Hymn: “Put Peace into Each Other’s Hands” SP 15
OR “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” HS 179
OR “Santo, Santo, Santo” NS 43
Drama Part II
Invocation
Drama Part III
Scripture Reading: Luke 10:25–28
Ministry of Music: “If Suddenly upon the Street” HS 389
OR “Make Me a Servant” NS 35
Scripture Reading: Luke 10:29–37
Drama Part IV
Sermon
Based on Luke 20:25–37
Drama Part V
Hymn: “Yesu, Yesu, Fill Us with Your Love” HS 407
OR “Help Us Accept Each Other” HS 171
OR “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” NS 34
Scripture for Confessional Reflection: Alma 17:83–84
Lord, give us the strength to go and do these sacred things likewise.
Disciples’ Generous Response
Each Sunday, as part of the Disciples’ Generous Response, we ask you to
integrate the message of “share equally” between Local and World Ministries
Mission Tithes. Generosity stories are provided to keep the church in touch
with how contributions to Mission Tithes spread the peace of Jesus Christ.
Please use the stories, testimonies, and up-to-date contribution information
as part of your offertory ministry. Visit www.CofChrist.org/generositystories
to print a copy, or contact your pastor, congregational financial officer,
or worship coordinator for a copy.
Invite the congregation to share (in various ways) how they can say “I
love you” (e.g., in English, French, Spanish, signing, etc.). Explain how we
are not only called to say the words but live them out as well. One way of
giving love is by sharing our tithes and offerings.
Blessing and Receiving of Mission Tithes
Hymn: “Called by Christ to Love Each other” SP 36
OR “With a Steadfast Faith” HS 497
OR “Here I Am, Lord” NS 12
*Benediction
“Change My Name” By Debra Bruch
Characters
- Green Shirt
- Person #1
- Person #2
- Speaker of the Sermon
The characters in this drama can be either male or female. The dialogue is
written as if they are female. If you have male actors, change the dialogue to
match. A person wearing a green shirt sits down in front next to the podium or
where the speaker intends to speak. The Green Shirt actor needs to sit or lie
down very quietly throughout the service. Green Shirt is simply present and
tries not to draw attention to herself while others are leading the worship
service. This must be respected. If Green Shirt could position herself so that
the person leading the worship service needed to either step over or walk around
them, that would be best. Until the Speaker notices Green Shirt at the end, the
leaders of the service do not pay attention to her at all. The Speaker of the
Sermon has a role to play in this drama.
Part I—Before the Service Begins
After Green Shirt has settled into position, two people enter. They walk over
to Green Shirt.
Person #1: (to Green Shirt) You’re not going to sit there, are
you? (no answer) Come on now. You can sit over there.
Green Shirt: (looks up) Tell me, Jesus, is it all right if I
change my name?
Person #1: You don’t belong here! Come on!
Person #2: Oh, just leave her alone. People are looking at us.
Person #1 and Person #2 exit. (They need to be free to enter and exit
throughout the service.)
Part II—Before the Invocation
Person #1 and Person #2 enter and move toward Green Shirt.
Person #1: I can’t stand it! Look, you don’t belong here.
Person #2: Don’t get so upset. It doesn’t matter.
Person #1: She’s a Green Shirt. Of course it matters! (leans over the
Green Shirt)
Person #2: (pulls Person #1 back) Don’t touch her!
Person #1: I’m not going to touch her! I’m not stupid, you know. Nobody
in his right mind would touch a Green Shirt. (leans over) Tell me
right now what you want. Then get up and get out.
Green Shirt: (looks up) Tell me, Jesus, is it all right if I
change my name?
Person #2: She thinks you’re Jesus!
Person #1: Pathetic.
Person #2: What are you doing? Leave it.
Person #1 and Person #2 exit.
Part III—Before the Scripture Reading
Person #1 and Person #2 enter and cross to Green Shirt.
Person #2: You don’t have to do this, you know. Come on; let’s go back.
Person #1: (to Green Shirt) You’re a pain. You know that? You do
nothing. You’re just a drain and I don’t want my taxes to take care of you.
Come on; go on out and get a job. You can get up. You don’t need anybody’s
help. You’re just pretending. Come on. Nobody wants you here. Nobody wants
you.
Person #2: Just ignore her. She’s invisible. Everybody just ignore her.
Green Shirt: (looks up) Tell me, Jesus, is it all right if I
change my name?
Person #2: Come on; just ignore her.
Person #1 and Person #2 exit.
Part IV—Immediately before the Sermon
The Speaker of the Sermon crosses to the podium to speak. Then Person #1
and Person #2 enter and cross to Green Shirt. The Speaker looks on.
Person #1: (to Green Shirt) People talk about you, you know. They
say you make a spectacle of yourself all the time. They say you’re
incompetent. You’re a bad person and you’ve done some really bad things and
you deserve everything you get. You’re strange. Nobody likes you.
Person #2: (to Person #1) You don’t need to do this.
Person #1: (to Person #2) Why don’t you just leave? You don’t
understand anything.
Person #2: What has she done to you?
Person #1: (pause) She exists.
Person #2: She’s just a Green Shirt. That’s all.
Person #1: Are you really this dense?
Person #2: Why do you care about her? Nobody even looks at her, so why
are you so upset? I wouldn’t be.
Person #1: Get away from me.
Person #2: Fine. (exits)
Green Shirt: Tell me, Jesus, is it all right if I change my name?
Person #1: Who cares about your name? (exits)
Part V—Immediately after the Sermon
The Speaker gives her sermon. Before she moves to sit down, she looks
down at Green Shirt.
Speaker: Hi. How are you?
Green Shirt: (looks at the audience, not at the Speaker) Tell me,
Jesus, is it all right if I change my name?
Speaker: Yes.
Green Shirt: (looks at the Speaker) Really?
Speaker: But Jesus loves your name just as it is.
Green Shirt: (ponders) Really.
Person #1 enters and crosses to Green Shirt. The Speaker looks on.
- Person #1: Enough of this. (to Green Shirt) Nobody wants a Green
Shirt around—nobody. Why can’t you just leave us alone? Look at these people
here. They don’t want you. You’re just being disruptive. (Green Shirt
stands.) Oh good. Now go on your way. Get out.
- Green Shirt: You’re beautiful.
- Person #1: (surprised) What? What?
- Green Shirt: Don’t you know how beautiful you are?
Person #1 is completely taken off-guard.
Person #1: You...you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Green Shirt: I see what I see. And you are beautiful.
Person #1: Why are you saying this to me?
Green Shirt: Because you’re worth it.
Person #1 breaks down as her masks have been destroyed. Green Shirt
crosses to her and holds her.
Person #1: My mother died. She’s dead and I don’t know what to do. She
died last night.
Green Shirt: It’ll be all right. You’re not alone here. You’re not
alone.
Green Shirt and Person #1 exit together.
Speaker: (to the audience) Go and do likewise.
The End
This story in Luke is one most of us know, and yet every time we study it, it
surprises us again. It starts with the question of the lawyer directed at Jesus:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus counters it with a question
asking the lawyer about the law. Jesus was aware that the lawyer already knew
the answer. The lawyer then responds by telling Jesus about the law where we are
to love God and our neighbor as ourselves. Then Jesus confirms that the answer
is right. The lawyer is not about to give up, however, and then asks: “And who
is my neighbor?” The question already infers that he does not consider everyone
to be a neighbor. Why else would he ask?
Jesus responds to that question with a story about a man who was left half
dead on the side of the road by robbers. He tells the lawyer that by chance a
priest came down the road. Our hopes are raised, but then the priest passed by
the half-dead man on the other side. The Jewish listeners must have looked at
Jesus full of surprise. Why would a servant of God not stop to help this man in
need? We do not get the answer. Next we are told that a Levite also came and saw
him. Again our hopes are raised, but again Jesus tells us that this servant of
God also passed by on the other side. Nothing in the law prohibited these
ministers from helping, yet they walked by. Those listening to Jesus must have
been totally surprised—wondering how this was possible.
But the story has not come to an end. Jesus continues and says: “But a
Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with
pity” (v. 33). At the word “Samaritan” the Jewish audience would have thought
that there was certainly no hope for help now. Samaritans and Jews did not get
along with each other; some would say they were each other’s enemies. This goes
back for centuries to a time when Samaria had mingled with the occupying nation.
They had built their own temple, did not agree on what was considered scripture,
etc. Jewish people traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem would actually avoid
traveling through Samaria.
And yet Jesus tells us that this man, this enemy, stopped to help. And not
only that, he made sure that help continued to be available. After he took the
injured man to an inn, he left money with the inn keeper so continued help would
be given. This is shocking. Why would the Samaritan help the half-dead person,
but the two ministers would not?
Jesus now poses another question to the lawyer: “Who was really a neighbor to
the half-dead man?” You may note that this is not what the lawyer asked. But
Jesus called the lawyer to action and not to a debate about the definition of
“neighbor.” Go and do likewise!
