Surrounded by Help

6

Worship Aid

A Chancel Drama suggestion for the sermon, "Surrounded By Help,"

is titled "The Dilemma." It is an original drama by Arley K.

Fadness.

Synopsis: Mime appears on the stage and receives a note

instructing him (or her) to do a specific task. The mime is

terribly frustrated because he has no tools or guides. Then

little by little further "helps," such as blueprints, tools, and

specifications arrive. Soon the task can be accomplished.

Everyone celebrates.

This chancel drama is a setup for preaching to the theme of "The

Need For Practical Help In Developing A Mature Faith." An

intentional and clear tie-in must be made in the sermon so that

the wordless actions are completely understood.

The Dilemma

(A Pantomime)

Text: Ephesians 4:11-16

Theme: The Need For Practical Help In Developing A Mature Faith

Characters: Person with white face (like Marcel Marceau) in black

tights

Stagehand

Pastor

Construction worker

Carpenter's assistant

Plant in audience

Other actors, as desired

Tone: Magical, light

Setting/Props: Circus music, large notes, blueprints, tools

Approximate time: 5-8 minutes

(Live or taped circus music introduces the scene.)

Mime appears on stage in black tights, turtleneck, socks,

and white gloves. Bows, greets audience wordlessly, makes

imaginary small talk with various people, and does busy things.

Stagehand appears carrying a large note at least 3' by 3'

with instructions readable by the audience which says, "Please

build a box for the fox."

Mime looks at a pile of boards (previously pre-cut for

simple assembly into a box for the fox), scratches head, and

ponders for a long time.

Mime looks at the pile from every angle. Gets very

frustrated. Conveys the fact that he/she does not know how to

build a box for the fox. Pretends to get advice from anyone

nearby. Writes advice down, but the advice is of no use. Tears up

notes.

Stagehand brings in another note which reads, "Build box for

fox now."

Mime gets more frustrated, confused, and upset. Acts out

antics reflecting growing stress and anxiety over the assignment.

Stagehand appears again with a note in larger red letters,

saying, "Build it now!!!"

Mime reacts in different ways:

1. Looks at note -- acts out helplessness. Gives up.

Withdraws. Occupies him/herself with a ball or knitting, and so

forth. Takes a nap. During nap other actors may appear, look at

the notes, look puzzled, and then disappear.

And/Or

2. Looks at note -- motions for a "plant in the audience" to

build it. No response. Mime is disappointed.

Finally, as the music changes to a brighter, livelier sound,

a Pastor in clerics comes along with a set of blueprints and

shows the Mime how to build the box for the fox.

Next a Construction Worker appears, bringing with him a

construction hat, and explains safety measures.

Next an Assistant Carpenter brings a saw.

The Mime saws a board.

Mime finds a hammer, and so forth, and soon is able to build

the box for the fox.

When the project is assembled, a sign is put up which reads,

"A box for a fox." The box may be for an actual fox (use a

picture) or a person named Mr. Fox. The Mime is joyful and

celebrates with dancing and happy antics. The music selection can

accent the actions with careful choreography (a suggestion:

Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus").

The End

Surrounded By Help

Ephesians 4:11-16

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some

prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip

the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of

Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the

knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the

full stature of Christ.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have a story I love repeating. "On Lake Michigan there is

a cooling water outlet from a power operation station. Over the

last few years, many swimmers have drowned in the unexpected deep

trough carved by the fast, flowing waters near the outlet.

"Now there is a family, obviously an extraordinary family,

who lives on the bluff overlooking the power station outlet. Some

years ago now, this family assessed the dangerous situation and

made a decision. They went out and bought a large Newfoundland

dog. These dogs, the Newfoundlands, are bred to save people --

people in trouble, swimming in threatening waters. And this

family, clearly gifted with an uncanny insight and a sense of

humor, named their new dog 'HELP.' "

And now you know, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the

story."

"When some hapless swimmer has gotten caught in the

swirling, whirling waters, he instinctively cries for 'HELP' and

this enormous brown dog leaps to his aid."1

This morning we conclude our series on the six spiritual

needs of Americans as discovered by George Gallup, Jr., in his

comprehensive survey -- with the sixth spiritual need being the

need for practical help in developing a mature faith.

In this series, we have considered the need for meaning and

purpose in life, the need for a sense of community and deeper

relationships, the need to be respected and appreciated, the need

to be listened to and heard, and the need to feel that one is

growing in faith. Finally, we consider the need for practical

help in developing a mature faith.

In 1988, as the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in

America) was being formed, representatives from the ELCA's

Division for Congregational Life joined with five Protestant

denominations to help shape a major study on the elements of

effective Christian education. This study was conducted by the

Search Institute in Minneapolis and funded by the Lilly

Foundation and the participating denominations.

Eight marks of faith were examined. And the results from 110

ELCA congregations and 2,400 participants showed with an

integrated faith or an undeveloped faith. Twenty-four percent of

adults in this survey displayed an integrated or developed faith,

whereas almost half showed an undeveloped faith.

By any survey, by any measurement anybody wants to devise

and use, it is clear we American Christians need Help! I need

Help. You need Help. We all need Help in developing a mature

faith.

A member of his congregation told Rev. Warren J. Keating,

pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Yuma, Arizona, that this was

the best prayer he had ever heard. "Dear God, please help me be

the person my dog thinks I am."2

The Good News in the Search survey is that most Lutherans

want to grow in faith. "Over two thirds report that they want to:

a) develop a more personal relationship with Jesus; b) learn more

about the Bible; c) learn how to apply faith to daily living; d)

improve skills in caring, loving concern for others; e) learn how

to be a good spouse or parent; f) discover how to make moral

decisions."3

More good news is that Help is on the way. Let me explain.

Let us audit our resources. When you think of the saints of the

church, both living and dead, not only their memory, but their

influence and their example -- the saints model the mature

Christian life. And they become for us, under the influence of

the Holy Spirit, a powerful force in helping us mature in the

faith.

Paul writes to the saints in the Ephesian church about

special saints called gifts. The gifts that God has given were

apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers

(Ephesians 4:11). Paul is aware of the need of the Ephesian

church to grow up. Today I want to focus on the last two gifts on

the gift list: namely, shepherds and teachers. The Greek for

shepherd is translated pastor, and some translators marry pastor

to teacher so you have Pastor/Teacher in one.

What is the task of the shepherd/teacher/pastor? Paul

explains, "To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for

building up the Body of Christ" (v. 12).

Let me tell you that your shepherd/pastors are not

overworked. In fact, we are underemployed. Our calling, as your

pastors, is to equip the saints (all the baptized believers) for

the work of ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ. We

are to preach, teach, and lead. True, we get exhausted and feel

overworked when we do the work of ministry. But our calling is to

equip you to do the work of ministry.

And it's good to remember who you are. You are the saints --

the baptized believers. And it's good to remember that glorious

picture of the saints painted by the writer to the Hebrews:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of

witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and run ..." (Hebrews

12). And how often have we sung, "Will the circle be unbroken, by

and by, Lord, by and by?" Can you see the circle of the saints,

past, present, and future, in the stands, cheering us on --

shouting, "Run, run! Don't give up! Keep up the fight"? And here

on earth, you have the shepherd/pastor/teacher to equip you and

to train you by preaching, teaching, and leading.

And why? What is the purpose of all this?

So that "all of us come to unity of the faith and of the

knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the

full stature of Christ ... we grow up in every way into Him who

is the Head" (Ephesians 4:13, 15).

While on vacation in Wyoming, I saw a bumper sticker which

read, "I Will Not Grow Up." And I laughed at this young

whippersnapper, driving his 4x4 with a gun rack in the back

window and his truck box full of adult toys. We feel that way

sometimes. We also feel like that other bumper sticker which

reads, "Honk if your horn is broken." We do need help.

Paul said, "We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro

... by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their

craftiness in deceitful scheming" (Ephesians 4:14). We must grow

up. We shall grow up!

I hear three cries for Help this morning: Help me read and

understand the Bible; help me pray; and help me in a closer walk

with Christ.

In the first place, help me read and understand the Bible.

Help me get into the Scriptures and benefit by them. For it is

the task of Shepherds to lead, guide, feed, and nourish the

flock.

"The chief channels of grace," writes Lowell Erdahl in

Authentic Living, "are scripture, sacrament, prayer, groups, and

service."4 "Help me read and understand the Bible." The good book

is good for us. We wisely ponder at least one passage a day,

marking vital insights and applying them to our lives. "The B-I-

B-L-E, that's the book for me," our children sing.

In the book, Children's Letters to God, one letter read:

Dear God,

Your book has a lot of zip to it. I like science fiction

stories. You had very good ideas and I would like to know where

you found them.

Your reader -- Jimmy5

"Lutherans will fight for the Bible, will die for the Bible,

but won't read it," says Harry Wendt of Crossroads. But Help is

on the way -- your Shepherd(s) is (are) here. And the place for

you and me is in intentional Bible Study under the guidance and

leadership of your pastors. "Help me read, understand, and apply

the Bible to my life."

The second cry is "Help me pray." "God answers prayer in

four ways," says Jess Moody. "Yes, no, later, and you've got to

be kidding!"

Madeleine L'Engle, poet/writer, said in an interview in The

Other Side magazine, "Prayer is like playing the piano or writing

poetry. You don't do it well every single day, but unless you do

it every single day, you're never going to do it well at all."6

The ship was sinking fast. The captain called out, "Anyone

here know how to pray?"

One man stepped forward: "I do, captain."

"Good," said the captain. "You pray. The rest of us will put

on life preservers. We're one short."

"Lord, help me pray." Help is on the way -- help is already

here.

Prayer vigils, prayer retreats, prayer services, prayer

resources galore, help in praying out loud, help in praying

conversational prayer, help in praying in the tradition of the

Eastern Church as well as of the Western Church. Prayers that are

public; prayers that are personal. Prayers that are spoken and

prayers that are sung. Prayers whispered and prayers shot like

arrows heavenward.

You and I are surrounded with helpers who know why we pray

and how to pray.

Ann Landers received this letter about prayer:

"Dear Ann: A friend invited our family to her home to dinner. At

the last moment her stove went on the bum and she called to say

we would have to eat out. She and her husband and their three

children met our tribe at a neighborhood restaurant.

When the food arrived, my friend tapped her glass with the

spoon and announced, "Please bow your heads for grace." I thought

it was a nice gesture, but my husband was visibly upset. On the

way home, he told me he thought grace in a public place was

improper if not sacrilegious. I might add that he was brought up

in a family where grace was never said, they just dived in --

like hogs. Comment, please. -- Wilma"

Ann replies: "If grace is a part of the family custom, I see

nothing improper or sacrilegious about saying it in public. If

praying was the worst thing people did in public, this would be a

beautiful world."8

The Benedictine monks reversed the saying, "prayer is work,"

to "work is prayer." They saw everything they did as prayer.

When we see prayer as being as natural as breathing,

permeating our thoughts, actions, and entire life, then we are

growing up to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

Thirdly, Help me into a closer walk with Christ.

We get closer to Christ as we get closer to one another,

like the spokes of a wheel get closer, the closer they get to the

hub. Christ is our hub. The saints are spokes. Their grace and

their love surround us; consequently, we feel the very presence

of Christ.

I want to end with a word about Esther. Esther died, not too

long ago. She was and is a saint of God. Esther was a gift giver

in life. And she was a gift giver in her death. One of the last

gifts she gave when she died was a prayer vigil, designed by her

family, at her memorial worship. People came, received a votive

candle, lit it, and were gently instructed to pray before the

worship. Many came, were pleasantly surprised by the invitation,

bowed and prayed, and were blessed. Thank you, Esther.

And that's what the saints do. They help us. They gift us as

they surround us with God's love. And they cheer us on to grow up

in Christ. Amen.

____________

1. Story from The Other Side magazine, 300 West Apsely St.,

Philadelphia, PA 19144. Used by permission.

2. Joyful Noiseletter by the Fellowship of Merry Christians, P.O.

Box 895, Portage, MI 49081-0895.

3. Effective Christian Education Search Institute Study by the

Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN.

4. Lowell Erdahl, Authentic Living, copyright by Abingdon, p. 85.

Simon and Schuster, Inc., New York, NY.

6. Madeleine L'Engle, interviewed in The Other Side magazine,

1977. Used by permission.

7. Joyful Noiseletter, FMC.

8. Ann Landers' column, CRA, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan

Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Permission granted by Ann Landers and

Creators Syndicate.