Creative Arts
Worship resources on the themes of justice, peace, and care for creation

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Justice and Peace

• Blessed are the...  Blessed are the.... is reading based on the beatitude "Blessed are the meek," raising questions about the Beatitudes in general, and especially this one, which claims that the meek will inherit the earth

• Missing Jesus  A conversation between a pastor and a church custodian about where we find Jesus in our world, based on Matthew 25:31.

• Good Sam  A group of younger youth are challenged to tell what they would do if confronted by the same situation as was the Good Samaritan. It's a life-or-death choice...with a twist.

• A Woman's Place   A reading of persistence in the face of opposition, based on the story of the widow and the judge from Luke 18, but also on the lives of real women around the world.

• Anna and the General    An airport encounter between "sister Anna" Mow - Church of the Brethren teacher, writer, speaker - and General Lewis Hershey, director of the Selective Service System.

• Wanted: Prophet to the Nations A skit for two readers on the call of Jeremiah in which the least qualified applicant is the most desired candidate for the position of "prophet to the nations."

• I Was Hungry Today compares a day in the life and the role of food for two young people--one rich, one poor.

• Long-term Investment A skit of hope and humor based on Jeremiah's purchase of property in soon-to-be-overrun Jerusalem. Reference: Jeremiah, chapter 32.

• Homeland Security Two counter-terrorism agents discuss the threat posed by the Jesus-movement. Based on Acts 17:1-6, where the early church is said to have "turned the world upside down" by saying there is another king besides Caesar.

• Rebel with a Cause A reading on Jesus' healing of the man on the Sabbath - and the pharisees' and the people's response. For four readers.

• The Client A reflection on the story of the rich man and Lazarus for three readers.

• The Predicament This drama highlights the problem and complexity of child exploitation in the world by comparing the experiences of two young women and whose lives intersect in a moment of decision. The drama calls for nine actors, some or all of whom can be youth.

• Time to Take Off Energetic litany based on Isaiah 40:28-41 dealing with issues of worldly and spiritual power.

• One Man's Witness The story of Ted Studebaker, a young man who went to Vietnam during the war, but as a conscientious objector--and was killed while there.

• Listening to the Word of God Jesus' teaching of loving our enemies, but with an injection of modern-day reality.

• Thirsty is a reading on appreciating--or not appreciating--clean water, contrasting the attitudes of a person from the poorer world and the richer world.

• Y'all are the light of the world  builds on the original language which uses the plural version of "you" in this teaching of Jesus. 

 

Care for Creation

• The Five R's makes people think twice before tossing that recyclable item into the trash or reaching for a paper towel. 

• In Check List, one person reads the Genesis creation account while another person uses a check list to gauge how other species are faring in the Age of Humans

• In The Talk, a young person tells it like it is to her parents about their generation's role in making such a mess of the planet--and how she can help them learn a better way.

• When Mother Calls is a longer skit (20 minutes) portraying a trial in which earth's creatures testify about human impacts (represented by leaf-blower-toting Ralph) on the environment

• Now showing...! "Francis" is a 30-minute one-man show on the life of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of God's creation. The performance traces Francis' life from wealthy young merrymaker to his transformation into "God's troubadour"--complete with a renunciation of materialism and a deep love for all living things.

• Wade in the Water, a 20-minute worship resource calling for stewardship of water, one of God's most precious gifts

• Eco-Suite by NCP friend Ingrid Rogers features a group of young activists planning for an upcoming action, with a focus on climate change. For 6-10 performers; individual scenes can stand alone. Here's a shorter version. And here's a Discussion Guide. Contact Ingrid for an original song that accompanies the play (ingridnrogers@gmail.com). 

 

Seasonal/General

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• The Sower is an interactive retelling of this parable of Jesus that invites those sowing seeds not to lose hope—some seeds do eventually take root and grow—even multiply!

• Couldn't keep a dead man dead The Easter morning story retold years later by two of the women who were there

• A Christmas Eve service provides a serious yet at-times humorous look at events of the first Christmas night

• Mary Calls Home - Advent On arriving to visit Elizabeth, Mary calls home to reflect on recent events

• Mary Calls Home - Christmas The mother of Jesus calls home from Bethlehem to share the news of his birth with her mom

• Seeing is Believing is an Easter morning reading showing both the initial despair but dawning hope of the events around Easter weekend

• No Room at the (Comfort) Inn tells the story of the rich young ruler from the disciples' perspective

• Free as a bird...? invites a person enthralled with taking their "freedom in Christ" and running with it to consider whether sometimes our supposed "freedom" is really just another form of enslavement--to things, popular culture, etc. Concluding responsive reading included.

• We Two Kings A Christmas skit for two readers in which the wise men reflect on their visit with Jesus and their encounter with King Herod. Typical Christmas play attire (or at least a robe or a crown) suggested as dress for actors.

• Birth Announcement A Dr. Seuss-style Christmas Reading for Three Readers