Do You Feel Like Singin' the Blues?

Got the Blues

Luke 19:18–40 and Mark 11:1–11

Nick is sitting on a table strumming a guitar as he butchers the song he’s made up.

Nick: I got the blues, (strum) oh, yeah, the blues (strum). Dropped my cell phone in the toilet (strum) I’ll never see it again (strum) and the neighbor’s dog (strum) ate my Wii remote (strum). I’ve got the blues (strum) The everything went wrong today so I’m not very happy blues (strum) Yeah, yeah, the blues.

Susanna: (Walks on stage holding her ears) Ow! Ow! What’s that horrible sound?

Nick: I don’t know what you heard that sounded awful, but I’m beginning my musical career.

Susanna: What’s your song about?

Nick: Well, my cell phone fell in the toilet today, so I was pretty upset. Then I found out that Elroy, the neighbor’s dog, ate my Wii remote when he got into our house. Now I can’t play my favorite video games. I won’t even tell you what happened when that kid you babysat yesterday got into my lego models. That’s in the second verse. (Starts to strum) My legos are in 80 million pieces ...

Susanna: Please! Stop! It’s okay. I don’t want to hear it. Listen, you just need to know one thing. You weren’t created by God to sing the blues.

Nick: I wasn’t?

Susanna: No. You were created to sing praises to God. He made you to have a close relationship with Him, and it should be fun.

Nick: Are you sure?

Susanna: Yes. Think of all those places in the Bible where it tells us to praise God. (Thinks for a moment) Let all the peoples praise Him. The joy of the Lord is your strength. I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. See? You were made to praise. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, they tried to stop the people from praising God.

Nick: What did Jesus do?

Susanna: He told the leaders that the rocks would start praising God if He stopped the people from doing it.

Nick: I’m going to switch to singing praise. (Strums the guitar as Susanna leaves) Hey, where are you going.

Susanna: If you’re starting a musical career, I think I need some earplugs.

Nick: (Strums and sings off key as he follows Susanna out.) I’m done singin’ the blues.

Susanna: Ouch! Ouch! You’re hurting my ears!

The Importance of Self-Control

Where’s Elroy?

Matthew 4:1–11

Susan comes into class and sees a plate of cookies sitting on a table.

Susan: I wonder where Susanna is. She told me to meet her here so we could go bike riding. (Bumps into the table with the cookies.) What’s this? (Sees the cookies) These look like Susanna’s famous Super Duper Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies. I love her cookies. She probably made them for us to share before we go bike riding. I hope she comes quickly. I can’t wait to eat one.

(Tries to wait patiently.) I’d really like a cookie right now. (Takes a whiff of the cookies) They smell so good! Maybe if I just ate one, she wouldn’t care. (Stops herself.) No, I need to use my self-control and make myself do the right thing and wait. (Begins to pace back and forth) But if Susanna made them to share anyway, it shouldn’t matter if I eat one now, right? It would just be a waste of my self-control to not eat one of these wonderful cookies. It would only be one. (Inner struggle.) I can’t stand it anymore. I’m going to eat one right now. (Grabs a cookie and gobbles it down.) Mmmm! Mmmm! They’re so good. I love it. It’s different from her usual recipe, though.

Nathan: (Enters looking around for someone.) Elroy! Elroy! Where are you? Elroy!

Susan: Who’s Elroy?

Nathan: The neighbor’s dog. I’m watching him for the day. He keeps hiding, and I have to call him to get him to come out. Elroy! Here boy!

Susan: Too bad he doesn’t like cookies. If you gave him one of these, I’ll bet he’d come out.

Nathan: Great idea. You know, I actually made these myself.

Susan: You? I thought they were Susanna’s Super Duper Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies.

Nathan: Nope. The neighbors gave me the recipe for Elroy’s favorite homemade doggy biscuits. They’re great for dogs. (As Nathan keeps looking for Elroy, he describes what’s in the cookies, and Susan starts to pantomime gagging behind him) They have meat drippings, chicken bouillon, powdered dry milk, parsley, rice flour, oh, and activated charcoal plus a bunch of other stuff. (Turns around and sees Susan finally cover her mouth and rush out of the room.) What’s wrong with her? Oh well. (Takes plate of cookies and exits calling for Elroy.) Elroy! Here boy. I have your favorite treat!

Warning: Faithfulness Hazard Ahead

Faithfulness Hazard

Scripture: Ruth

(Nick is sitting in a chair playing a video game.)

Nick: I am so awesome! Take that, villainous scum from the planet Zotox. You will never destroy another digital space ship of mine again. Ha ha!

(Susanna enters stage right with a library book and sets it down next to Nick.)

Susanna: Hey, Nick. Don’t forget you promised to take my library book back before they open. I don’t want to get a fine because it’s late.

Nick: (Not paying any attention to her as he plays his video game.) Yeah, sure. I’ll do it in a minute.

Susanna: Okay. Thanks! (Exit stage left)

Nick: One billion points. I am the master of the universe!

Justin: (Enters stage left and pauses to give Nick a reminder.) Hey, Nick, don’t forget the big game today. It’s the finals and you’ve got to be on time. (Keeps walking and exits stage right.)

Nick: (Absent mindedly) Right. I’ll be there.

Ariana: (Enters stage right) Hi, Nick. Susanna told me to remind you not to forget that you’re supposed to drop off those cookies she made for the TRU bake sale. You only have about ten minutes to get there before they close up the table.

Nick: (Absent mindedly playing game.) I won’t forget.

Ariana: Okay. (Exits stage left.)

(After a moment of video game play, Nick stands up and stretches.)

Nick: Wow! I’ve been playing this video game for so long that I’m hungry. (Pauses and looks thoughtful for a minute) You know, it seems like there was something that I was supposed to do today, but I can’t remember what it was. Oh well. It probably wasn’t anything important. (Exits stage right.)

(Teacher takes a moment to talk to the kids about being faithful, and how Ruth was faithful to Naomi.)

Teacher: Boys and girls, do you think it’s kind of important to be faithful? (Yes) I wonder what’s going to happen to Nick when everyone finds our that he didn’t do any of the things he said he would do.

(Hear scuffling and shouts from behind stage. Nick comes out one end of stage, pursued by all the people who he told he would do things for. They’re trying to get him as he escapes through the back of the room.)

Teacher: I think I’m going to choose to be faithful. How about you?