Sermon and Worship Resources

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Luke 15:25-32

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Setting: Medical doctor’s examining room Characters: Nurse Nelson Dr. Bone Brake Brother One Brother Two (Nurse Nelson ushers two brothers in for their exam. He/She gives each a sheet to wear.) (As Doctor Bone Brake enters the room Nurse Nelson begins to speak.) NURSE NELSON: Doctor Bone Brake, I have two brothers who have come for their physical. Boys be seated. You over here and you over there. ...

2. A Christmas Program

Luke 2:21-40

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Narration: We begin our Christmas worship and pageant tonight with the wondrous images of Luke, chapter 2, dancing in our eyes and warming our hearts. We gather to worship. We gather to honor. We gather to celebrate the birthday of Jesus at Bethlehem, the Messiah, our Christ. Christmas Puppet Play (skit provided below) Narration: Jesus Christ is the gift of gifts. How amazing when the prophets I...

3. A Deliverer Is Born

Exodus 1:1-22, 2:1-10

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

The River Nile is the longest river in the world, snaking 4,160 miles from Burundi, Africa, to the Mediterranean Sea. And in this beautiful, exotic, life-giving river lives one of the most fearsome creatures in the world -- the crocidilus nilocticus -- the nile crocodile. Twelve species of this strong, ferocious creature watch from the shoals ready to spring and devour an unsuspecting animal or hu...

4. A Parable in Mime

Luke 15:20-24

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Setup: The following characters are in simple clown face makeup. Characters: Father Clown Elder Son Clown Younger Son Clown – (spiffy at first, then comes back a hobo clown) (Soft circus music in background) The Action: Father Clown comes in on stage, busies himself with little tasks around the room. Elder Son Clown comes in and talks to Father Clown. Elder Son Clown receives a list with detailed ...

5. A Restless Lad

Luke 15:11-32

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Setting: Counselor’s office Characters: Dr. Fad A Lad (Chad) Lad knocks timidly. FAD: C’mon in. I’m Dr. Fad. Thanks for making this appointment and coming in. I see your name is Chad. LAD: Yeah. Oh hi. I, I, aah decided to come in for a little talk with you Dr. Fad. FAD: Great. Have a seat. Sooooo..... LAD: I’ve been meaning to talk to you about well – ah, ahem, you know about this friend. He’s go...

6. Amazing Faith

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Twice in Jesus' ministry, Jesus is flabbergasted. Once, in Mark 6:6, after Jesus is rejected in Nazareth, his own hometown, he is dumbfounded — stunned — at their unbelief! Today in Luke 7, Jesus is astonished again, this time by just the opposite — he is flabbergasted at a Roman centurion's amazing faith. Jesus turns to the crowd following him and says, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I f...

7. An Incredible Encounter

Genesis 32:22-31

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Jacob sends presents to brother Esau in the hope of finding favor with him. The messengers return with frightening news: There is no thanks from Esau and Esau is coming to meet Jacob with 400 men! Jacob, frightened and stressed, develops a plan. He divides his people and flocks into two groups. If Esau should attack one group, the remaining group may well be saved. Next, Jacob prays to the God of ...

8. Appointed and Sent!

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

The wheat harvest was glorious that year on our farm in South Dakota. Our pastor even came out from town and shocked grain for us. The two men from Arkansas that my dad hired were less ambitious. When Mom brought lunch out to them she often found them resting in the shade of a shock of grain. Nonetheless, the golden sheaves of wheat were so full and heavy they seemed to bow down to us as we passed...

9. Better To Be A “Lert”

Mark 13:1-31

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Theme: Be watchful and alert for Christ’s coming Characters: Narrator 1 Nod 1 Nod 2 Nod 3 Nod 4 FEMA Agent (nonspeaking) Narrator 2 Lert 1 Lert 2 Lert 3 Lert 4 Offstage Voice 1 Offstage Voice 2 Tone: Humorous, cautionary Setting/Props: Ball Book Large “elephant-sized” ears Flappers Approximate time: 6-7 minutes (Music, such as a lullaby, plays in the background.) Narrator 1: Once upon a time...

10. Bloody Lintels — Broken Bread

Exodus 12:1-14

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Two Russian surgeons and an anesthetist took turns lying on an operating table beside a critically-ill patient, according to the then government newspaper, Izvestia, and saved the patient's life with direct transfusions of their own blood. Fresh blood was needed because the patient's own blood had ceased to coagulate. In such a case, conserved blood, would not be effective. The three women practit...

11. Can Anybody Really Hear Me?

Luke 8:1-15

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Synopsis: Mary Delight is a young lady representing Generation X who is bewildered about her future. Mary goes to trusted individuals for a caring ear but is not listened to and gets frustrated. Finally she blurts out her dilemma to a little child, and the child seems to hear and care. This chancel drama is a setup for preaching to the theme of "The Need To Be Listened To And Heard." Theme: The ...

12. Can You Hear Me Now?

Exodus 3:1-15

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

A cell phone commercial asks, "Can you hear me now?" The assumption is that one can hear any place, any time, in any situation through this miraculous technology -- the latest cell phone device and service. When the voice of God comes from a burning bush that is not consumed -- "Can you hear me now?" -- Moses finds excuse after excuse for not hearing or listening to God's call.1 Moses has good re...

13. Checked the Ditch Lately?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

We were driving west on Highway 16 from Custer to Newcastle, Wyoming, when Pam and I spotted this magnificent bird along the road. It was feeding on a deer carcass, and as we approached, it sprang into the air and soared off to the south alighting on the branch of a ponderosa pine. It watched us. It waited for us to pass. Yes, it was a golden eagle with a wing span of at least six feet. The next ...

14. Christmas Puppet Play

Luke 2:21-40

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Characters: Odie (dog) Carl (crocodile) Frieda (frog) Roger (dog) — nonspeaking Lizzie (disheveled puppet, dowdy, poor) — nonspeaking Paul (puppy) — nonspeaking (The play opens with Odie and Carl talking.) Odie: I can hardly wait. I’m so excited. It’s almost here ... Christmas! Oh, my — oh, me. I can’t stand it. I get to open presents! Carl: Presents? Did someone say presents? Odie: Yes, I did...

15. Crossing the Desert and Finding Sand

Luke 18:18-30

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Synopsis: A traveler crossing the desert (of life) seeks a cool drink that will really satisfy. A bartender offers drinks that are only temporary. The traveler meets other travelers who are thirsty as well. All conclude they are thirsty for something more lasting than what the bartender has to offer. Note: This chancel drama is a setup for preaching to the theme of "The Need To Believe That Life ...

16. For What Do We Wait?

Luke 1:26-38

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Theme: Waiting Characters: Nurse Waiting Man Mrs. Abernathy Bart Suzie Mr. Schwartz Bonnie Tone: Light, humorous Setting/Props: Waiting room setting with chairs Scrubs Coffee cups Coat Approximate time: 5 minutes (The scene is in a hospital waiting room. Waiting Man, dressed in scrubs, is seated surrounded by cups of coffee. He is very nervous. Nurse is talking to him. Mrs. Abernathy, Suzie, ...

17. Forgiveness and Reconciliation at Last!

Genesis 45:1-15

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

It happened to a rural Lake County, South Dakota, Lutheran church in August of 2000. Vandals attacked the fieldstone St. Peter Lutheran Church building with vengeance -- breaking windows, smashing light fixtures, flipping over the baptismal font, slashing a large "Jesus the Good Shepherd" painting, scribbling, and carving obscenities into the sanctuary walls and fixtures. The golden altar cross ha...

18. Free Living Water for All

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Travelers near the Badlands of South Dakota were surprised and intrigued in 1936 to see a sign which read, "Get a Soda ... Get Root Beer ... Turn next corner ... just as near ... to Highways 16 and 17 ... Free Ice Water ... Wall Drug." It all began out of frustration when the drugstore was on the brink of closing in Wall, South Dakota. One Sunday afternoon when Dorothy Hustead couldn't sleep, she...

19. Grace for a Complaining People

Exodus 16:2-15

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Bob Hope died in 2003 at age 100. Before Bob died, his wife Dolores asked him where he wanted to be buried. And Bob, in his usual comedic style, answered, "Surprise me!" One night when Bob was in his prime he reported his activity for the day. "Today," he said, "my heart beat 103,369 times. My blood traveled 168 miles. I breathed 23,040 times. I inhaled 438 cubic feet of air. I ate three and a qu...

20. Gummy Old Men

Matthew 3:1-12

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Theme: Reflection, remorse, repentance, renewal Characters: Norb (older man) Earl (older man) Tone: Humorous, serious, sad, hopeful Setting/Props: Bench in a city park near the retirement home Approximate time: 5-7 minutes (Musical introduction) Norb: Well, for goodness sake, if it isn’t me ole friend, Earl. When did they let you out? Earl: Hiya, Norb. They always let us out — right after c...

21. Holy, Holy, Holy

John 16:12-15

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

On this festival, The Holy Trinity, we celebrate one of the great treasures and mysteries of the church — the Doctrine of The Holy Trinity. To begin with, one must confess that it is presumptuous on anyone's part to have the audacity, the unmitigated gall, the naiveté, to presume to explain God, the Holy Trinity. No pastor, no doctor of the church, no professor of theology or philosophy, no deaco...

22. How Will Dad React?

Luke 15:18-21

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Character: Disheveled sixteen-year-old lad (Music) LAD: Oh no, am I in trouble! Took Dad’s car without asking him and then – idiot me – decided to give the Lexus a good old Nascar run. Does that Lexus have guts? Smooth machine! Wow! (sits down, gets up, sits down nervously) I can just imagine the police report: “Ah, ah this is Officer O’Malley from the 9th precinct. It appears a young lad took his...

23. I Just Need To Talk To A Real Person

John 15:1-17

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Synopsis: Hattie, an elderly woman who is homebound, attempts to make contact with the outside world through her latest technological wonder -- a cell phone. She encounters the same difficulties with voice mail that most everyone has experienced. Hattie longs for human contact. Note: This chancel drama is a setup for preaching to the theme of "The Need For A Sense Of Community And Deeper Relation...

24. Joy To the World

John 1:1-18

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Characters: Reporter Issac Props: Notebook Pen/pencil Reporter: Here I am in Southampton, England — a reporter for the local Gazette and I have to find a story for tomorrow morning’s paper. Everybody is so busy Christmas shopping — they look like they don’t want to be bothered with an interview. (paces nervously) Oh, what am I going to do? Oh, here is a young fellow who I believe I’ll try. Hmmm...

25. Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

They were 5,000 feet in the air in a two-seat Cessna when suddenly the pilot slumped over. It happened not so long ago near Mount Hope, Indiana, to an 81-year-old passenger who was flying to Indianapolis for lunch. When his 52-year-old friend and pilot unexpectedly died, the elder passenger realized he knew nothing about flying and a lot less about landing! In the next twenty minutes you can bet...

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