Remember The Days Of Old

“Remember the Days of Old” – A Heritage Drama That Fills the Sanctuary with Story & Song

Step back into America’s formative years and discover how one remarkable family helped shape the church, the nation, and the future of faith. Remember the Days of Old weaves modern-day researchers with vivid flashbacks to the Muhlenberg dynasty—pastors, patriots, and pioneers of Lutheran worship in the New World. From candle-lit balcony scenes to spirited hymns sung by the congregation itself, this full-sanctuary pageant lets your audience live the legacy they celebrate. 

Why Your Church or Community Will Love It

• Epic yet accessible. Forty-plus speaking roles (easily doubled) let small or large ensembles shine, while congregational hymn-singing turns every attendee into a participant. Remember-the-Days-of-Old
• Immersive staging. Action unfolds across the pulpit, aisles, balcony, and even a dusty on-stage “library,” creating cinematic movement without elaborate sets. Remember-the-Days-of-Old
• Faith-rooted history. Perfect for anniversary Sundays, Reformation events, or patriotic services—spotlighting courage, worship, and service from 1740-1840. Remember-the-Days-of-Old
• Built-in music. Classic hymns (“A Mighty Fortress,” “Faith of Our Fathers,” and more) are scripted to choir or organ, instantly adding depth and familiar warmth. Remember-the-Days-of-Old
• Message that resonates today. Anchored in Deuteronomy 32:7—“Remember the days of old…”—the story calls every generation to honor the past and lead the future.

St John’s Evangelical Lutheran church in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania commissioned John Alexandar and the DramaShare team to research and write a drama chronicling the 200^th anniversary of the Lutheran church in America, and the role which the Muhlenberg family played. It is quite amazing to examine how one family was so instrumental in church history, as well as their very significant political and military involvement.

Although this drama relates specifically to Lutheran history it would be at home staged by any denomination, or even in secular theatre.

Teresa Kissling, Music Minister at St. John’s church tells of their success in staging this script:
 “What an inspiring drama written by DRAMASHARE to help celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the congregation of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sinking Spring, Pa. My actors, support staff, congregation and community were blessed. A wonderful historical drama that mixes real history with human interest writing, this drama can be used as a historical drama about how the establishment of the Lutheran Church in America intersected so closely with the early years of our government.

The various scenes were played over the entire church. We used a choir area that is portable for the library and placed many old items, dust and spider webs to set the atmosphere. On the opposite side of the sanctuary we used the choir area there to house a real 1800’s choir and the pipe organ. Directly in front of the organ console we set up a small stage for various small scenes. The two church alcoves, the pulpit and the center aisle were used throughout.
We made and rented some costumes for each time period represented and used a small amount of props, special lighting and wireless lavalier mics.
The drama was started with lights out as the two actors made their way down the center aisle of the sanctuary with flashlights as they searched in the dark for the old closed library. The audience was incorporated into the singing of the hymns etc. which made them feel as if they were really participating in an 1800’s worship setting. The altar was dressed with paraments, flower arrangements made from native plants and period candle sticks to support the setting. Scene 30 was especially interesting. We taped the actor’s voice and added reverb to the recording as we played it. The actor stood in front of a stained glass window lit from outdoors and contemplated what was being said in his mind. He was also lit with a red flood light. The closing readers’ theatre was memorized and played all over the sanctuary in a fast paced manner. Two young people were planted within the congregation to ask the questions in Scene 36.
A truly amazing drama that is educational and interesting even for those who don’t take an interest in history!
 

Bible Reference:     Deuteronomy 32:7

Cast:        There are approximately 40+ roles in this drama
NOTE each actor, (with the exception of Donald and Donna), would likely play a number of roles. Keep that in mind and where possible do not have multi-role actors playing in back-to-back scenes, this to better facilitate costume and makeup time.
The choir may well be actors as well.
The various Henry Muhlenbergs might well be played by the same actor, using costume and makeup adjustments.

Set:    Since we don’t know the exact layout of your church we simply identified that the library and the various pastors throughout the drama would likely be on the main stage, other actors would likely act from a balcony, the pulpit, (or other) locations, (as locations are available/advantageous).

Special Effects:   sound of drum roll in Scene 19

Lighting:    spotlights would be useful for balcony and “in-audience” acting

Sound:      wireless mics

Costumes:   period costumes should be used for all actors except for Donald and Donna and for the speakers in the final scene; those actors would be in current day leisure clothing

Props:       books for Library, giant spider webs for Scene 1, rocking chair for Scene 14, desk or table for Scenes 24, 28 & 30

Special Instructions:  Songs and some of the church speaking may have to be adjusted to fit your practices and unique theology. The intent in this piece is to create a feeling that the congregation is “sitting in” on the research into the church beginnings, and watching as the Muhlenberg family progress through time.

NOTE that in many cases we have created scenes and happenings which, (although historically not precisely factual), show the happenings in a form which can be better understood and opted into by the audience. So the results (example in the meeting between Muhlenberg and his wife-to-be and her father) are not meant to be word-for-word what actually happened, but the flow of happenings shows the final and accurate results, and in a way that is much more easily followed by the audience.

Time:   Will depend on the songs used and other factors, but will be in the 75-90 minute range.

Download Sample Script

Sample Script

Scene One

Setting: Present-day church library. Onstage are desks, chairs, bookshelves, and stacks of old hymnals and papers. A framed photo of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg is on a side table.

CAST

• Narrator
• Jenny – Church youth doing research
• Pastor Martin – The current pastor
• Karen – Church member helping with archives

Narrator:
(stepping forward)
"Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past."
These words from Deuteronomy remind us that God's story is not only in Scripture—but in the faithful lives of those who came before us. Tonight, we remember...

(Lights up. Jenny is flipping through a dusty hymnal. Pastor Martin enters.)

Pastor Martin:
Working hard, Jenny?

Jenny:
Trying! There’s so much here. It’s like a time machine—these books, these notes... some even have candle wax on them.

Karen: (enters with box)
And I brought more! Letters, bulletins, even an old sermon handwritten by Pastor Johanssen.

Jenny:
Didn’t he serve in like… the 1800s?

Pastor Martin:
1891 to 1920. He baptized my grandfather.

Jenny:
Wow. So all of this connects… to us?

Karen:
That’s why we keep these records. They remind us that we’re not starting from scratch. We’re continuing a story.

Narrator:
And so, as the present flips through the pages of the past, we journey now to 1748...

(Lights dim. Harpsichord-style music plays. Lights come up on...)

Scene Two

Setting: Balcony of Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe, Pennsylvania, 1748. Candlelight. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg is praying.

CAST

• Henry Muhlenberg – Lutheran missionary and pastor
• Peter Muhlenberg – His young son
• Choir Boy – Practicing a hymn

Henry: (kneeling at the rail)
O Lord, You have called me to a wild land with wild hearts. May Your Word take root here, in Pennsylvania’s soil as it did in Wittenberg.

Peter: (enters, out of breath)
Father! Mr. Krause brought news. The new hymnals arrived by wagon from Philadelphia!

Henry: (rises)
Praise God. Then tomorrow, we sing “A Mighty Fortress” in German and in English.

Choir Boy: (offstage)
 “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott…” 

Henry:
Yes, Lord. Let this fortress of faith rise anew.

Scene Three

Setting: 1776, Colonial Virginia. A modest church meeting hall doubling as a makeshift council chamber. Peter Muhlenberg, now grown, stands before a small crowd. He is dressed in clerical robes.

CAST

• Peter Muhlenberg – Now a Lutheran pastor and patriot
• Samuel – Local farmer and church member
• Mrs. Walsh – Elder congregant
• Congregants – Optional chorus or ensemble

Peter:
Brethren, I preach today not only from the Book of Ecclesiastes... but from the book of liberty.

Samuel:
Pastor, you speak of politics now?

Peter:
I speak of Providence. “To everything there is a season”—and now, a time to fight. To stand. To declare ourselves free from tyranny.

Mrs. Walsh:
But you’re our pastor...

Peter: (removing robe to reveal a Continental Army uniform underneath)
And now, I must also be your colonel.

(Crowd gasps. A few cheer. Some weep.)

Peter:
God calls us to serve in many ways. For me, that means the pulpit of the battlefield. Who will ride with me?

Congregants:
(with rising voices) I will. / For God and country! / We ride with you, Pastor!

(Lights shift dramatically. Bell tolls.)

Narrator:
Some preach peace. Some preach war. Some do both.
From the balcony of a humble church, Peter Muhlenberg rode to Congress—and into the birth of a nation.

---

Scene Four

Setting: Back to present-day church library. Jenny has a small flag in her hand and a copy of Muhlenberg’s speech.

Jenny:
He gave up the pulpit... to fight? That's intense.

Pastor Martin:
He believed faith and freedom were intertwined. That service to God sometimes meant taking great risks.

Karen:
Not unlike today. When we stand up for the gospel—it’s not always comfortable.

Jenny:
But it’s still worth it.

Narrator:
Yes, remember the days of old. But do more than remember—live them. Let the faith of the past fuel the fire of the present.

Download Sample Script

Want to see how the story unfolds? DramaShare members get this complete script— and access to our entire library—free! Not a member? You can still grab this individual script and bring it to life.