Faith At Work II
by John Wayne Samples
©1994 JohnW@jsam.com

Subjects:
Witnessing / Faith / Hypocrisy / Walking the Walk
The Workplace / The Office / Ads / TV Ministry

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.
This is the same as the preceding sketch, except updated with different news events and with the added subject of church advertisements on TV.

Purpose:
1) 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.

2) This script is adapted from Faith At Work and is included here to demonstrate how the sketches can be modified for specific needs.

3) We used this version on a Sunday morning when we introduced a series of TV ads we were about to begin running as part of a new media ministry.

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 demonstrate how the basic idea can be made more contemporary for your situation.

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. Food prices are going to go up. That will make inflation worse. And you know the politicians are going to spend spend spend to make it look like they care about those people.
   The way I figure it, the Bill Clinton economic impact is finally going to take effect, even if it did take an act of God to make it happen...
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 flooding problem... Did you notice on the news last Sunday where the President went out of his way coming out of church to ask the American people to pray for the flood victims?
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
    Are you kidding? Mixing politics and religion is scary enough, but when you put them on TV, watch out!
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
    Speaking of religion on TV... There was a church commercial on the tube last night that was kind of interesting. You didn't happen to catch it, did you?
19. CHRIS
    Uh-h-h-h-h... During the ballgame?
20. PETE
    Yeah, did you see it?
21. CHRIS
    I might have caught just the tale-end as I came back from the kitchen. What was so special about it?
22. PETE
    Oh, I dunno. It just didn't seem PREACHY. I didn't even realize it was a church commercial until it was almost over. I've even been to that church a couple of times.
23. CHRIS Not looking up...
    Is that right?
    
    Pause
    PETE Not looking up....
    What about you, Chris? Do you ever go to church, or pray?
24. CHRIS
    Uhhhh, sure. Every now and then.
25. PETE
    Do you believe in ... Jesus?
26. CHRIS Laughing, sort of.
    What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?
27. PETE
    No, no. I'm sorry. I ... I was just curious if you believed in any of that stuff.

    Pause.

28. PETE
    Do you?
29. CHRIS Not looking up ...
    Do I what?
30. PETE
    Do you believe in God or Jesus?
31. CHRIS
    Well, sure. You know, I read recently where more than 95% of Americans believe in God.
32. 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.
33. CHRIS Trying to figure out his friend ...
    Hey. What's all this sudden interest in religion, Pete?
34. 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.

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

36. 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... In fact, he saw one of our new TV commercials last night and I think it's really opened a door for us. Yes it is nice to know that they really work... Pete re-enters.

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

38. PETE
    Who was that, Chris?

39. 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.

[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
[ Sketches & Dramas ] [ Monologues ] [ Readers' Theatre ]

[ Christmas Eve Reflections ] [ Christmas 4 3 ] [ All My Fathers ] [ Dad Wouldn't Understand ] [ Father's Day Cards ] [ Fathers Day Cards II ] [ Faith At Work ] [ Faith At Work II ] [ Faith At Play ] [ The Feel Good Diner ] [ St. Acceptance ] [ Walk The Talk ] [ God Liked You Best ] [ No Weaklings ] [ Paved With Good Intentions ] [ To Tell the Musical Truth ] [ The Great Commission Show ] [ Who's On Stage ] [ What's A Clown To Do ] [ Holy Hands ] [ Know Good Lying Cheats ] [ It's Not Stupid ] [ The First Love Story ]