The Empty Chair
Author Unknown, staging concept by John Wayne & Bobbi Samples
©1996 JSam Communications
JohnW@jsam.com

Subjects: Children • Ministry • Teachers • Childhood • Influence • Sunday School • Classroom • Recruiting

Synopsis: Children show up for Sunday School, but instead of a teacher, all they get is an empty chair.

Purpose: To reinforce the importance of the children's education ministry. We used this during the first week of a two week teacher recruitment drive; the second week we did The Empty Chair, Too which follows.

 Staging: Front & center. Very simple.

 4 Characters, voices only (preferably pre-recorded):
Two boys & two girls, ages third fourth or fifth grade, who can read well. Sing-songy reading is strongly discouraged; the script should be delivered as straightforward and deliberate as the kids possibly can.

This is obviously not a true monologue, but it seems to fit here better than under sketches.

Props: One folding chair. 

Note: Involves relatively long periods with either no action or no talking or both. May create an uncomfortable feeling in the audience during those moments... if you're lucky.

[During a musical interlude of some sort (perhaps the offertory?) ten or twelve children enter from the back of the room with the largest child carrying a folding chair over his head. They set up the chair and all sit around it. As the music winds down, they become increasingly restless, much like, say, a Sunday School class with no teacher. When the music ends, the children should continue being "themselves" for about 30 seconds, at which time the one who carried the chair in gets up with some aggravation and walks out. The remaining children quickly follow. Once they are all on the way out, the pre-recorded sketch begins.

Child 1

The empty chair. It just sits and stares.

Child 2

It cannot speak. It cannot care. It cannot answer questions asked about God of today, or even God of the past.

Child 4

Nor can it tell you how to find a Bible verse in God's gold mine.

Child 3

The empty chair. It cannot lead a child to Christ, or to believe.

Child 4

It cannot tell of Jesus' love. Or that God sent Him from heaven above.

Child 1

It cannot sing a "Jesus" song, or reassure when life seems wrong.

Child 2

The empty chair. It cannot teach, or help a child to heaven reach.

Child 3

It cannot laugh at silly jokes. It cannot heal a heart that's broke.

It cannot hug a sobbing child, nor pray with him, so meek and mild.

Child 4

The empty chair. It cannot tell the way that leads to Heaven's well.
It can't recite the Bible books, nor can it give a caring look.

Child 1

The empty chair. It cannot pray. Nor can it show a child the Godly way.

Child 2

The empty chair. It cannot read and tell how Saul came to believe.

Child 3

It cannot tell of wise men three, who worshipped Christ on bended knee.

Child 4

It cannot tell of things to come when all of earth is said and done.

Child 1

The world is full of empty chairs. They need to hold someone who cares.
They need to hold the ones who see the kids that God loves tenderly.

Child 2

They need to hold someone like you. Someone who will share of what is true.

Child 3

And, who will fill the empty chair?

Child 4

Only those who God has spared.

Child 1

Only those who see the need.

Child 2

Only those who desire to sow the seed.

Child 3

Only those who God will touch and will send forth to accomplish much.

Child 1

Not just this world, but this church too, has an empty chair for you.

Child 2

In fact, this church has more than one empty chair of work undone.

Child 3

It has a chair where you can reach the children who God needs to teach.

Child 4

The empty chairs, in silence wait.

They wait.

Child 1

And wait.

Child 2

And wait.

Child 3

And wait.

Child 4

And wait.

 

The next element in your service should begin, unannounced, after a few seconds of silence. Let the audience wait a moment before breaking the mood.

The End

This script is available at no charge to church theatre groups
who do not charge to watch the performance,
and who include this URL in an appropriate credit.

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