Faith At Work
by John Wayne Samples

©1993

Subjects:
Witnessing / Faith / Hypocrisy / Walking the Walk / The Workplace

Synopsis:
Two co-workers, one a Christian, discuss current affairs. This leads to a discussion of religion which puts pressure on the Christian to witness.

Purpose:
The audience usually identifies with the wrong character, then gets blind-sided by the realization that their real-life behavior may be closer to a chicken than the lamb.

Staging:
One table large enough for both people to work at the same time. They can be drafting, working on computers, or just about anything. Stools are better than chairs.

2 Characters:
PETE & CHRIS. Nothing special about either character.

Props:
Basic office supplies. A telephone with the ability to ring, or at least a ringing sound effect.

Note:
To be most effective, this piece needs to be customized to reflect real current affairs. It is included here in the same form we used it just before the Persian Gulf War.

An example of updating/customizing is also posted on this site, as Faith At Work II.

---

Chris is already sitting as the scene opens.

Pete enters and speaks as he moves.

1. PETE
   Hey, Chris. Ready to get to work on that project?
2. CHRIS
   Hi, Pete. Yeah, I think I've got all the information here...
   Let's see if we can get it all together.
3. PETE Sitting down at the second stool.
   Do you think this trouble in the Mideast is going to effect this project?
4. CHRIS
   I'd imagine. Interest rates are going up. Inflation is getting worse. And those stinking crooks at the oil companies are using it as an excuse to raise gas prices again. I just can't see anything but negative effects here...
5. PETE Interrupting.
   STOP! You're scaring me to death.
   CHRIS

6. Just the facts, Pete. Just the facts. Telephone Rings Chris answers.

7. CHRIS
   Hello? Yes. Hi. Uh-huh. OK. Hey, listen. Can I call you back I'm... in a meeting right now. Good. Thanks.
8. PETE
   Who was that?

9. CHRIS Just a bit flustered.
   That. Ahhhh. Nobody! That was nobody. Come on. Let's get to work. Both begin to shuffle papers and make notes.

10. PETE
    Speaking of that Mideast problem... Did you notice on the news where the President went to church with Billy Graham last Sunday, and they both prayed about the crises.
11. CHRIS
    Yeah. Don't you just hate the attention the media gives those politicians every time they do something "religious".
12. PETE
    You mean you don't think the President was sincere?
13. CHRIS
    It's all politics! Those guys do whatever it takes to get in good with the voters.
14. PETE
    Oh I don't know. I kind of admired him for doing that.

15. CHRIS
    See! It even worked on you. Both chuckle a bit. Chris begins looking for something ...

16. CHRIS
    Do you have those adjusted averages for last month over there?

17. PETE
    Sure, here. Hands Chris a piece of paper, then writes something on his own...

18. PETE Not looking up....
    What about you, Chris? Do you ever go to church, or pray?
19. CHRIS
    Uhhhh, sure. Every now and then.
20. PETE
    Do you believe in ... Jesus?
21. CHRIS Laughing, sort of.
    What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?
22. PETE
    No, no. I'm sorry. I ... I was just curious if you believed in any of that stuff.

    Pause.

23. PETE
    Do you?
24. CHRIS Not looking up ...
    Do I what?
25. PETE
    Do you believe in God or Jesus?
26. CHRIS
    Well, sure. You know, I read recently where more than 95% of Americans believe in God.
27. PETE
    Yeah. I read that, too. But I wonder how many of those people really mean it I mean LIVE it, or maybe they just want to believe.
28. CHRIS Trying to figure out his friend ...
    Hey. What's all this sudden interest in religion, Pete?
29. PETE
    Oh, it's not really sudden. I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I just thought you might, uh ...
    Pete seems to have lost something on the desk.
    Wait a minute. You know what I forgot? That silly sales report from our California office. I better go get it. I'll be back in about 5 minutes.
    Gets up and leaves.

30. CHRIS
    No problem, Pete. Take your time. Chris waits for Pete to leave, then dials the phone.

31. Hi, Judy [YOUR church secretary]. This is Chris. Is Howard [YOUR preacher or pastor] still there?
    Waits for preacher to come to the phone.
    Hi, Howard. Sorry I couldn't talk earlier... Yeah, it was a pretty important meeting, but I've got a couple of minutes free now. What's up?...
    Pause.
    That's very nice of you to say so. We spent a lot of time on that. You know how much the work of the Lord means to me. What can I do next?... Uh-huh... Uh-huh... OK... A study-group on sharing our faith in the work-place? Sure, I'd love to lead it. In fact, I was just talking about the Lord with this guy here at work.
    Short pause.
    That's right, PETE. I've told you about him... Yeah, I'd sure like to get him to . . . Pete re-enters.

32. Great. OK, see you this weekend, Howard. Bye. Pete sits back down and resumes work - doesn't look up.

33. PETE
    Who was that, Chris?

34. CHRIS Not looking up.
    That? Ahhhh, Nobody. That was ... nobody. Chris slowly looks up at Pete as if wanting to say something..
    
    Lights out.

    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.

    JSam:

    [../../jsamInfo.htm]

     

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