Spiritual Gifts – “Fruits of the Spirit” - Archived Post

I’m currently working on a script for the Christian drama troupe that I was a member of for all four years of undergrad (Living Parables). They have five new members this year, which is FANTASTIC, but it also means that all the scripts they had written were for a smaller group of people.

The theme for this semester is “Gifts” – all kinds of gifts. Spiritual, physical, Christmas, whatever you can think of and relate back to a Christian theme or principle.

I thought that it would be nice to write a piece that isn’t outright comedy that involves all nine active members. The first thing that comes to my mind is the Fruits of the Spirit (probably because there are nine, LOL!).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Here is what I’ve got – see if you can discern between the different fruits! I’d love any feedback!

Welcome to the Neighborhood

[Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control all take the stage. Each one has a cookie, and there is an empty basket (can be placed on a chair) downstage center. Cookies should be large enough to be visible to audience, and if the basket can be disposable, that would be good. ]

A: Living in our neighborhood is great! Not only do we live in a beautiful place, but the people here are truly wonderful. While there are disagreements occasionally, for the most part we all get along really well and enjoy each others company. We’re always having potluck dinners, neighborhood softball games, and fun movie nights with out kids. When I heard that a new family was moving to the neighborhood, I thought it would be a great idea to bake a basket of cookies to give to them when they moved in. Each member of the neighborhood could contribute some cookies, so not only would we be helping our new neighbors, but we could also do something good together! [places cookie into basket]

B: I know moving can be really rough. I remember when our family moved to the neighborhood. We had a newborn, so not only were we frantically trying to unpack, but we were also dealing with taking care of a new baby and trying to get settled into our new jobs. The neighbors were really great! They came to introduce themselves, and even brought over lasagna so that we didn’t have to cook all week! I was so moved by their kindness – I will certainly contribute some cookies to the basket, to help the newcomers through this frantic time. [places cookie into basket]

C: Who doesn’t love cookies?! They really put a smile on my face, and I know that others feel the same. My kids each get to decorate a cookie for the basket – we bought five different colors of icing! They might be a little messy, but they sure were fun to make, and it’s obvious by looking at them that a lot of energy went into them! I hope that the newcomers are excited to move to our neighborhood. We can’t wait to get to know them! [places cookie into basket]

D: This week has been really busy for me! I had to take the dog to the vet, both of my kids had projects due this week, and there’s a dinner party for my wife’s office that I have to get a new suit for. The last thing I feel like doing is baking cookies, but I know that it’s important. When we joined our neighborhood, we promised that we would participate in the activities, especially helping newcomers feel welcome. I may be tired, but I can spare half an hour to bake some cookies of the slice-and-bake variety. They don’t have to be perfect, and the gesture is the important part. As tired as I am, a promise is a promise. [places cookie into basket]

E: Our family feels truly blessed to live in our neighborhood. God has given us a wonderful atmosphere in which to raise our children, and for that we are so thankful. I love spending time with our friends here, and it’s really been great to watch our children grow together. I want nothing but the best for our new neighbors. Our family is going to bake our cookies together, with each person adding a personal touch to their cookie. I want our neighbors to feel just how great living here can be! [places cookie into basket]

F: When the realtor sold our new neighbors their house, there was a dispute about a tree lying between their house and ours. Unfortunately, there was a lot of legal paperwork that had to be done to determine property lines, and I’m afraid we got off on the wrong foot with the newcomers. We didn’t mean for things to get heated, but somehow they did. However, our family is not one to hold a grudge, and we will definitely be contributing to the cookie basket! I hope that they understand that we are sorry for the problems in the past, and that we hope they remain in the past! We’d love to get to know them better! [places cookie into basket]

G: I don’t mean to brag, but I really do bake the best cookies on the street. As a professional chef, it would probably be bad if I didn’t! I have several recipes that no matter how many people try them I somehow make them better. I could easily make enough for the entire basket, but I know that others want to bake cookies too. It’s not just about the cookies; it’s what the cookies represent! Though it would be easy for me to make several dozen, I’ll just contribute the same amount as everyone else, so that the entire neighborhood may have joy in welcoming our new neighbors. [places cookie into basket]

H: With so many changes in going on in their lives, I only want to make things easier for our new neighbors. I’d hate for them to feel like they owe us something because of the basket of cookies. I’ll make sure to put them in a nice, but understated basket, without a lot of frills. And I’ll make sure to write up a nice welcome letter that everyone can sign as they drop off their cookies. Moving can be so difficult, a sense of indebtedness is the last thing we want! [places cookie into basket]

I: There are so many different things that our new neighbors must be doing right now! Unpacking boxes, changing their address on all their mail, getting the electricity turned on, learning their way around town – phew, it makes me tired just to think of it! They must be so busy; it would be silly of me to expect a response from them immediately after receiving these cookies. They may not even be able to call to say thank you – I mean, the entire neighborhood is contributing. That’s a lot of phone calls if we all expect a call! I know that in time, when their lives have calmed down, the new neighbors will reciprocate in whatever way they can. Until then, I’ll just be happy knowing that we can look forward to getting to know our new friends. [Places cookie into basket. Then, either alone or with the group, I gives the basket of cookies to an audience member.]

[recited by a member of the troupe] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

END