Watch And Pray
Drama
Watch And Pray
Meditations In Dramatic Form For The Season Of Lent
1 - WATCH AND PRAY.
2 - These are the words of our Savior to his disciples as he went to pray in the garden. It was the night he was betrayed to his enemies.
3 - WATCH AND PRAY.
4 - This is our call to you this season of Lent, as we reflect once again upon that final week Christ walked the earth.
5 - WATCH AND PRAY.
6 - What are we watching for?
7 - What are we praying for?
8 - Let us first look at the significance of Lent.
9 - Lent is a word with origins in Old English, a word for spring. It possibly comes from a word meaning lengthen, as spring is the time when the days get longer.
10 - Historically, the forty days before Easter were used as a time of instruction and fasting for new converts who would be receiving baptism on Easter Sunday.
11 - In the Anglo world, this period was given the name Lent.
12 - Why is such a solemn time given a name for spring, the season of renewal? Shouldn't this be a time of celebration?
13 - That is where Easter comes in. There is our celebration of spring, of warmer days and the renewing earth.
14 - Consider the farmer. Before he can celebrate the greening of his fields, he must work the soil and plant the seed.
15 - He has to overcome many obstacles for a good harvest. He is dependent upon the richness of the soil, the timing of the rains, and the diligence of his own hard work.
16 - Spiritually, we spend the forty days of Lent in solemn reflection in order to appreciate more fully the Resurrection of Easter.
17 - The solemnity of Lent perhaps can be seen as planting the seeds for the Resurrection.
18 - WATCH AND PRAY.
19 - Spring is also the earth turning its back on winter, the season of sleep or death.
20 - Lent has traditionally been a time of repentance and the word "repent," in Christian terms, means to turn away and reject sin and death and accept salvation and life.
21 - When we repent, we are as if born again, just as the earth is reborn each spring.
22 - WATCH AND PRAY.
23 - A reading from the book of Joel, the prophet.
"But even now," says the Lord, "repent sincerely and return to me with fasting and weeping and mourning. Let your broken heart show your sorrow; tearing your clothes is not enough."
Come back to the Lord your God. He is kind and full of mercy; he is patient and keeps his promise; he is always ready to forgive and not punish. Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind and bless you with abundant crops. Then you can offer him grain and wine.
Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion; give orders for a fast and call an assembly! Gather the people together; prepare them for a sacred meeting; bring the old people; gather the children and the babies, too. Even newly married couples must leave their homes and come. The priests, serving the Lord between the altar and the entrance of the Temple, must weep and pray: "Have pity on your people, Lord. Do not let other nations despise us and mock us by saying, 'Where is your God?' "
Then the Lord showed concern for his land; he had mercy on his people. He answered them: "Now I am going to give you grain and wine and olive oil, and you will be satisfied. Other nations will no longer despise you."
Here ends the reading.
24 - Joel calls for repentance, not just from one person, or from one class of people.
25 - God wants everyone to turn to him.
26 - From babies to the elderly.
27 - Newlyweds must leave their new home, Joel says.
28 - All people must put aside their concerns and turn to God.
29 - Even enemies must put aside their differences and, together, turn to God.
30 - WATCH AND PRAY.
31 - Joel made a connection between repentance and God's gifts from the earth.
(32 through 39 spoken antiphonally)
32 - SPRING IS THE TIME OF PLANTING CROPS.
33 - AND OF REPENTANCE.
34 - SO WE CAN CELEBRATE THE RENEWAL OF THE EARTH AND ITS BOUNTY
35 - AND THE RESURRECTION.
36 - BECAUSE THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THINGS WILL NOT GROW
37 - AND THINGS WILL DIE
38 - AND WE WILL NEED THE HOPE OF NEW CROPS
39 - AND THE RESURRECTION.
40 - "Watch and pray," the Master said.
41 - We are watching for the Resurrection.
42 - We are praying for new life.
43 - What else? Is this all we are to pray about?
44 - There is a multitude to pray about.
45 - But this is where we start.
46 - WATCH AND PRAY.
47 - A reading from the second letter to the Corinthians from Paul the Apostle.
We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! Christ was without sin but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.
In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. Hear what God says: "When the time came for me to show you favor, I heard you; when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped you."
Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!
Here ends the reading.
48 - Today is the day to be saved.
49 - We look to the resurrection but today, this hour, is the time to receive salvation.
50 - This is the glorious grace of God, that we may repent at any time, that we may receive salvation at any hour.
51 - But what is this Paul said? Let God change us from enemies into his friends?
52 - Yes, for as long as we are not for God, we are against him. We are not his friends until we accept his loving gift of salvation.
53 - So we are his enemies from birth.
54 - Sinners from our mothers' wombs.
55 - This is why we must repent, turn away from what our human nature desires and turn to God's will.
56 - Turn from being enemies to being friends with each other and with God.
57 - WATCH AND PRAY.
58 - In the context of the scripture, Christ was telling his disciples to watch for the enemies, the soldiers that would be coming to arrest him.
59 - And Christ said, "... pray so you do not fall into temptation."
60 - This is hard to understand. What did Jesus mean by that?
61 - Pray, maybe, that they do not run as they all did?
62 - Pray, perhaps, that they are not tempted to attack the enemy as Peter did?
63 - Or pray that they do not fall into the temptation to become traitors as Judas did?
64 - What are we praying for?
65 - Maybe the same thing we watch for: our enemies.
66 - WATCH AND PRAY.
67 - There is a tradition for Lent that would have us concentrate on three things: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.
68 - (Reader should motion for congregation to stand.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
69 - GLORY TO YOU, O LORD.
70 - Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do. If you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
And when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair, so that others cannot know that you are fasting - only your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
The Gospel of the Lord.
71 - PRAISE TO YOU, O CHRIST.
72 - Our Lord has given us the standard to perform these duties.
73 - If we give to charity to be called great philanthropists, is that really charity?
74 - THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST.
75 - If we pray with loud praises and obvious gestures in order to be called great religious people, is that really prayer?
76 - THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST.
77 - If we fast to be recognized as great holy people, is that true fasting?
78 - THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST.
79 - The way of Christ is to give, pray, and fast so that we grow as children of God.
80 - So that we would be able to bear a cross and pray for the ones who nailed us there.
81 - WATCH AND PRAY
82 - for our enemies.
83 - Renewal is the word.
84 - Rebirth.
85 - We must be born again.
86 - This is what we hope to receive this Lent.
87 - We must be renewed so we can pray with Stephen,
88 - "LORD, DO NOT HOLD THIS SIN AGAINST THEM."
89 - This prayer is hard.
90 - It takes a lot to pray it.
91 - It takes soul-searching and self-knowledge, so we are secure in ourselves and in our faith.
92 - It takes our repentance, for we must see our own sin to have compassion for those who sin against us.
93 - It takes growth, the willingness to grow in faith, not to settle for the status quo of our soul.
94 - It takes patience to trust that God is in control in times of suffering.
95 - It takes self-discipline, self-control to keep ourselves from rash behavior.
96 - And it takes courage. Courage to accept our shortcomings, to accept our trials, to accept our cross.
97 - We will accept the ashes of Ash Wednesday and admit that we are also ashes.
98 - And we will watch and pray
99 - for our enemies.
100 - So that, like the mythological phoenix, we will also rise from the ashes to renewed life in Christ.
101 - WATCH AND PRAY.
102 - We are on our way to the cross.
2 - These are the words of our Savior to his disciples as he went to pray in the garden. It was the night he was betrayed to his enemies.
3 - WATCH AND PRAY.
4 - This is our call to you this season of Lent, as we reflect once again upon that final week Christ walked the earth.
5 - WATCH AND PRAY.
6 - What are we watching for?
7 - What are we praying for?
8 - Let us first look at the significance of Lent.
9 - Lent is a word with origins in Old English, a word for spring. It possibly comes from a word meaning lengthen, as spring is the time when the days get longer.
10 - Historically, the forty days before Easter were used as a time of instruction and fasting for new converts who would be receiving baptism on Easter Sunday.
11 - In the Anglo world, this period was given the name Lent.
12 - Why is such a solemn time given a name for spring, the season of renewal? Shouldn't this be a time of celebration?
13 - That is where Easter comes in. There is our celebration of spring, of warmer days and the renewing earth.
14 - Consider the farmer. Before he can celebrate the greening of his fields, he must work the soil and plant the seed.
15 - He has to overcome many obstacles for a good harvest. He is dependent upon the richness of the soil, the timing of the rains, and the diligence of his own hard work.
16 - Spiritually, we spend the forty days of Lent in solemn reflection in order to appreciate more fully the Resurrection of Easter.
17 - The solemnity of Lent perhaps can be seen as planting the seeds for the Resurrection.
18 - WATCH AND PRAY.
19 - Spring is also the earth turning its back on winter, the season of sleep or death.
20 - Lent has traditionally been a time of repentance and the word "repent," in Christian terms, means to turn away and reject sin and death and accept salvation and life.
21 - When we repent, we are as if born again, just as the earth is reborn each spring.
22 - WATCH AND PRAY.
23 - A reading from the book of Joel, the prophet.
"But even now," says the Lord, "repent sincerely and return to me with fasting and weeping and mourning. Let your broken heart show your sorrow; tearing your clothes is not enough."
Come back to the Lord your God. He is kind and full of mercy; he is patient and keeps his promise; he is always ready to forgive and not punish. Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind and bless you with abundant crops. Then you can offer him grain and wine.
Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion; give orders for a fast and call an assembly! Gather the people together; prepare them for a sacred meeting; bring the old people; gather the children and the babies, too. Even newly married couples must leave their homes and come. The priests, serving the Lord between the altar and the entrance of the Temple, must weep and pray: "Have pity on your people, Lord. Do not let other nations despise us and mock us by saying, 'Where is your God?' "
Then the Lord showed concern for his land; he had mercy on his people. He answered them: "Now I am going to give you grain and wine and olive oil, and you will be satisfied. Other nations will no longer despise you."
Here ends the reading.
24 - Joel calls for repentance, not just from one person, or from one class of people.
25 - God wants everyone to turn to him.
26 - From babies to the elderly.
27 - Newlyweds must leave their new home, Joel says.
28 - All people must put aside their concerns and turn to God.
29 - Even enemies must put aside their differences and, together, turn to God.
30 - WATCH AND PRAY.
31 - Joel made a connection between repentance and God's gifts from the earth.
(32 through 39 spoken antiphonally)
32 - SPRING IS THE TIME OF PLANTING CROPS.
33 - AND OF REPENTANCE.
34 - SO WE CAN CELEBRATE THE RENEWAL OF THE EARTH AND ITS BOUNTY
35 - AND THE RESURRECTION.
36 - BECAUSE THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THINGS WILL NOT GROW
37 - AND THINGS WILL DIE
38 - AND WE WILL NEED THE HOPE OF NEW CROPS
39 - AND THE RESURRECTION.
40 - "Watch and pray," the Master said.
41 - We are watching for the Resurrection.
42 - We are praying for new life.
43 - What else? Is this all we are to pray about?
44 - There is a multitude to pray about.
45 - But this is where we start.
46 - WATCH AND PRAY.
47 - A reading from the second letter to the Corinthians from Paul the Apostle.
We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! Christ was without sin but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.
In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. Hear what God says: "When the time came for me to show you favor, I heard you; when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped you."
Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!
Here ends the reading.
48 - Today is the day to be saved.
49 - We look to the resurrection but today, this hour, is the time to receive salvation.
50 - This is the glorious grace of God, that we may repent at any time, that we may receive salvation at any hour.
51 - But what is this Paul said? Let God change us from enemies into his friends?
52 - Yes, for as long as we are not for God, we are against him. We are not his friends until we accept his loving gift of salvation.
53 - So we are his enemies from birth.
54 - Sinners from our mothers' wombs.
55 - This is why we must repent, turn away from what our human nature desires and turn to God's will.
56 - Turn from being enemies to being friends with each other and with God.
57 - WATCH AND PRAY.
58 - In the context of the scripture, Christ was telling his disciples to watch for the enemies, the soldiers that would be coming to arrest him.
59 - And Christ said, "... pray so you do not fall into temptation."
60 - This is hard to understand. What did Jesus mean by that?
61 - Pray, maybe, that they do not run as they all did?
62 - Pray, perhaps, that they are not tempted to attack the enemy as Peter did?
63 - Or pray that they do not fall into the temptation to become traitors as Judas did?
64 - What are we praying for?
65 - Maybe the same thing we watch for: our enemies.
66 - WATCH AND PRAY.
67 - There is a tradition for Lent that would have us concentrate on three things: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.
68 - (Reader should motion for congregation to stand.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
69 - GLORY TO YOU, O LORD.
70 - Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do. If you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
And when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair, so that others cannot know that you are fasting - only your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
The Gospel of the Lord.
71 - PRAISE TO YOU, O CHRIST.
72 - Our Lord has given us the standard to perform these duties.
73 - If we give to charity to be called great philanthropists, is that really charity?
74 - THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST.
75 - If we pray with loud praises and obvious gestures in order to be called great religious people, is that really prayer?
76 - THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST.
77 - If we fast to be recognized as great holy people, is that true fasting?
78 - THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST.
79 - The way of Christ is to give, pray, and fast so that we grow as children of God.
80 - So that we would be able to bear a cross and pray for the ones who nailed us there.
81 - WATCH AND PRAY
82 - for our enemies.
83 - Renewal is the word.
84 - Rebirth.
85 - We must be born again.
86 - This is what we hope to receive this Lent.
87 - We must be renewed so we can pray with Stephen,
88 - "LORD, DO NOT HOLD THIS SIN AGAINST THEM."
89 - This prayer is hard.
90 - It takes a lot to pray it.
91 - It takes soul-searching and self-knowledge, so we are secure in ourselves and in our faith.
92 - It takes our repentance, for we must see our own sin to have compassion for those who sin against us.
93 - It takes growth, the willingness to grow in faith, not to settle for the status quo of our soul.
94 - It takes patience to trust that God is in control in times of suffering.
95 - It takes self-discipline, self-control to keep ourselves from rash behavior.
96 - And it takes courage. Courage to accept our shortcomings, to accept our trials, to accept our cross.
97 - We will accept the ashes of Ash Wednesday and admit that we are also ashes.
98 - And we will watch and pray
99 - for our enemies.
100 - So that, like the mythological phoenix, we will also rise from the ashes to renewed life in Christ.
101 - WATCH AND PRAY.
102 - We are on our way to the cross.
