Sing A New Old Song

When a church introduces worship music from around the world, not everyone sings along with the same enthusiasm. In this lighthearted 8-minute comedy, three friends leave church discussing the sermon—until one admits her real hang-up: those “weird songs from halfway around the world.” As the conversation unfolds, she learns that many of her beloved “homegrown” hymns actually came from other countries. With humor and heart, the skit points back to the early church’s unity in diversity and challenges us to celebrate cultural differences in worship.

Cast: 3 m or f

• Lynn
• Jessie
• Taylor

Bible Reference: Ephesians 2:19

Set: standard

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props: paper

Costumes: standard

Special Instructions: none

Time: 8

Sample of script: 

(Lynn, Jessie, and Taylor enter, leaving church.)

Jessie: That was a great message.

Taylor: Pastor Sam does a fine job of researching his sermons.

Jessie: Amazing, isn’t it? I’ve read those Bible passages like a hundred times, and Pastor gives a completely new slant on them.

(Taylor takes a paper from pocket.)

Taylor: I wrote down some things that really hit home with me. One I really grabbed on to:
No first and second-class citizens in the church of Christ.

Jessie: A new race of people.

Taylor: No dividing walls.

Jessie: Gentiles have full rights and rewards in the church of Christ.

Taylor: Creation of a universal church.

Jessie: Every person who is in Christ has something to bring to worship times.

Taylor: Amazing how people in the early church welcomed the people and their traditions from other regions, other countries.

Jessie: Can you imagine how their church services sounded?

Lynn: Yeh, right!

Jessie: Is something wrong, Lynn? You haven’t said a word since we left the sanctuary.

Lynn (lifeless): Wrong? . . . Nah, everything’s great . . . just great!

Taylor: Jessie’s right, Lynn, it’s not like you to be this quiet. Was there something that Pastor Sam said in his sermon?

Lynn: Pastor Sam was just fine, it’s just that . . . (thinks) . . . No, forget it, it’s all good.

Taylor: I know you, Lynn, and I know there’s something you aren’t saying here.

Jessie: Yes, Lynn! (big smile) So spill it! What hit you wrong in the sermon?

Lynn: The sermon was great . . . it was the singing, actually.

Taylor: Yeh, I heard Mrs. Ogilvie—she is never a whole lot on key, but tonight was definitely worse than usual.

Lynn: Mrs. Ogilvie was fine.

Jessie: Now you got me guessing, Lynn. Like I said—spill it!

Lynn: Well, I thought some of the songs were way over the top and hardly appropriate.

Jessie: Not appropriate? There were beautiful worship songs and old hymns as well.

Lynn: Look, I am a person who worships through music. I can handle a new worship song here and there, but I do love the traditional songs. It’s what I am.

Taylor: I know, I have my favorites too, but I think the music people try hard to give a good mix of old and new songs.

Lynn: That’s just my point—we have so many good American hymns and songs, why do we need the ones from halfway around the world?

Jessie: So that’s it—it’s the songs from other countries and cultures you are having problems with.

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