DRAMA - SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR B
Bible reference: Genesis 15:1-12
COUNTING STARS
CHARACTERS: Abram and Sarai, wearing dressing gowns and slippers.
(Abram enters looking up, counting stars)
ABRAM: (Counting stars) 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987. . .
SARAI: (Entering) For heaven's sake, Abram, come to bed!
ABRAM: I can't, I'm busy! 1988, 1989 . . .
SARAI: Doing what?
ABRAM:
|
(Crossly) What does it look like I'm doing? I'm counting stars! And now you made me lose count. I'll have to start all over again! 1, 2, 3, 4 . . .
|
SARAI:
|
(Pleading) Abram, come to bed!
|
ABRAM:
|
Go away, I'm busy. 5, 6, 7, 8 . . .
|
SARAI:
|
(Annoyed) Well, it's nice to talk to you too!
|
SARAI:
|
You should be in bed, it's after 12.
|
ABRAM:
|
13, 14, 15, 16 . . . I'll come to bed when I've finished . . . 17, 18, 19 . . .
|
SARAI:
|
(Frustrated) But you'll be counting stars for a hundred years!
|
SARAI:
|
(Trying a different tack) What are you counting stars for?
|
ABRAM:
|
5, 6, 7, 8, arrgh! (Frustrated) I can't count the stars if you keep distracting me!
|
SARAI:
|
Why are you counting them at this hour of the night?
|
ABRAM:
|
Because I can't count them during the day, can I?
|
SARAI:
|
Why are you so keen to know how many there are?
|
ABRAM:
|
Because that's the number of descendants I'm going to have.
|
SARAI:
|
(Huffily) Well, you're not going to have any descendants if you don't come to bed!
|
ABRAM:
|
Just look at all these stars . . . (Shows Sarai) Look at them. There are so many. I've been trying to count them all night.
|
SARAI:
|
(Rolling eyes) I know!
|
ABRAM:
|
(Arms open wide, looking up at the stars) That's going to my descendants!
|
SARAI:
|
But we haven't got any children!
|
ABRAM:
|
(Seriously, takes hold of Sarai and looks at her eyes) Sarai, God spoke to me in a vision and told me that I'm going to have a son. (Excited) We're going to have a son! Isn't it fantastic!
|
SARAI: (Shocked) A son?
ABRAM: Yes.
SARAI: God spoke to you, and said we were going to have a son?
ABRAM: Yes.
SARAI: And you weren't imagining it?
ABRAM: (Rolling eyes) I wasn't imagining it!
SARAI: Are you sure?
ABRAM: (Starting to get a bit annoyed) Yes, I'm sure!
SARAI: You didn't drink too much wine with supper?
ABRAM: No!
SARAI: And you really believe it?
ABRAM:
|
(Annoyed) Yes! (Calms down) Look, it's God's promise to me, to us. And God always keeps his promises.
|
SARAI:
|
(At last daring to believe) Wow! A son! (Moving away from Abram, looking up, at the sky) We're going to have a son. Descendants like stars in the sky!
|
ABRAM:
|
Come on, let's go to bed. All of a sudden (Yawns meaningfully) I'm feeling rather tired. (Starts heading off, realises that Sarai is still standing there looking at the stars) Sarai?
|
SARAI:
|
Shhhh! I'm counting stars. (Abram, rolls eyes, throws up hands and exits)
|
© Verena Johnson 2000
Permission is given for the owner of this disk to make sufficient copies of this script for their group or congregation, for rehearsal and performance purposes only.
|