SermonStudio

Characters (15 speaking parts)

Narrator

Rabbit

Donkey

Fox

Deer

Bear

Mouse

Dog

Cat

Dove

Owl

Robin

Turkey

Rooster

Hen

Stars

Trees

Small children who can't read or learn speaking parts can be trees or stars. The rest will have cardboard ears or paper plate masks to represent the animal or bird they are portraying. The trees can hold leaves and the stars can hold cut out stars, sprinkled with silver glitter over glue.

Setting

A woods

Narrator: I will read the Easter story from chapter 16 of Mark's Gospel.

(After the reading, the Narrator will announce an Easter hymn. Children enter as the hymn is being sung)

Narrator: It is early Easter morning after sunrise at the edge of the woods and the animals are talking about why the day is special. The animals seem disturbed and a great deal of discussion has been taking place among them. Let's listen and see if we can discover what is bothering them.

Mouse: I don't like how the cat is looking at me. Will you stop licking your mouth everytime you see me?

Cat: I can't help it. Cats like mice, and I'm very hungry.

Bear: You think you are hungry? I've been sleeping all winter. When I came out of my den, I expected to go looking for food. Instead, I have to come to this meeting. What's it all about anyway?

Dog: I called all of us together because the children in my house have been busy all week coloring boiled eggs, and last night they were so excited, I though they'd never get to sleep.

Bear: Who cares what humans do or think, just so they leave us alone. Besides, I'm too hungry to worry about children and their parents.

Cat: (Still looking at Mouse) Well, I care. The children are important to me because they play with me, and the grownups feed me.

Mouse: Did they feed you this morning?

Cat: No, that's why I'm hungry.

Mouse: I was afraid of that. Is anyone going to make that cat stop looking at me and licking its mouth? Cats make me nervous.

Dog: Cat, stop it right now. We're all hungry and I don't want us to make one another frightened. We have important business here.

Fox: What can be more important than getting food, not only for us but for our babies? I have four kits in the den waiting for me to bring them something to eat.

Bear: If all of you are going to talk about food and eating, I'm leaving this silly meeting and going to get something for my belly.

Dog: If you'll all be quiet a minute, I'll explain why we're here. Something important is going on today. Did any of you see how people were dressed up in new clothes this morning?

Donkey: We know. Humans are acting strangely and you want to know why. Well, I think humans always act strangely, not quiet and well behaved like us animals.

Robin: You forgot us birds. We're better behaved than the rest of you animals. Besides, you bray so loud, no one would think you are quiet.

(Several animals and birds shout, "Yes," while others shout, "Quiet")

Dog: We have to understand humans. True, the cat and I are the only ones who live with them, but like it or not, humans affect all of us.

Rabbit: Can I say something? Make this meeting short. The fox is looking at me like the cat looks at the mouse. I'm not hungry as I ate some green, tender grass on my way here, but like all of you I have babies in my rabbit hole to feed. The sooner we listen to dog, the sooner we all get out of here and back to our babies and homes.

Dog: Thanks, Rabbit, for being so helpful. I won't chase you as much anymore -- (Pauses) at least today. Now if we can get back to business. What's so special about this day that humans spent all week busying themselves -- cleaning, cooking special food --

Bear: (Quickly interrupts) Will you all stop talking about food?

Dog: Sorry. Anyway, my human family, Cat's and mine, are almost as busy as they are at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Turkey: Don't talk about Thanksgiving. My uncle Joe was on their Thanksgiving table last year -- and not as an invited guest.

Hen: Well, I'm interested in what all the human activity is about. They took all the eggs we chickens laid all week, and they didn't eat them for breakfast. They hard boiled them. What are they doing with all those eggs?

Cat: Last night the children were coloring them, and putting pictures on them. They were trying on those new clothes Dog talked about. Then they talked about how today would be Easter.

All except Cat: Easter? What's Easter?

Cat: Well, it can't be Christmas because they just had that a few months ago. Besides, there's no tree and presents.

Dog: It can't be a birthday. We know when everyone in the family has a birthday. But there are baskets filled with candy and small gifts and toys. Too, there were eggs hidden all over the house this morning.

Turkey: As long as it's not Thanksgiving.

Dog: And that's not all. Every basket had a chocolate rabbit in it.

(All look at Rabbit)

Rabbit: Why is everyone looking at me? Oh. No. I'm not the Easter bunny. I've never met him. He's not in my family. We're very nice people, and we don't have anything to do with humans.

Deer: Neither do we. Humans scare us. So, if we can't find out what's special about today to people and why it's called Easter, the deer are leaving, meeting or no meeting.

Dove: I've sat here long enough keeping quiet. If anyone should be able to help us it would be Owl. After all, we all call him the wise old owl.

(All look at Owl)

Owl: Whooooo! I wondered how long you would keep up all the talk and finally get around to me.

Robin: I should have though of asking Owl. We birds are smart. We see how humans act and listen to them talk when we eat the seeds that they put out for us.

All except Owl: Please tell us, Owl.

Owl: If you all keep still and settle down -- Cat, get away from Mouse; Fox, get away from Rabbit. Now, as I was saying, if you all keep still and settle down, I'll tell you what my grandfather told me about Easter when I was little.

Dove, Robin, Rooster, Hen, and Turkey: (One after another) Please!

Owl: A long, long time ago, so far back we animals and birds couldn't count that far, there was a good man who was Love. He helped people. He healed the sick. He told about God's love for not only humans but the birds and the animals -- the whole world.

All except Owl: Ohhh! Please tell us more.

Owl: This man was God's Son. But some people hated him and his talk about love and forgiveness. So they killed him. They hung him on a cross between two thieves, and then they buried him in a tomb.

All except Owl: Ohhh, no!

Owl: But what they didn't know was how much God loves the world and everything he created. God's love is so great that on Sunday, the Son of God, Jesus, rose from the dead and went to heaven to be with his Father. And to this day, people remember God's love on this special day and call it Easter.

Deer: Then you think human beings would remember God's love every day.

Robin: You think they would call every Sunday a special day if Jesus rose on that day of the week.

Mouse: And you think humans would live and love all the time, every day.

Owl: (Looking at each animal and bird one at a time) Many do, and yes, there are some who don't know about love. But that is why we animals and birds should be kind and gentle to one another. Maybe when humans see us being good and loving, they will remember Easter every day they live.

Cat: That's a lovely story, Owl. Mouse, I promise you I won't bother you at all today, because it's Easter.

Fox: Rabbit. (Rabbit looks at Fox) Me, too. I will leave you alone on this special day.

Owl: Now you know what Easter is all about -- (Pause) God's love. So happy Easter all of you, and remember God loves you and everything and everyone he created.

Narrator: Yes, Easter is much more than colored eggs, Easter baskets, chocolate rabbits, and new clothes. Easter, as the animals have learned and as we all know, is the day to rejoice because Jesus rose from the dead. And because he rose, he has promised to all who love and believe in him that they, too, will rise and be with God in heaven. Let us rejoice and give thanks to God for Jesus and for Easter.

(Congregation may sing an Easter hymn to close as the children leave)