LENTEN SCRIPT #2:
PRAYER

Meet today's cast...
Wendy is a worrier. She is always finding something to worry about and her friends try to encourage her to take her worries to Jesus.	Tina: Fun loving, very serious about life, studious	Jonathan is deaf but he shows everyone that he can pray by using "sign language" and he teaches everyone how to sign part of the song, "Jesus Loves Me."

FR. JOE: Good morning! Fr. Charlie could not be here today, so he asked me to be with you. How is everyone? He also mentioned something about a PUPPET PULPIT PASSWORD—do you remember what it was?

KIDS: “LENT!”

FR. JOE: You’re right! Now, can anyone remember………..
(Hears commotion of Wendy making noises and turns around and Wendy and Tina come running out)

WENDY: Oh, Fr. Joe, Fr. Joe………….I neeeeeeed a priest! I need a priest!

FR. JOE: Uh, oh! (to children) This is Wendy. Wendy is always worrying about something. Tina, what is Wendy worrying about THIS time.?

TINA: I don’t know. I only asked her how she was doing on this nice sunny day.

FR. JOE: That sounds like a simple question.

TINA: Yes, for you and I it is, but not for Wendy……………

WENDY: Well, how do you know it’s not going to rain? I heard it might rain….and if it does it might mess up my beautiful, beautiful hair…and then I might catch a cold and be sick….and then what if my teacher gives us a test tomorrow. And what if…oh my goodness! Fr. Joe, I don’t know what to do! I need someone to talk to WICKED fast!

FR. JOE: What on earth! (turns to kids) Wow! Do you think she is worrying about too many things?

KIDS: “YES!”

FR. JOE: Fr. Charlie told you about the letter “L” to look to see how you are treating others, not to look for things to worry about!

TINA: But, Fr. Joe, how can she stop doing that? I don’t know how to help her! She told me she doesn’t know who to ask…and then I told her to remember what Fr. Charlie said about the letter, “T” in Lent.

FR. JOE: That’s a great idea. (Turns to kids and asks them if they remember what that stood for)

KIDS: “Use your tongue to PRAY!”

FR. JOE: Right! Wendy, think hard………who is ALWAYS with you and you can ALWAYS talk to whenever you’re worried and need help?

WENDY: Jesus? Hmmmmmmmm…but what do I say? Maybe I won’t do it the right way…do I close my eyes…..do I open my eyes…..do I speak out loud, do I sit, do I stand, do I kneel? …..Where do I pray?…..oh, what am I going to do?

TINA: Wendy, you talk to me about all kinds of stuff. Jesus is your friend, too, and you can talk to Him about anything.

FR. JOE: That’s right! God wants you to tell Him when you are happy, sad, or even afraid. You can talk to him wherever you are, at any time, with your eyes open or closed!

WENDY: Uh, oh……oh, dear….oh, this is not good…..I REALLY have a reason to worry about this one! (Fr. Joe and Tina look at each other wondering what she is talking about) It’s Jonathan……………….

TINA: Why are you worrying about him?

WENDY: You know! Our friend Jonathan is deaf and doesn’t talk, so how is he going to pray and talk to Jesus?.......oh, no…poor Jonathan.

FR. JOE: Wendy, I know Jonathan and you don’t have to worry or feel sorry for him. He prays by “signing.”

WENDY: Signing. Sign what? I know…..Tina….go get a piece of paper and I’ll get some colored markers. We can give them to Jonathan. He can make a giant paper sign and write down all his prayers. Then you and I can hold it up to the sky so Jesus can read it!

FR. JOE: No, there’s a much easier way than that. Did you see Maribeth up here awhile ago using her hands?

TINA: Yeah….but that dancin’ was kinda strange, Fr. Joe.

FR. JOE: She wasn’t dancing….she was doing SIGN LANGUAGE which is a special way that deaf or hard of hearing people communicate. It is called “SIGNING”!

WENDY: Ohhhhhh! Fr. Joe, can she show us how to sign?

FR. JOE: Let’s ask her! Boys and girls, would you like Maribeth to come up here, too, and teach us some sign language.

KIDS: “YES!”

MARIBETH: (greets everyone) Fr. Joe, Tina, and Wendy, one of the reasons I was signing today is that your friend Jonathan is here in church. Would you like him to come up here with me?
(She will point to Jonathan and in sign language ask him to come up and Jonathan comes up on the Altar and sits in a chair.)

MARIBETH: She will SIGN, “Hello” to Jonathan

JONATHAN: Jonathan will SIGN, “Hello” to her. Looks out at the audience and jumps back like he is nervous and then puts his hands over his eyes…then spreads his hands and peeks out through his fingers looking at everyone.

WENDY: Fr. Joe, I KNOW what’s wrong….I cover my eyes when I’m scared or worried sometimes. Can you ask him if he’s worried?

MARIBETH: She will SIGN, “Are you worried?”

JONATHAN: SIGNS, “A little”.

FR. JOE: She will SIGN, and also say out loud, “Don’t be afraid. These are your friends. They want to learn some words to SIGN. Would you like to help me show them some simple words you use when you pray?”

JONATHAN: SIGNS, “Yes” and then points to Wendy & Tina and does a sign for “friend”, then points to Fr. Joe and does a SIGN for “Priest” and then a SIGN for “sign” indicating that he would like Fr. Joe to join them in learning to sign too.

MARIBETH: Let’s begin with the SIGN for pray—since that is what we are talking about. (shows everyone “Pray”)
There are also different ways to pray. You can pray by yourself (demonstrates),
pray with friends (demonstrates), or pray with your family (demonstrates)
You can also pray by talking, signing, or singing.

FR. JOE: You know, the Children’s Choir has been learning a song that they can SIGN along with Jonathan called, “Jesus Loves Me”. Can you and Jonathan show everyone some words from that song.

MARIBETH: (looks at Jonathan and asks him to help her teach some words in the song—as he does each word, she will explain how it was created)

JONATHAN: signs, “Jesus” then “loves” then “me” then “I know” then “Bible”
then “tells me so”

TINA: Maribeth, can we all join the Choir now?

WENDY: Yeah, hit it Larry!

(Choir will sing all verses and only “sign” the refrain. Maribeth will sign the refrain with everyone as well as Jonathan)
Jesus Loves Me
Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
1. Jesus loves me! This I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.
(Refrain)
2. Jesus loves me! This I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, "Let them come to me."
(Refrain)
3. Jesus loves me still today,
walking with me on my way,
wanting as a friend to give
light and love to all who live.
(Refrain)

FR. JOE: That was wonderful! I think the PUPPET PULPIT PASSWORD today is PRAYER ……..
(Fr. Joe will continue to summarize, he will again “sign” the refrain and dismiss everyone)

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