Year C -- Third Skit

 

 Abundant Love, Abundant Life 

 

 

          (Parish Hall, audience seated at tables with food. A boom box sits in a corner of the stage area, turned on and paused at the start of music for line dance. Nearby is a single bag of potato chips.)

          (EDYTHE enters, carrying CD’s, which she puts down next to the boom box.)

EDYTHE: What a windy night! Where is everybody? I hope the storm doesn’t keep people away. (Picks up chips.) One bag of low-fat chips? Dear God in heaven, that’s nowhere near enough!

          (Lights flicker.)

Oops! I mean – potato chips! Praise the Lord!

          (ANGEL enters, wearing cowboy boots, practicing dance steps.)

ANGEL: (To herself.) Now kick, now kick, now … now what?

EDYTHE: What are you up to?

ANGEL: Practicing my moves from dance class. Almost got it.

EDYTHE: Dance classes in heaven? You mean like a minuet? (Acting it out.) All the heavenly hosts in graceful rows, bowing and turning. Must be beautiful!

ANGEL: Oh, Edythe – the minuet is so last-millennium! King David taught us a terrific new line dance.

EDYTHE: King David teaches line dance in heaven?

ANGEL: He’s a dancing fool! And an inspired dance instructor. Writes all our music and plays in the band. Hey, check out my boots. Are these stompin’, or are they stompin’? (Demonstrates boot stomping.)

EDYTHE: But … but what about the little cherubs? What if you step on their bare toes?

ANGEL: Those are babies, baby. I’m talking about a heavenly adults-only dance class for newcomers and guardian angels. It’s sort of a mixer. Come on – let me show you what we learned. (Pulling Edythe along.) ‘To the right, to the right –

EDYTHE: What? No! I can’t dance! I’m not coordinated enough for that! Nowhere near enough ability!

ANGEL: It’s easier with music. Where’s the party band? The deejay?

EDYTHE: (Pointing.) Boom box.

ANGEL: Perfect! (Pushes Pause button.)

EDYTHE: No, there’s no CD in there yet…

          (Music plays for line dance. We used “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid. You can see the dance steps taught here on YouTube. Or, you can use any simple line dance with appropriate music.)

EDYTHE: (Continued) Good heavens!

ANGEL: Okay, Edythe – (Teaching the steps.) ‘To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right, to the left to the left, to the left, to the left, now kick, now kick, now kick, now kick, now walk it by yourself, now walk it by yourself.’

          (CAROL enters, carrying a basket of apples, which she puts down.)

CAROL: I know what you’re doing! My Dad learned that line dance in his group at the retirement community.

          (CAROL joins the line.)
          (HOWARD enters.)

HOWARD: I saw that line dance on YouTube!

          (HOWARD joins the line.)
          (TED enters.)

TED: My granddaughter learned that in kindergarten!

          (TED joins the line.)
          (At the end of a sequence, the line breaks up, everyone laughing.)
          (Music fades.)

CAROL: That was fun. Thanks, Edythe!

EDYTHE: Oh, it wasn’t me.

HOWARD: Wonderful idea to bring that music, Edythe. Thank you.

EDYTHE: But, I didn’t bring that music—

ANGEL: Edythe, say “You’re welcome.”

EDYTHE: (To the others.) You’re welcome. What’s in the basket?

CAROL: I brought apples from our tree. It’s loaded this year!

EDYTHE: So we’re having apples and chips?

HOWARD: Look around, Edythe!

          (EDYTHE sees the food on all the tables.)

EDYTHE: Goodness! I didn’t even see all the food, and it was here all along.

HOWARD: Most of it grown or made right here in the area.

EDYTHE: (Sees the people at the tables.) And look—everybody’s here! The wind didn’t keep people away. This is wonderful.

TED: And now for our record-breaking announcements!

EDYTHE: (Thrilled.) Oh, did we break the pledge record after all?

TED: I have no idea. But I do know this: when you add up the breakfasts and lunches for the homeless shelter, lunches for the habitat volunteers, the Boiler Room soup kitchen, the Cookie Extravaganza, and drop-ins at the barbecue for Launching Sunday, we broke records in feeding people out of our parish kitchen this year!

CAROL: And that was with an old stove that didn’t have all its burners working! With our big new stove, who knows how many we’ll feed next year?

HOWARD: By this time next year, we hope to open our doors and our hearts to more souls than ever before—children and young people, families and individuals—in ways that we can’t dream of tonight.

TED: But the best announcement is for right now—that we are here together tonight in abundance—abundant love and abundant life.

EDYTHE: All my worry for nothing. This is a great party, and we have everything under control after all!

          (ANGEL shrugs, addresses audience directly)

ANGEL: Under control?! Looks like Edythe still hasn’t learned how to let go. Let’s try this.

          (Lights go out.)

EDYTHE: Oh no! The power is out! Now what will we do?

          (PIANIST begins “This Little Light of Mine.” While cast brings out lighted votive candles and places them on the tables, all cast and audience sing “This Little Light of Mine.”)
 

 

This Little Light of Mine

This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
 

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.


Jesus gave this light to me
I’m gonna let it shine
Jesus gave this light to me
I’m gonna let it shine
Jesus gave this light to me
I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

 

Hide it under a bushel - NO!
I'm gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel - NO!
I'm gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel - NO!
I'm gonna let it shine

 

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.


Shine all over the whole wide world,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Shine all over the whole wide world,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Shine all over the whole wide world,
I'm gonna let it shine,

 

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

The End

 

                   

 

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