Paved With Good Intentions
by John Wayne Samples

Subjects:
Hypocrisy • Church • Commitment • New Start
Faithfulness • Witnessing • Excuses • Resolutions

Synopsis:
A cute little ditty about how our good intentions seem to go astray. This was written for a specific audience and will need to be customized for your specific audience. It is printed here in its original version, more or less.

Purpose:
Intended to get people to see how our commitments change over the course of a few months. Recommended for use either at the beginning of a new year, or a new cycle of services, such as a new program in the fall.

Staging:
Center stage.

4 Characters:
September, December, March & May, all dressed according to their respective seasonal weather.

Props:
Large signs of each character's name which they will hold throughout the sketch.

Notes:
This may read like a simple sketch, but the timing of the delivery will have a lot to do with its effectiveness. It should be quick-paced with each line beginning as the one before it ends.

Characters line-up on stage holding their respective signs.

Chronological order. Signs are held in front of each face, except when delivering lines, then dropped to waist height.

(Remember to CUSTOMIZE the script to fit your situation.)

September:   It's so good to be back in church on Wednesday nights. These Celebration services are really the highlight of my week. I almost don't know how I got along without them all summer.

• December:   Do you believe this? Another Christmas party to go to. How come all of these special events we have to attend seem to happen on Wednesday evenings. Well, I'll make up for missing Celebration again... This Sunday I'll stay for BOTH services!

  March:   It's a shame how attendance has dropped off for the Celebration services this spring. I hear they're trying some really neat things on Wednesday nights.

  May:   I really wish they wouldn't cancel Wednesday services for the summer. I really get a lot out of those, when I'm able to attend. By the way, who is that new guy leading the singing?

  ---

  September:   This is really swell. I think I'll call the minister tomorrow and offer my talents for the services. If I can just give back a little of what it's given me...

  December:   The preacher asked me to play the guitar next week. I've really wanted to do that for a long time, but, well, the Pacers are playing Boston and I've already paid for my ticket.

  March:   If they think I'm going to give up my valuable time to PRACTICE for Celebration, they're nuts. I told them I'd help out if they needed me, but I just meant for the actual service.

  May:   Did you hear my guitar playing last week at church? I heard it was really uplifting. Wish I could have been there to be the one playing it, but, at least I contributed by loaning it to them.

  ---

  September:   I can't keep this a secret. This Celebration service is something I can finally invite my neighbors to. I even bet my boss would get something out of this.

  December:   Jerry, my neighbor, asked me what church I go to the other day. I wonder if that would have been a good opportunity to invite him to go with me.

  March:   Jerry asked me today how come I always seem to mow the grass on Wednesday. I explained how Wednesday is kind of my day of rest.

  May:   Jerry invited me to go to church with him next week. I wonder how long we've been going to the same church.

  ---

  September:   This time together has inspired me. I'm going to spend an hour every day in prayer.

  December:   I'm going to start spending at least a half-an-hour in prayer every day... as soon as I get my Christmas shopping done.

  March:   Maybe if I try for 15 minutes every day, I won't keep falling asleep right after, "Good Morning, Lord....."

  May:   I probably should pray right now. I wonder if anyone will notice if I keep my eyes open. Father, thank you for this chicken box lunch, and keep all the drivers safe, especially Andretti.

  ---

  September:   I am really going to step up my commitment to church this fall. I'll start by telling the preacher to use me wherever he needs me.

  December:   Got a call today from that new preacher. Said someone told him I had volunteered to serve. That's true, but I don't have time to be a teacher!

  March:   That new preacher called again this morning and apparently I need to be more specific. I said I would do whatever they need, but that doesn't mean teaching, or youth work, or singing in the choir, or being a deacon, or serving on a committee. But anything else that I have time for I'll do!

  May:   That new preacher called again this morning. Said he's still really anxious to meet me and hopes to see me in church this week. How dare he!? He's still wet-behind-the-ears and he thinks he can talk like that to me. Why, I've been a member here more than 3 years!

  ---

  September   To May ...
  Hey, May! Yeah you. How come all my good intentions end up as bad pretensions by the time they get to you?

  May:   Don't blame me. By the time I get them, they've already gone through 9 months and so-many re-writes. You ought to be glad I caught 'em before summer got here!

  September:   I just came from being with summer, and you're right about that. So, what are we gonna do about it?

  May:   I suggest you just keep your mouth shut, that way at least I won't feel so guilty about breaking all your promises.

  September:   MY promises? They were YOUR promises when I first said them! YOU are the one that keeps messing up. You SHOULD feel guilty!

  December:   Well, then September, I guess I should feel a little guilty. I kind of let you down, too. Not as bad as May did, but I did slip.

  March:   Yeah, I guess I slipped too. But if December hadn't slipped, then I would have stayed strong!

  May:   That's right. And that goes double for me. If these guys don't stay in line, how can you expect me to be doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

  September:   So, what's your point?

  December:   The point is, if I'd do better at being true to myself, and the Lord ...

  March:   ... then by the time it gets to me, I could be in a position to better resist temptation ...

  May:   ... then we'd all be walking straighter and taller and closer to God.

  September:   That's the spirit. Do you think we really can do that?

  December, March & May:   YES!

  September:   Great! Uh, do you think we really will do that?

  December, March & May:    They look at each other, then together...
  Well, gee. I dunno. May's a long time away. That's a lot of commitment. My kid's got little league and all. The job really gets busy in November, and February.

  December, March & May all walk off stage still mumbling.

  September:   Hey guys, this isn't for me. It's for you! It's for all of us. It's for the Lord! Why are you here in the first place?!?!?!

  Lights out and/or September exits in a different direction.