Slide #1 An Easter Story Based on John 20:1-18 ©2007 David Skarshaug (). Conditions for use: (1) If you use all or parts of this script.

Slide #1

An Easter An Easter StoryStory

Based on John 20:1-18Based on John 20:1-18©2007 David Skarshaug (www.alcames.org). Conditions for use: (1) If ©2007 David Skarshaug (www.alcames.org). Conditions for use: (1) If you use all or parts of this script in any form, please consider sending a you use all or parts of this script in any form, please consider sending a suggested $25 donation check made out to “The ROCK” to the following suggested $25 donation check made out to “The ROCK” to the following address: Ascension Lutheran Church, 615 Kellogg, Ames, IA 50010. address: Ascension Lutheran Church, 615 Kellogg, Ames, IA 50010. Reference the script title in the memo on the check. (2) Do not sell any Reference the script title in the memo on the check. (2) Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. (3) You may reproduce this part of this script, even if you rewrite it. (3) You may reproduce this script for internal use, but all copies must contain this copyright script for internal use, but all copies must contain this copyright statement.statement.

Slide #2

Narrator:Narrator: Mattias (Offstage)Mattias (Offstage)Mother:Mother: Kelly (Apron)Kelly (Apron)Father:Father: Austin (Coat, Austin (Coat, Paper)Paper)Aunt Clara:Aunt Clara: Alleah (Bunny)Alleah (Bunny)Ralphie:Ralphie: Michael (Basket)Michael (Basket)Randy:Randy: Toby (Basket)Toby (Basket)

Slide #3

Setting:Setting: Parody of “A Parody of “A Christmas Story.” Mother Christmas Story.” Mother (apron) sets table, father (apron) sets table, father reads newspaper, two reads newspaper, two brothers running around brothers running around collecting eggs.collecting eggs.

Slide #4

Narrator:Narrator: It was an Easter to It was an Easter to remember. Every Christian remember. Every Christian can identify an Easter when can identify an Easter when they first became aware of they first became aware of exactly what it’s all about. exactly what it’s all about. Mine was 1960. I was about Mine was 1960. I was about 10 years old. My little 10 years old. My little brother Randy was about 5brother Randy was about 5. . (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Slide #5

Narrator: Narrator: (Cont’d) (Cont’d) We’d just We’d just arrived home from the arrived home from the Easter church service. Mom Easter church service. Mom prepared an Easter Lunch, prepared an Easter Lunch, Dad read the paper, I Dad read the paper, I methodically uncovered the methodically uncovered the location of the hidden Easter location of the hidden Easter eggs, and my little brother, eggs, and my little brother, Randy, did what he did Randy, did what he did best…annoy me. best…annoy me.

Slide #6

Randy:Randy:(Randy & Ralphie (Randy & Ralphie fighting over an egg.) fighting over an egg.) That’s That’s my egg! I saw it first! That’s my egg! I saw it first! That’s my egg! my egg!

Mother:Mother: Ralphie, you’re Ralphie, you’re letting Randy have some of letting Randy have some of the eggs too, aren’t you?the eggs too, aren’t you?

Slide #7

Narrator:Narrator: Let him have it? Let him have it? I’ll let him have it all right. It I’ll let him have it all right. It was just another typical little was just another typical little brother episode. Now I’d brother episode. Now I’d found probably 95 percent of found probably 95 percent of the eggs—fair and square—the eggs—fair and square—only to have my little only to have my little brother, the pirate, rob me of brother, the pirate, rob me of all my chocolate booty. all my chocolate booty. (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Slide #8

Narrator Narrator (Cont’d):(Cont’d): While my While my basket had a grand total of 3 basket had a grand total of 3 eggs, my little brother could eggs, my little brother could have supplied candy to the have supplied candy to the entire Fanny Farmer entire Fanny Farmer Chocolate conglomerate.Chocolate conglomerate.

Slide #9

Ralphie:Ralphie: (Gives in.) Okay, (Gives in.) Okay, here, you have the egg.here, you have the egg.

Randy:Randy:Another egg. Oh boy, Another egg. Oh boy, oh boy! Mom, I found oh boy! Mom, I found another egg! (Boys sit at another egg! (Boys sit at table and paw through their table and paw through their baskets.)baskets.)

Slide #10

Mother:Mother: Now don’t you Now don’t you boys go eating any of that boys go eating any of that chocolate before lunch. Why chocolate before lunch. Why I read in “Good I read in “Good Housekeeping” that if we Housekeeping” that if we keep going the way we are, keep going the way we are, childhood obesity is going to childhood obesity is going to be a big problem someday.be a big problem someday.

Slide #11

Father:Father: Obesity? What do Obesity? What do they know about kids? You they know about kids? You can’t put weight on ‘em fast can’t put weight on ‘em fast enough.enough.

Mother:Mother: They say kids are They say kids are staying inside too much, staying inside too much, exercising less and eating exercising less and eating more of the wrong things.more of the wrong things.

Slide #12

Father:Father: Nonsense! Are Nonsense! Are they gonna’ outlaw they gonna’ outlaw baseballs, footballs, and baseballs, footballs, and basketballs in the future. basketballs in the future. You show me a kid who You show me a kid who would stay inside when he would stay inside when he could be out playing ball. could be out playing ball.

Slide #13

Mother:Mother: They say that They say that someday kids will just sit at someday kids will just sit at desks and stare at TVs all desks and stare at TVs all day?day?

Slide #14

Father:Father: Now what would a Now what would a kid do with a television on kid do with a television on his desk? Change the his desk? Change the channels, adjust the volume, channels, adjust the volume, adjust the horizontal and adjust the horizontal and vertical controls? No, that’ll vertical controls? No, that’ll never happen.never happen.

Slide #15

Narrator:Narrator: My old man never My old man never did have gift for predicting did have gift for predicting the future, and he certainly the future, and he certainly wouldn’t have seen or wouldn’t have seen or understood the electronic understood the electronic age with computers and age with computers and video games.video games.

Slide #16

Mother:Mother: Well anyway, I’ve Well anyway, I’ve got a pork roast in the oven, got a pork roast in the oven, and I don’t want you boys and I don’t want you boys (looks sternly at father)— (looks sternly at father)— BIG or small--filling BIG or small--filling yourselves up with that junk yourselves up with that junk before Aunt Clara gets here.before Aunt Clara gets here.

Slide #17

Narrator:Narrator: Aunt Clara! My Aunt Clara! My Aunt Clara came over every Aunt Clara came over every Easter dressed in a mouse Easter dressed in a mouse outfit that she insisted was outfit that she insisted was an Easter bunny costume. an Easter bunny costume. Why’d she do that, you ask? Why’d she do that, you ask? Because my family just Because my family just wasn’t weird enough. wasn’t weird enough.

Slide #18

Mother:Mother: (Sits down at (Sits down at table.)table.) So what did you get So what did you get from the church service this from the church service this morning, Ralphie?morning, Ralphie?

Ralphie:Ralphie: I don’t get it. The I don’t get it. The three people that ran to the three people that ran to the grave.grave.

Slide #19

Mother:Mother: Oh, in the Gospel Oh, in the Gospel text? John, Peter, and Mary text? John, Peter, and Mary Magdalene.Magdalene.

Ralphie:Ralphie: Yeah. What were Yeah. What were they looking for?they looking for?

Mother:Mother: Randy, what do Randy, what do you think they were looking you think they were looking for?for?

Slide #20

Randy: Randy: Chocolate Eggs! Chocolate Eggs! Chocolate Eggs!Chocolate Eggs!

Father:Father: (Looks from (Looks from behind newspaper and behind newspaper and laughs).laughs). Hmm, maybe that Hmm, maybe that magazine you were reading magazine you were reading did know something about did know something about kids.kids.

Slide #21

Mother:Mother: They were looking They were looking for Jesus.for Jesus.

Father:Father: Ralphie, your Ralphie, your Mother’s right. Mother’s right. (Puts the (Puts the paper down.) paper down.) But you know But you know what I noticed today in that what I noticed today in that story? story?

Slide #22

Ralphie:Ralphie: That John was That John was faster than Peter, just like faster than Peter, just like I’m faster than Randy?I’m faster than Randy?

Randy:Randy: Am not! Am not!

Ralphie: Am so!Ralphie: Am so!

Randy: Am not!Randy: Am not!

Slide #23

Father:Father: Yeah, I guess John Yeah, I guess John was a shortstop and Peter was a shortstop and Peter was more of a first baseman. was more of a first baseman. Those disciples reacted to Those disciples reacted to the Easter story the same the Easter story the same way people react today. First way people react today. First they heard it. Mary told they heard it. Mary told Peter & John. Then, they ran Peter & John. Then, they ran to find out more.to find out more.

Slide #24

Mother:Mother: Yes, and then Yes, and then there were three different there were three different levels of understanding. levels of understanding. John arrived at the grave site John arrived at the grave site first and just stood outside first and just stood outside and looked, thinking “this is and looked, thinking “this is interesting.” interesting.”

Slide #25

Father:Father: That’s kind of like That’s kind of like the person who hears about the person who hears about the Easter story, but doesn’t the Easter story, but doesn’t know what to think.know what to think.

Mother:Mother: Second, Peter Second, Peter arrived at the tomb, and arrived at the tomb, and took a closer look, actually took a closer look, actually entering the tomb.entering the tomb.

Slide #26

Father:Father: Again, that’s like Again, that’s like the person who takes a the person who takes a closer look at the evidence closer look at the evidence of the Easter story.of the Easter story.

Mother:Mother: Finally, John came Finally, John came alongside Peter in the tomb, alongside Peter in the tomb, and the scripture tells us he and the scripture tells us he “saw and believed.”“saw and believed.”

Slide #27

Father:Father: That’s like the That’s like the person who hears the Easter person who hears the Easter Story, understands what it Story, understands what it means, and then acts on that means, and then acts on that understanding.understanding.

Ralphie:Ralphie: He believes! He believes! Hmm, that’s even better Hmm, that’s even better than a chocolate egg.than a chocolate egg.

Slide #28

Narrator:Narrator: Like I said before, Like I said before, my Dad wasn’t one that always my Dad wasn’t one that always clearly saw the future, but he clearly saw the future, but he did understand a thing or two did understand a thing or two about human nature. That day…about human nature. That day…I decided I wanted to have I decided I wanted to have John’s reaction to the evidence John’s reaction to the evidence of the empty tomb. I wanted to of the empty tomb. I wanted to not just hear, not just see, but not just hear, not just see, but believe.believe.

Slide #29

(Knock on door.)(Knock on door.)

Randy: Randy: I’ll get itI’ll get it. (Opens . (Opens door for Aunt Clara.)door for Aunt Clara.)

Clara:Clara: Happy Easter Happy Easter everyone!everyone!

Slide #30

Narrator:Narrator: That Easter— That Easter— although much like all the although much like all the other Easters to most peopleother Easters to most people—was the Easter that I came —was the Easter that I came to understand the to understand the importance of the empty importance of the empty tomb. Now I still don't tomb. Now I still don't understand everything. understand everything. (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Slide #31

Narrator: Narrator: (Cont’d)(Cont’d) I still I still don’t know why my little don’t know why my little brother stole my Easter brother stole my Easter eggs, or why Aunt Clara eggs, or why Aunt Clara dressed like the Easter dressed like the Easter mouse. But I do know my mouse. But I do know my Redeemer lives, and I Redeemer lives, and I believe he lives in me.believe he lives in me.