Seven Churches

Seven Churches takes the powerful messages Jesus gave to the seven churches in Revelation and presents them through a series of lighthearted baseball-themed sketches. Humor opens the door, but each scene delivers a thoughtful challenge about faithfulness, compromise, perseverance, spiritual passion, and obedience.

Using familiar sports situations and memorable characters, each sketch highlights one of the churches from Revelation and invites audiences to examine their own walk with Christ. Perfect as sermon starters, a multi-week series, Bible study discussion launchers, or worship service drama presentations.

Biblical References:
Ephesus  Revelation 2:1-7
Smyrna – Revelation 2:8-11
Thyatira – Revelation 2:29
Philadelphia – Revelation 3:7-13
Laodicea – Revelation 3:22
Sardis – Revelation 3:1-6
Pergamos – Revelation 2:17

Cast:

• 2 in each sketch, m or f

Set: standard

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props:

• baseball, baseball bat, football, tennis racquet

Costumes:

• where appropriate, baseball sweaters

Special Instructions: none

Time: 30 (4 mins per sketch)

Sample of script

• Download Sample Script

Yogi comes on stage, baseball in hand, bored, sits restless, reads magazine, stands, yawns

After a few seconds Thelma comes on stage carrying a baseball bat, takes swings with bat

Selma: Hey, so you play baseball too I see.

Yogi: Well just by lookin’ at me you had to know I’m an excellent ballplayer.

Selma, annoyed:
Nooooo! . . . I assumed you play baseball because you are walking around with a baseball in your hand. . . . . And as for you being an . . . excellent . . . ballplayer . . I’m guessing the jury is still out on that one!

Yogi: You mean you don’t know me?

Selma: Should I?

Yogi: Maybe the name Yogi might help?

Selma: You are Yogi Bear?

Yogi: That is not funny!

Selma: Didn’t mean to be funny, fact is I don’t know who you are.

Yogi: You don’t know Yogi then you have never even come within yellin’ distance of a baseball field.

Selma: I play outfield on our church baseball team, some say I am pretty good.

Yogi, laughs:
Church baseball team? . . . Amateur hour!

For your information I happen to be the pitcher on State Selects, an all-star last 8 years running, never been defeated.

Selma: Impressive, you must spend a lot of time training.

Yogi: Nah, our team is on top of it’s game, we’ve done it all, tried all that there is to try, when you’re the best you’ve arrived.

Selma: You mean you don’t get together for practices?

Yogi: Bite your tongue Thelma . . .

Selma: Selma.

Yogi: Whatever. . . Of course we get together for practices, every Wednesday night at 7PM, regular as clockwork! . . . But the focus isn’t on trainin’, we just toss the ball around a bit, keep ourselves in maintenance mode. But no reason to break a sweat when you have the track record we have.

Selma: Wow Yogi, our team practices at least twice a week, and of course we do our private practices, sometimes several times a day.

Yogi: See, you’ve gotta understand somethin’ here! . . . You newbies, you got a lot to learn, you gotta be prepared to go through the tough sleddin’ of practice, practice, practice! . . . But the point is us guys who have earned the right to be called Selects . . we kinda what you might say . . got it made. . . . See we already have our home assured in the amazin’ Hall of Fame!

Selma: But, Yogi, don’t you still read through the Rule Book every day and in your practices?

Yogi, hurt:
I beg your pardon! . . . We are often in the word of the Rule Book, a lot . . sometimes! . . . Fact is every single one of us, me especially, we can quote every word, every verse and chapter of the Rule Book. . . . It’s just what we do! . . . So it’s not as if we even need to read, the words are written in our hearts.

Selma: Strange. . . I find that every time I open the Rule Book I learn something new.

Yogi: Good for you Thelma. . .

Selma: Selma.

Yogi: Whatever. . . . You amateurs for sure need to keep up your practices, your readin’ the Rule Book. . . maybe some day you might some of you be in the Hall of Fame too. . . Maybe . . . Possibly.

end of sketch 1

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Smyrna – Revelation 2:8-11

Newsy comes on stage carrying a microphone and sheaf of papers, talks downstage as though to TV cameraman

Slugger comes on stage as indicated in script

Newsy: Newsy Grant of Channel 68 Sports here, reporting from the training camp of the Newtonville Nuggets of the Southeastern Baseball League.

With training camp just beginning we want to get the sense of how the Nuggets players feel about the upcoming baseball season.

Here comes Nuggets centerfielder Slugger Sloan . . .

Slugger, over here . . Newsy Grant of Channel 68 Sports here, your comments about the new season please.

Slugger, surprise:
Me? . . . Like, you are saying you want to interview . . . . me?

Newsy: Yes, please Slugger, over here.

Slugger: Uhhh, you realize I am Slugger Sloan, from the Newtonville Nuggets. . . I mean, you’re sure you don’t want to interview some all star from like one of the big, high profile teams?

Newsy: If we could just have a few minutes of your time Slugger. . . .

It’s the beginning of a brand new season, a time when every player on every team is hyped about their chances. So Slugger, tell me, what’s your assessment of the Nuggets chances this season?

Slugger: Well, not real great obviously, I mean, the team is pretty much out of money, we’ve lost most of our best players to other teams, we’re down to using second hand equipment and patched up uniforms.

Newsy: Yes, certainly the Nuggets have gone through some rough times lately but you have a technically sound team.

Slugger: No question there Newsy, we got a great group of guys, everyone giving their best every game, every practice.

Newsy: The whole league sees the commitment, even the Commissioner himself has been quoted as saying he is very impressed.

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