A Thanksgiving Question: How thankful would you be?
BY: Stan Pencak
Scripture:
“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders
and four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and
worshiped God saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. “
Revelation 7: 11
Theme:
The Thanksgiving holiday gives us a time to reflect about how we have been
blessed and how we bless God. It also gives a chance to reflect upon how we
would feel and react.
Scene:
A talk show stage like those on television.
LIGHTS UP ON STAGE AS THE SCENE OPENS WHICH SHOW AN EMPTY STAGE WITH
SEATS FOR THE HOST AND THE GUESTS.
Announcer: “Ladies and Gentleman, we welcome you to one of our most exciting shows today as we investigate how thankful we are in this holiday season. Now, please join me in welcoming our distinguished host, Dr. Pill.”
(SOUNDS
OF APPLAUSE AS DR. PILL WALKS ON TO THE STAGE. APPLAUSE GETS LOUDER AS HE
PREPARES TO SPEAK.)
Pill:
“Thank you ladies and gentleman. Thank you. You are too kind!”
APPLAUSE
GETS LOUDER & LOUDER.
Pill: “WOW!....Thanks again....Please, please, enough!”
APPLAUSE
SLOWLY DIES DOWN!
Pill:
“It is amazing what you folks have just done. You have unknowingly
introduced today’s critical subject. With the holiday upon us today’s
question is: Are we thankful? Are we truly thankful? Now, to discuss this
subject, we have a special couple who wish to review their situation. Let me
introduce to you the soon-to-be married: Joseph & Mary Givings. Let’s
give a round of applause and thanks to the Givings for joining us this
The
Givings enter on stage to applause.
Pill: “Joe and Mare, we welcome you to Dr. Pill. Joe, let’s start with you. Describe your life.”
Joe: “Mare and I have known each other since we were kids. We grew up together. We went to school together. We have been sweethearts for a long time. We graduated together and I went into construction and she became a nurse.”
Pill: “And are you thankful for your life?.”
Joe: “I don’t have any complaints. I guess it is OK.”
Pill: “How about you, Mare?”
Mare:
“Our life has been good. We come from good families. Joe will soon own
his own business and people always need nurses. “
Pill: “Is marriage in your future?”
Mare: “Joe has asked me to be his wife. I am so excited! We are engaged.”
Pill:
“Congratulations, Mare!”
Mare:
“Thank you, Dr. Pill!”
Pill: “Joe, congratulations to you, too!”
Joe: “No problem, Dr. Pill.”
Pill: “What? No problem?...No thank you...you have the blessing of a beautiful bride to be ....what could you be thinking? No problem?”
Joe: “Well, Dr Pill...all was well...as I described ...I was working on a huge project site. Mare and I had our plans to be married.”
Pill: “Still,I don’t see the problem, Joe.”
Mare: “The problem is me, Dr. Pill.”
Pill: “Cold Feet?”
Joe: “She has those and cold hands too, Dr. Pill. But that is not the problem.”
Pill: “I don’t get it, Joe. She agreed to marry you. Do you love her, Joe?”
Joe: “Yes, Dr. Pill.”
Pill: “Mare, do you love Joe?”
Mare: “Oh Yes....as far as the eye can see and as deep as the ocean can be do I love my Joe.”
Joe: “Oh, Brother?”
Pill: “Joe, what planet are you from? Do you not realize that there are millions of people out there in our audience who would be thankful for even 1/10 of such a deep love? That is so rare.”
Joe: “Yeah, Yeah...such a rare love.”
Pill: “Joe, my PHD tells me that there is something that you are not telling me. What is the real issue?”
Joe: “It’s Mare...she is pregnant.”
Pill: “And the issue is that the baby is not yours?”
Joe: “Sort of.”
Pill: “Mare, would you explain?...this is only an hour show!”
Mare: : “Yes, you see....”
Joe: “Wait, let me tell it.”
Mare: “OK.”
Joe: “ Mare says she is pregnant and we have never had sex........ Not even once!”
Mare: “That is true.”
Pill: “Mare, what happened?”
Joe: “Mare claims that she has never had sex with anyone!”
Mare: “That is correct! Not Joe, not anyone."
Pill: “Then, how did you become pregnant....did you go to a donation center?”
Mare: “No, Dr. Pill. I have never been to a “donation center” You see, I am a virgin and I am about to have a baby. An angel came to me and told me that the Holy Spirit of God was to give me a baby...a baby from God!”
Pill: “A baby from God?”
Joe: “Something to be thankful for, Dr. Pill?”
Pill: “I see. I suppose that God has told you this also, Joe?”
Joe: “No, He has not! In fact, I was going to send Mare away to Gunthersville ...to a hospital about 300 miles away from here where they would take good care of her. I really wasn’t going to be around since it is not mine!”
Mare: “But Joe, I love you and it is God’s!”
Pill: “Joe, since God has not spoken to you, perhaps you should think about it overnight?”
Joe: “I intend to do just that! That is why I agreed to be on your show. I wanted to hear your advice for this situation and then sleep on it before I decide what to do with her.”
Mare: “I will be praying for you, Joe....that God would show you the truth....that I love you and only you and always have!”
Joe: “Dr. Pill, what advice do you have for me and the millions like me?”
PILL
STANDS UP AND WALKS TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE AND LOOKS INTO THE CAMERA.
Pill: “Well, Joe...ladies and gentleman....an interesting situation? What if it were you? What if you were Joe? What if you were Mare? What if it were now?...Would you have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas?......Would you believe what Mare said? If you loved her, would you marry her still?...What if you were Joe’s parents?....What if you were Mare’s parents?.....What would you do and feel as parents?.....For all of these questions, the choice is yours......... What will you do?”
Joe:
“I know what you mean Mare. I will be glad to get these clothes off, put
our robes on, and return to
LIGHTS OUT ON STAGE.
Answer
Dr. Pill’s questions as a group or individually.
Would
you worship God as the scripture says even in this situation or would you be
angry with God?
If
this were today, where would everybody be one year from now?