Growth
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
In the Kingdom of God beginnings are always small but can grow with God's help.
Summary
Carol, a college student, is taking a botany test and not doing well, but her teacher receives a lesson when she teaches about the mustard seed.
Playing Time
3 1/2 minutes
Setting
A college classroom
Props
A potted mustard plant
Costumes
Appropriate for the college classroom
Time
Now
Cast
PROFESSOR -- A botany teacher
CAROL -- his student
PROFESSOR: (CARRYING A POTTED PLANT) And now for the last plant, Miss Simpson. I hope you can identify this one. You've missed all the others.
CAROL: I'm ready, Professor Greewalt.
PROFESSOR: Very good, what plant is this?
CAROL: I can't remember.
PROFESSOR: Look at the leaves.
CAROL: (INSPECTING THE PLANT CLOSELY) Tomato.
PROFESSOR: No, not a tomato plant. Observe the structure of the stem.
CAROL: Pepper.
PROFESSOR: Quit guessing. You should know this plant.
CAROL: I don't know.
PROFESSOR: I'm disappointed in you, Miss Simpson. You don't know your plants, do you?
CAROL: I couldn't get that one.
PROFESSOR: You couldn't get any of them. A mustard plant, Miss Simpson. You haven't been studying, have you?
CAROL: I had a big test in theology yesterday.
PROFESSOR: And you studied theology instead of botany, is that correct?
CAROL: Yes, sir, that's what happened, that along with helping at the homeless shelter.
PROFESSOR: Helping at a homeless shelter? How can that further your career? Can you tell me if there is any reason I should give you a passing grade in this course, Miss Simpson?
CAROL: Yes, sir. There is one.
PROFESSOR: And what is that?
CAROL: (TAKING THE PLANT FROM THE PROFESSOR) I know what the mustard seed represents.
PROFESSOR: I also know what it represents -- your failing grade.
CAROL: No, no. The mustard seed represents the Kingdom of God.
PROFESSOR: You're a little confused, Miss Simpson. First of all, there is no God, and secondly, this is botany, a science, not theology, a fantasyland.
CAROL: I just got an "A" on my theology test.
PROFESSOR: A tremendous waste of time.
CAROL: Nevertheless, I do know something about the plant.
PROFESSOR: Surprise me.
CAROL: It's the greatest of all herbs, so big in fact that the birds can nest in it.
PROFESSOR: You did study. What else do you know?
CAROL: The mustard seed is really small, trifling, you might say.
PROFESSOR: Very true, it is insignificant.
CAROL: And yet it is of great significance.
PROFESSOR: A riddle?
CAROL: Not really. It's like the Kingdom of God.
PROFESSOR: The Kingdom of God again.
CAROL: You start out small in the Kingdom of God, like the mustard seed, and grow into greater service.
PROFESSOR: Greater service?
CAROL: Yes, to God and to others, like the birds in the mustard bush. The bush provides them shelter.
PROFESSOR: And you think that this theological mumbo jumbo will get you a good grade in botany?
CAROL: Maybe not. But it's worth a lot more to me.
PROFESSOR: What about your grades? Why are you so concerned about God? What if I told you there was no God?
CAROL: You said that before, but it didn't change the fact that God created the mustard seed.
PROFESSOR: Can you prove that?
CAROL: Of course not, but science, and botany in particular, doesn't know why you stick a mustard seed in the ground and a mustard bush grows.
PROFESSOR: At least the botanist can identify the mustard plant.
CAROL: What if there is a God? Wouldn't it be more important to identify Him?
PROFESSOR: What about your grade in botany?
CAROL: I can improve that. What about your grade?
PROFESSOR: I beg your pardon.
CAROL: If there is a God, what kind of grade will you be getting?
In the Kingdom of God beginnings are always small but can grow with God's help.
Summary
Carol, a college student, is taking a botany test and not doing well, but her teacher receives a lesson when she teaches about the mustard seed.
Playing Time
3 1/2 minutes
Setting
A college classroom
Props
A potted mustard plant
Costumes
Appropriate for the college classroom
Time
Now
Cast
PROFESSOR -- A botany teacher
CAROL -- his student
PROFESSOR: (CARRYING A POTTED PLANT) And now for the last plant, Miss Simpson. I hope you can identify this one. You've missed all the others.
CAROL: I'm ready, Professor Greewalt.
PROFESSOR: Very good, what plant is this?
CAROL: I can't remember.
PROFESSOR: Look at the leaves.
CAROL: (INSPECTING THE PLANT CLOSELY) Tomato.
PROFESSOR: No, not a tomato plant. Observe the structure of the stem.
CAROL: Pepper.
PROFESSOR: Quit guessing. You should know this plant.
CAROL: I don't know.
PROFESSOR: I'm disappointed in you, Miss Simpson. You don't know your plants, do you?
CAROL: I couldn't get that one.
PROFESSOR: You couldn't get any of them. A mustard plant, Miss Simpson. You haven't been studying, have you?
CAROL: I had a big test in theology yesterday.
PROFESSOR: And you studied theology instead of botany, is that correct?
CAROL: Yes, sir, that's what happened, that along with helping at the homeless shelter.
PROFESSOR: Helping at a homeless shelter? How can that further your career? Can you tell me if there is any reason I should give you a passing grade in this course, Miss Simpson?
CAROL: Yes, sir. There is one.
PROFESSOR: And what is that?
CAROL: (TAKING THE PLANT FROM THE PROFESSOR) I know what the mustard seed represents.
PROFESSOR: I also know what it represents -- your failing grade.
CAROL: No, no. The mustard seed represents the Kingdom of God.
PROFESSOR: You're a little confused, Miss Simpson. First of all, there is no God, and secondly, this is botany, a science, not theology, a fantasyland.
CAROL: I just got an "A" on my theology test.
PROFESSOR: A tremendous waste of time.
CAROL: Nevertheless, I do know something about the plant.
PROFESSOR: Surprise me.
CAROL: It's the greatest of all herbs, so big in fact that the birds can nest in it.
PROFESSOR: You did study. What else do you know?
CAROL: The mustard seed is really small, trifling, you might say.
PROFESSOR: Very true, it is insignificant.
CAROL: And yet it is of great significance.
PROFESSOR: A riddle?
CAROL: Not really. It's like the Kingdom of God.
PROFESSOR: The Kingdom of God again.
CAROL: You start out small in the Kingdom of God, like the mustard seed, and grow into greater service.
PROFESSOR: Greater service?
CAROL: Yes, to God and to others, like the birds in the mustard bush. The bush provides them shelter.
PROFESSOR: And you think that this theological mumbo jumbo will get you a good grade in botany?
CAROL: Maybe not. But it's worth a lot more to me.
PROFESSOR: What about your grades? Why are you so concerned about God? What if I told you there was no God?
CAROL: You said that before, but it didn't change the fact that God created the mustard seed.
PROFESSOR: Can you prove that?
CAROL: Of course not, but science, and botany in particular, doesn't know why you stick a mustard seed in the ground and a mustard bush grows.
PROFESSOR: At least the botanist can identify the mustard plant.
CAROL: What if there is a God? Wouldn't it be more important to identify Him?
PROFESSOR: What about your grade in botany?
CAROL: I can improve that. What about your grade?
PROFESSOR: I beg your pardon.
CAROL: If there is a God, what kind of grade will you be getting?
