine? All my companions were running toward town. Not one looked back to call thanks to the Master! (Pause.) As my family and I walked down the streets of the city yesterday, I saw Azur and Jacob. They are completely healed. I told them what Jesus asked, and they both agreed that they would have to find Him one of these days and thank Him - maybe take Him a gift. (Looks up.) Lord, I can still see Jesus face as He asked, Where are the nine? Lord, I don t know about my friends, but help me to always have a thankful heart. Yes, for my physical healing, but most of all for the deep healing of my soul and heart. You have healed my body, soul, and spirit, and my heart overflows with gratitude and love. I will spend the rest of my life serving you. (Exits, hands lifted, saying softly.) Thank you, Jesus, Thank you, Lord. The End Licensed for copies and performance to original purchaser only.
6 THE OLDEST SHEPHERD (For the Christmas season. Based on Luke 2:8-20; Isaiah 55:8.) Character: Amos, an old shepherd. Costuming: Biblical. Also Amos carries a shepherd s crook. Setting: Nothing special required. Stage Directions: Amos moves and speaks slowly, often leaning on his crook. MONOLOGUE (AT RISE: AMOS enters slowly, shaking head sadly, talking to self.) I thought Sarah would understand. I knew many would not, but I surely thought my wife would. She just said, You really are getting to be a silly old man, Amos. Maybe you are too old to be out with the sheep. (Sees audience and speaks to them.) I wonder if you will believe me? (Sighs.) I suppose some will and some won t - just like all the others. (Pause.) Anyway, I ll tell you what happened. (Speaks vigorously, face glowing as HE remembers.) It was the most wonderful night of my life! It was a night of all nights! And to think that I, old Amos, was one if those to have such an experience! This is the way it was. My two old friends, Jonathan and Isaac, and my young grandson, Ezra, and I were out in the fields with the sheep that night. It was cold, and we were all huddled into our cloaks talking quietly, when young Ezra jumped up shouting, Look, look! An angel! And sure enough, there was a glorious angel! And the sky was all bright! Ezra was frightened and ran to me, throwing his arms around my waist, saying, Grandfather, grandfather, what is happening? (Aside.) I didn t know myself what it all meant, and I was terrified, too. Then the angel said to us - (Emphatically.) his exact words are blazoned on my mind - Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly there were many, many angels in the sky! Shining and bright! And there was music like I never heard! At first we were all frightened, but then a deep peace came over me - AND I KNEW! I knew that the day I had prayed for every day of my life had come! Had not the prophet Micah said that the Messiah would come out of Bethlehem! I said to my startled companions, Let s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. As we hurried to the village, leaving the dogs with the sheep, I kept thinking. A baby! In a manger! Seems a strange place for a King! But I remembered what I had heard read last Sabbath in the synagogue. It was from the scroll of Isaiah: (Quoting carefully.) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, ELDRIDGE PLAYS 1-800-95-CHURCH www.95church.com
7 declares the Lord. You know, I am an old man, and through all these years I have found out that surely God s ways ARE not mine - but they are surely much better than my ways. As we stood in that stable and looked at the newborn baby the angels told us about, we three old shepherds knew that God had answered our prayers. Not like we expected, but in His own ways. His own ways, praise His name! Next day, I hurried to the rabbi to tell him about the wondrous event. (Pause.) I could not believe that he laughed at me, and told me I was having hallucinations. He said, Perhaps you are drinking too much old wine, Amos. If God were going to send angels to announce the Messiah, He would have sent them to me, the rabbi, not to you old shepherds. This is a ridiculous story! A baby! In a dirty stable! Go home, Amos, and rest. And leave the old wine alone! But at home was Sarah, and she could not believe either. And young Ezra! He was shaken by the rabbi s scorn and his grandmother s disbelief. He kept asking me, Grandfather, we did see angels, didn t we? And I answered him over and over, Yes, Ezra, my grandson, we DID see angels. Then he asked, Grandfather, IT IS REALLY TRUE, ISN T IT? The Messiah has really come, hasn t He? Even if the Rabbi and Grandmother and all the rest don t believe us, it is really true, isn t it? (With great gravity and conviction.) And I told him - and myself, (Pointing to SELF.) YES, IT IS REALLY TRUE! (Pointedly, to audience.) And I tell you. It is true! It is surely true! The Son of God HAS come to earth! (Exits, murmuring to HIMSELF.) Yes, it is true. It is surely true. Praise God! The End Licensed for copies and performance to original purchaser only.
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