Christian Drama: Perpetual Rest in God

NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN CORPERS' FELLOWSHIP

EPISTLE UNIT DRAMA NIGHT

TOPIC: Perpetual Rest in God

Text: Matthew 11:28-30; Isaiah 30:15

CAST

Pregnant woman: Rossy Nkechi Okoro

Husband: David Ibimodi

Man: Nelson Vincent Ayomitunde

Young Lady: Ogar Praise

Nurse: Oluwafemi Faith

Mama Nkechi: Sis Chioma

Burden Carrier: Prince Oyakhilome

Passerby: Bro Ebiye Inieboloufini

Voice: Ayotola Oluseye Olugbenga (Ruggedman)

CREW

Curtains: Bro Ayo (Barrister) and Bro Fayokunmi

Sound: Mudasiru Eniola Ruth

Light: Bro Victor

Excerpt writing: Shalom Oluwatosin

Director: Samuel Adekunle Akorede

Act 1 Scene 1

Stage opens with a pregnant woman

Pregnant Woman: (Complaining in pains) Ah God! How long more do I have to bear this pain? How long before the great delivery before me? I've borne this pregnancy for too long now. For three whole years I have carried this burden. I'm getting weary Lord. I'm getting weary…. (She creams out loudly. Her husband rushes to the scene…)

Husband: My dear! What's the issue this time? Sorry ehn! We have gone everywhere else for help and it's not forthcoming…

Pregnant woman: (She Screams out loud again) Yeeee! Water! Water!!

Husband: (shouts in fear) Sade! Sade!! Please bring Water! Where's this girl? Hold on my dear. I'm coming. Just hold on. Let me get the water myself…

(Curtain closes)

Scene 2

Stage opens with a man in serious pain and fear, with a burden (represented with a bag) across his back.

Man: I've been on this journey for a long time now and this load keeps piling up. It's looking like for every step I take, a big stone is added to my luggage. I'm getting tired and weary and my destination is really far! How do I cope? My strength has failed me. Every minute, I feel like ending the whole journey… Let me just see one pit where I can dump all of these burdens and be free.

(A passerby walks briefly with his own load… The man calls for help)

Man: (calling for help) My brother, please can you help me with some of this luggage?

Passerby: (looks at him with disdain) Which help? Can't you see I'm carrying my own load? Don't you see that I have a long way ahead of me? See, I have eaten well and gathered strength enough for this journey. So I can't afford to waste any time or effort helping you out. Get out of my way! (He leaves muttering to himself…)

Man: (frantically begging..) Please… please… (Curran closes)

Scene 3

Stage opens with a young woman seen on stage scattering through her files in search of an important file…

Young woman: My God! Where exactly is this file? I saw it here. Or where exactly did I keep it? Why is it looking like I misplaced it? Or was it stolen? Why am I this confused? (She continues searching endlessly, pacing up and down the stage) Or did I keep it in the other room? Let me check (She exits the stage as curtain closes)

Act 2 Scene 1

The pregnant woman, man and the young lady appear together at different parts of the stage, comparing their predicaments.

Man: (Pointing at the pregnant woman) This your own load looks easy. It is tied to your belly so even if you're going to fall, you'd fall forward (she rolls her eyes at him). Who impregnated you sef? Where on earth is that man? He is very irresponsible. Imagine! Someone who is supposed to be here with you helping you through this journey.

Just look at me! I just packed a simple load to set out on a journey and gradually, it began to pile up with every step I took. Now, see how the load is pushing me back and forth. It is not easy I must tell you. One small step, I stagger. Another step, I stagger. I just hope I don't fall down and break my legs. The legs are even paining me like this…

Points again at the other young lady) As for you my Sister, your own burden is just a random file. See you searching frantically for Something that you misplaced due to your carelessness? Or wait! Why can't you find it at the exact place you kept it?… Or should I come and help you? Wait! What am I even saying sef? You're the one who gave yourself a burden. Now you have to deal with finding something that didn't get lost…

Young lady: See, Mr Man… Every man to his own burden. Every one here has a unique burden and it is not your duty to compare whether it is heavy or not. It is not your duty to say whether it is easy or light. You don't have any say. Instead you should sew your clothes where it is torn.

Pregnant woman: (cuts in, panting heavily) Tell him oh. Every man carries a burden that is peculiar to him. You cannot say that my burden is light because it is attached to my belly… or that yours is more because it is strapped to your back. You cannot say that she has a lesser burden either… see how disturbed she is with the files scattered all around. See the confusion on her face… that's what a burden does to you….

(A voice calls out from afar:

Voice: Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! Whosoever seeks true rest in God will be satisfied.

Young woman: Wait!!! What's that voice?

Man: I hear the voice too. Firm and clear.

(Voice calls out again)

Voice: Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! Whosoever seeks true rest in God will be satisfied. "For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel has said this, "If you return [to Me], you will find rest and you shall be saved, In quietness and confident trust in me is your strength."

Man: Hmmm. That sounds like a firm instruction, calling us into true rest in God.

Young Woman: Yes. It's an instruction. But wait You mean I simply need to stop worrying about finding this document? You mean you simply need to take your mind off this load and the weight it bring? Noooo. That's not just all. There must be something more.

Man: The voice says we should return to Him and that settles it. He says if we return to Him, by calling upon Him, then we will come into His rest. That looks so much like a simple thing to do… But it's tough…. It's tough…

Pregnant woman: (still in pains) It's truly tough, but at this point do we have a choice? Out of my worry, I have tried all other options to be delivered of this pregnancy. For three whole years now, yet nothing has shown forth… You heard the voice clearly like I did, but if you need someone to beg you to drop your burden at His feet, I'm the wrong person.

Man: Hmmm… so what do you want us to do now?

Pregnant woman: Well, I'm taking the chance with God. I'm following the voice. I don't think I can continue carrying this burden. I'm long overdue and any option that can truly help me is all I need. If you're fine with your burdens, you can carry on. But as for me, I will call upon the name of the Lord! (She begins to cry in prayers, asking God for help…)

Man: (Looking towards the young woman) Hello sister, one man is down already. She has submitted her burden to God. She has chosen to call upon God for rest… I think I'm going the same way… What are you considering?

Young woman: There's nothing really to lose. Let's choose this option from God. Let us see the salvation and rest he is offering. I don't want a temporal test. I want to enter into a full rest, hanging my anxiety and worries…. (She approaches the crying pregnant woman)…

Young woman: My sister, let us pray together to find this rest. Let us lay down our burdens to receive this rest…

Man: That's correct. I want the same thing too. I cannot be left out….

(Voice calls out again)

(There is silence….)

Pregnant woman: (With a loud shout to awaken the young woman and the man) Jesus!!! My water has broken! Looks like I just went into labour!!

Young woman: Heeeeh! Help! Help!! How do we do this now? Mr man, please come…

(Suddenly, the husband rushes in with a nurse and a glass of water… He sees that her water is broken)

Husband: Nurse!!! She is in labour. My wife is in labour! She is about to find rest! Ah God! Finally!! Heeeh God!

Nurse: Please calm down let's help her.

(They help her out of the stage… Almost immediately, Mama Nkechi walks into the stage…)

Mama Nkechi: Aunty! Fine Aunty! I been see one document wey get one passport photograph wey resemble you. Person sell am give me talk say make I use am sell akara. I just talk say make I bring am for you make you confirm before I use am oh.

Young woman: (looks into the document) Ah!! Where did you find this? How? My God! Na the document wey I dey find since be this oh! How e take reach your hand?

Mama Nkechi: Tor! Me I no sabi how oh. I sha talk say make I do Good Samaritan bring am come your side

Young woman: Ah Mama Nkechi! You don't know how much you have helped me. You don't know what this means to me… You are God sent to save me from a lot of stress, worry and anxiety. Ah! God will bless you for me oh. For say na another person, na so they for use my document sell akara oh… Thank you so much

Mama Nkechi: You're welcome… but you suppose drop something for the girls oh

Young woman: (playfully) Mama Nkechi!No wahala na. I go see you. Make I go submit am first make my mind dey at rest. I go find you something

Mama Nkechi: Oya na… make we dey go (they exit the stage…)

(Almost immediately, the burden carrier comes to help the man. He meets him seated on the floor)

Burden carrier: Mr man… you own this luggage? You look so tired… Let me help you with this luggage. I have been sent y out r way to ease your journey and take off the yoke. I will make this burden light and I'd carry it on my shoulders. Come… let me help you. Come… (he leaves the stage…)

The man: Ah! Thank you! You don't know how much weight you have lifted from me. You don't know how much worry and pain you have taken away from me…. I'm really grateful! I'm really grateful. I never knew I would ever become this light. See the ease with which I can move freely… see the joy I have found because I have rest. See the happiness in my heart because my burden has been lifted… (Closes the drama)

Through this drama, God will be bringing every believer with a spiritual burden to a place of rest. At the same time, everyone with a physical, emotional, financial or mental burden among others will also receive rest. For as many who believe or stand in the gap for friends and family, God will answer and give them rest.