To play out like a courtroom scene, immediately before a sermon that affirms Reverence doesn't have be be boring.
NOTE: This will be a controversial script to run in a conservative church, (any, for example, that does not clap after a special item). This script has had much time put in trying to been worded carefully in an attempt to not make light of giving reverence to God - who deserves more than we can ever give. It attempts to show how holy God is and how in reality we can do nothing to match his holiness when giving reverence to Him. Also explores, "God is love", and how the thought that He is so easily angered by breaking different 'reverence rules' is not compatible with a God so loving. It's an extreme sermon opener where the preacher needs to balance out the argument. Use this script with caution. :)
This is one of four dramas for a "Putting Bad Theology on Trial" Sermon Series:
- You can’t be sure of your salvation
- God promises to guide and prosper us in all our daily living
- Reverence must mean silence
- God will never allow more trials than we can handle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judge: OK, our first case for the morning is a complaint from a child that their dad always plays awful music on the car radio while they drive to and from school. Would you please take to the stand and deliver your statement.
Child:. Thank you, your honour. I sorry it’s come to this, but I just can’t take it any longer. My dad listens to nothing but ‘golden oldies’ FM radio whenever we drive anywhere. It’s the worst, I mean, golden oldies? More like Golden mouldys!
Sometimes my friends come in the car, and it’s so embarrassing.
I’d like my dad to play some more modern music for me, at least every now and then – I’m not unreasonable. He gets to listen to the music he grew up with, why can’t I? Thank you.
Judge: Thank you. Would the defendant please take to the stand and deliver their Statement.
Dad: Yeah, thanks your honour. Basically we’ve got no idea how to change the radio station in our new care. I can’t even figure out how to put the park break on and off in these fancy new cars! I’m more than happy to change the station if my child can figure it out. Anyway. That’s all I have to say about that.
Judge: Thank you. It seems to me if you both work together you’ll be able to find a happy medium with the music. Dismissed.
OK, our next case is an accusation that church is to enjoyable, and we are not taking reverence to the Loving Creator serious enough.
Complainant: We can all agree, our Loving Creator is so holy, so overwhelmingly perfect and supreme, we are not even worthy to voice his name, let alone see his face. He is so superior to us, it is incomprehensible!
Because of this I am declaring we have to bring reverence back to our churches of which will match this level of holiness, and strip away all frivolities in order to pay proper reverence.
When we come to worship our Loving Creator, we need to pay 100% respect to Him, for Leviticus 19:30 states, “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.” Or we risk losing our Loving Creator’s favour altogether.
Therefore, to keep this reverence as one comes into the sanctuary to worship the Loving Creator, I have some ideas of what we should do to become “reverent compliant”.
First, we shouldn’t utter a single word to one other, and we should bite our lip until we depart the sanctuary. No talking whatsoever. No “Amen’s” called out, definitely no clapping – nor laughing. In fact, safer not to smile, for the possibility of it breaking into something audible that may upset our Loving Creator.
We should remove our shoes before entry, remove our hats, jewellery and any branded clothing. Before entry one should also remove any makeup, eye glasses, false teeth, hearing aids, and any prosthetics should be put detached and left in the umbrella stand on the way in – for keeping such things on in the sanctuary would suggest we are happy for manmade imperfect body parts in the Sanctuary – our Loving Creator must only have perfection in his Sanctuary!!
As for helping the hearing impaired by signing in a service, this CAN be done as a compassionate task – but just never signing with Auslan – it has far too much raising of the arms in the sanctuary to be reverent to our Loving Creator.
We must keep our heads bowed at ALL times in the sanctuary, as not to disrespect the Loving Creator, who is infinitely above our wretchedness. For raising our gaze would be to challenge him to a dule.
For too long our worship service music has ignored reverence altogether! Having insensitive raucous music by electric guitars of all colours and pedal effects, organs requiring dancing feet to play, and of course the most abominable drum kits at bottom of the barrel – all outrageous! And don’t be deceived saints, “hitting a wooden box” is still a heathen drumming device. We should go back to how music was before all this rasping noise, and only ever sing in acapella the Psalm which was sung at the last supper by our Loving Creator. Everything else has deviated from true reverent music.
All musical items must be pre-recorded and checked for errors before being played as special music, so we never ever have an imperfect musical tribute to our Loving Creator – and definitely no kids singing until they can sing the whole way though in tune – our Loving Creator must shake his head when he hears such imperfection!
Children should be left in thy cars when coming into the sanctuary, so that they do not leave crumbs, squeak a texta, or worse… run up onto the most holy place – the stage! We cannot risk letting this abomination happen to the Loving Creator who deserves the best.
Those prone to allergies should only ever watch the divine service online, for we cannot risk any coughs or sneezes, even accidental, for that would break the reverence deserved to our Loving Creator. And the use of an EpiPen within the sanctuary would surely remove one from the book of life!
Those with receded hairlines must never enter the sanctuary, for their reflective brightness could be seen as a challenge to the Loving Creator brightness.
No chit chat should be spewed from the pulpit about birthdays, anniversaries or even mentions of people in hospital, of which is an unclean place and should not be uttered in the house of the Loving Creator.
No more readings from the NIV Bible, and definitely not the Message Bible, which should be righteously burnt for its reckless, frivolous attempt to explain the Loving Creator’s love for us in understandable ways. All readings must only be read from the original Hebrew and Greek - ever! For English, and its usage of superfluous silent letters, is clearly an imperfect language to utter the scriptures with. (though… silent letters are reverent, come to think of it!)
And finally, under NO circumstances, ever, ever, EVER should there be a skit, drama or puppet play in the sanctuary. The Loving Creator will not tolerate the presenting fictitious parables in an attempt to teach of his love in easy to understand object lessons.
It’s time. We must cleanse our sanctuary, just as the Loving Creator cleansed the sanctuary. And we finally create a reverence so clean, you could eat off it – if that were allowed – which it isn’t!
Your honour, having said all this just now, I heard the snickering in the audience, and can see some scrolling their devices. I don’t think we’ll ever achieve this as long as theses sinners are attending. I believe the only way to keep this sanctuary truly holy is to LOCK THE PEOPLE OUT, and we all simply come each week and kneel around the outside of the building, and thus the sanctuary will be kept a truly reverent place, of which our 100% holy Loving Creator deserves.
Only then will the Loving Creator be able to call us “good and reverent servants” for our efforts at perfect reverence in His sanctuary.
Thank you.
Judge: Thank you. Would the defendant please take to the stand and deliver their statement.
Preacher: Thank you, your honour. While I whole heartedly agree that our Loving Creator is infinitely holy, and more than we can ever truly comprehend or give enough reverence to. I also would like to put it to the jury that reverence does not have to rule out all enjoyable participation…
Judge: [using Ausand to sign at the same time] Is this going to take long? I just remembered, I have to go renew my Signs of the Times subscription.
Performance: Castle Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church Oct 21, 2023