BACK LOSTCOIN 4'?m1f Monologue: the parable of the lost coin(ring) While I was eating lunch with my friends the other day, I looked down at my hand... (demonstrates, gasps, pats pockets, looks frantically at surroundings) I noticed that my ring... my wedding ring was missing! Someone at the table asked calmly, "Where were you when you last saw it on your finger?" (pauses, tilts head) "I... I don't know. At home I think." (pumps arms as if walking quickly) And with that I got up from the table and hurried home. (moves left and right, ducking and snooping) Now where was I when I last saw it? Well, there's only one place in the house where I ever remove my ring. That's the bathroom. So, I hurried to the bathroom and looked on the sink and the surrounding counters. Nothing. The drawers. Nothing. The floors, the tub. Nothing. (fingers to forehead) Wait. Stop and think. (walking motion) The kitchen. Maybe my ring fell off my hand when I was scrubbing pots or something. Nothing. Well, maybe it fell into the garbage disposal. (reaches down, grimaces) Egg shells. Apple corps. (pastes on fake smile) Well, the garbage is still in there. At least I didn't grind my ring into small pieces. So, one, by one, I removed each piece of garbage... (demonstrates) ..checking each piece to see if my wedding ring was hidden in it. Nothing. And when the disposal was empty, I felt around the bottom. Nothing. It HAS to be there! (shines imaginary flashlight down the hole) So, I found a flashlight and I moved aside enough of those little rubber flaps to shine the light into the disposal. Nothing. The drawers. Nothing. The floors. Nothing. (walking motion) Back to the bathroom. Maybe I took my ring off, but it fell down the drain. I shined the flash light down the drain. Hopeless. So I found a wrench... (demonstrates) ...and took off the drain trap. Then... (grimaces) I carefully poured the smelly contents into a bowl. Nothing. (snaps fingers) There's a waste basket next to the sink. Maybe I accidentally swept my ring off the counter into the trash! (bends, picks up imaginary trash, points) Oh oh! I just emptied the trash this morning! (walking motion) Out to the garage. (gasps) Oh, oh! Trash day! (walking motion) Out to the curb. Oh, oh! The trash cans are empty. The trash haulers were already here! To the phone! (imaginary phone to ear) Hi, I lost my wedding ring and I think it may have ended up in the trash truck. Can you tell me where I might intercept the truck? Thanks! (hangs up, steers imaginary car) Into the car and down the street to the next neighborhood. Here comes the truck just like she said. (waves arms over head, shouts) Stop. Stop. Please stop. Yeah, hi. I think my wedding ring ended up in the trash in your truck... You're kidding. You just emptied the truck? Where? At the land fill. How do I get there? (steers car) Into the car and down the highway to the landfill. Yeah, hi. My trash truck driver said he just emptied his truck. Truck number 332. (points) That bull dozer over there? Thanks. (pumps arms, shouts, up to driver while walking along side) I'm sorry to bother you, but could you tell me where truck 332 just emptied its load? (sighs) You're kidding! (points over shoulder) You mean that whole mound of garbage came out of one truck?! Well, thanks. A ring. I lost my wedding ring. It's probably in a small white plastic bag. (turns, normal voice, mock enthusiasm) Well! There can't be more than four or five HUNDRED white plastic bags in there! I waded into knee-deep garbage picking through and tearing open all the white plastic bags I could find. After an hour the bull dozer driver came by. (shouts) "You still at it?" (sighs) Yeah. Still at it. "You say you're looking for a ring?" (shouts) Yeah. My wedding ring. "How many carrots?" (shouts) Excuse me? "How big is the diamond? Must be a big rock if you're going to all that trouble." (shouts) There's no diamond in it. Just a plain gold band. "You're wading through all this garbage and going to all this trouble for a plain gold band?!" (shouts) I have an emotional attachment to it. Well, to make a long story shorter, an hour later I found my garbage and I found my ring. So, why am I telling you all of this? Because Jesus has the same emotional attachment to his lost people. He had to wade through a lot of garbage to get you back. I just hope you appreciate his emotional attachment to you. ©2007 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.fea.net/bobsnook email: bobsnook@fea.net BACK |