Surviving the Apocalypse

Well, we did it! Three nights worth of puppet shows adapting Revelation in a single night. It was incredibly rough, we were short by about four puppeteers (requiring a lot of running around and simply holding up the puppet who was speaking, without having a chance to actually get your hand in and move the mouth; my worst moment was juggling the woman clothed in the sun, her male child, the red dragon, AND one of Michael's angels at the same time), but we made it through. Thanks to all who helped, thanks to all who prayed, and a special thanks to Pam, who managed to find and execute a number of key musical cues (what's heaven without music?)!

I'll have more to write as I reflect on this. For now, I have to try to re-organize all my puppet materials and devote those energies to the puppet class I'm teaching for the Center for Hope over the next few weeks. And puppetry may make an appearance in Arts Camp later this summer. (I don't think we will do much with it in VBS, though we'll probably bring back Paolo the Parrot in some form.)

The most discouraging part of our final program was attendance. We had been drawing fewer and fewer kids as the end of the year neared, but based on other closing programs (when we mail out invitations and encourage the kids to bring their whole family), I was anticipating we would have a fair turn-out. We had only six kids. Clearly we need to take some time off (and with some key team members away or otherwise engaged this fall, it is looking like we will have a half-year hiatus for the ministry) and re-evaluate what we are doing and who we are trying to do it for. Hopefully the neighborhood survey we will be conducting this weekend will help us start to analyze what is going on. We shall see...

"Gazing on the stars and walking in the dust"

Several months ago I caught a piece on NPR where they were discussing a comic featuring a pirate with an eye-patch, a peg-leg, and a hook for an arm. Behind this pirate were two other pirates talking about him, and, after reading through several possible captions (which apparently listeners had sent in), the guest gave the official (or winning?) caption of what the one pirate was saying to the other. Pointing to the pirate in front, the one says to the other admiringly, "I could never be HALF the man he is!"

The main character in this upcoming VBS drama is a recurring character from our "Pirates in Paradise" VBS I wrote two years ago. At the conclusion of that storyline, the majority of the pirates voted to quit being pirates, accept the Royal Pardon, and devote themselves to spreading the word that even pirates can be forgiven and make a fresh start. They changed the name of their ship from "The Bloody Gem" to "The Heavenly Pearl," voted off their former captain Harry DuPillage, and elected as their new captain the former first mate, Dick Dead-Eye.

Dick Dead-Eye, as played brilliantly by our Assistant Pastor Ron, was a bit of a buffoon. Instead of a parrot, he had a chicken pinned to his shoulder, and when the children laughed and pointed to it, he pretended not to see, as the chicken was on the side where he wore an eye-patch (and hence, his name "Dead-Eye"). He also had a hook for a hand (though I can't recall which hand it was, and there is a good chance he changed it from day to tday). Elevating Dick to Captain of a missionary ship, and having his experiences parallel those of St. Paul will require some rewriting of the character (which will be somewhat eased by the fact that Ron, unfortunately, is unable to reprise the role, as he will be a real-life missionary in Brazil), but I hope to keep some of his fun-loving spirit intact.

"The one-eyed man still has one good eye," as Mark Heard sings in his song "Schizophrenia" (which focuses on seeing both the good and the bad in life). It seems a bit insensitive in the third person, but those I have known with handicaps of various sorts (including Ron, who lost his tongue to cancer several years ago), seem to be able to look on the brighter side of life and make light of their infirmities (if they are able to cope at all and not fall into bitterness and depression). That is how I imagine Dead-Eye Dick handling his disabilities. There are those who insist on referring to the Captain now as "Richard the Seer" (based on his growing reputation as a Christian leader, church planter, miracle worker, and visionary), but I see him as being a more earthy character who answers to both names. He is appreciative of the fact that he's "still got one good eye" (and one good hand), and he looks forward to the day when he lands on the King's Shore and receives a fully restored body, but in the meantime he gets by best he can, and doesn't pretend to be more than he is.

"Over on the west coast we have Treasure Island"

I was thinking the other day about VBS and the need for female roles in the drama. Pilgrims come in pairs, so of course there will be a female Puritan to help hound our reformed pirates as they try to be missionaries. But I was thinking of other possibilities and remembered reading about Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and I got to thinking of a female pirate. The ex-pirate missionaries first goal was to reach other pirates with word of the Royal Pardon they had all claimed, so I thought on the first day they could take the gospel to some other pirates, and a female pirate could be one of their first converts. Then I tried coming up with a name for this female pirate, and I got to thinking of the book of Acts and Paul's missionary journeys (which is my primary source of inspiration for this venture) and I remembered Paul had a female convert early on in the city of Philippi named Lydia, so a female PIRATE convert might be... LYDIA the TATTOOED LADY!

Delay of the Parousia

It probably surprises no one that my attempt three weeks ago of creating heaven for my puppet theater did not come together in sufficient time. I did make some progress two weeks ago, but only enough to cover the letters to the seven churches (with my translucent Jesus made of pop bottles). Last week we were lacking sufficient puppeteers for what little I had planned to move the story forward, so we are NOW planning on doing the entire book of Revelation (or at least chapters 4-21) in a single night, making our grand finale THE grand finale of all time!

I'm envisioning three scenes (which originally would have been over three separate nights), the first covering the opening scene with a door open in heaven up through the seventh seal and silence for a half an hour (seems like a good place to break). The second scene will begin with the "War in Heaven" (from chapter 12), introducing the Dragon, followed by Beast and False Prophet (I'm hoping to pick up a Pirate puppet, as for years--since reading Zechariah 11--I've pictured this character as a one-eyed, hook-handed man). Having established the Unholy Trinity and their earthly rule, we will back up to the 144,000 being sealed and the trumpet judgments, ending with the Two Witnesses of Chapter 11. The third scene will introduce Mystery Babylon, go through the seven bowl judgments ending in Armageddon, and conclude with Christ's reign, the Great White Throne, and the New Heaven and New Earth. Should be quite a night!

For Tonight's KidzLife Meeting...

Puppets needed:

John the Revelator
Celeste (the eagle)
Benedict
Beatrice
Armond (Roman guard and father to B & B)
Jesus (as described in Rev. 1; still not sure how make him sufficiently bright)
God (either what we used for the Ancient of Days or a really bright light)
Living Creature like a lion
Living Creature like an ox
Living Creature like a man
Living Creature like an eagle
At least 2 of 24 elders (Daniel might work for one)
Azmaveth (angel)
Lamb of God
White Horse and Rider
Red Horse and Rider
Black Horse and Rider
Pale Horse and Riders (Death and Hell)
Martyr
King/Queen

Props & Set Pieces needed:

7 Golden Lampstands & Lamps (got battery operated tealights, but still need holders)
Two-edged sword (coming out of Jesus' mouth ???)
Keys to Hell and Death
Door to Heaven
Thrones for God and Lamb
Rainbow
Thrones for Elders
Crowns, Harps and Bowls for elders
Scroll w/7 Seals
Bow and Crown for White Rider
Sword for Red Rider
Scales for Black Rider
Altar
Sun that turns black
Moon that turns red
Stars that fall


Things wanted for tonight:

Fog machine
Seal puppet (for optional gag line "No, not THAT kind of seal!")
Lighting/Hologram/CGI capability
At least two more weeks to prepare!!!


MOST NEEDED:
Prayer
Sensitivity to the Spirit
Energy & Efficiency
Help with Sewing & Prop-Making
Attentive Children
Coordinated (individually and collectively) Puppeteers
Script

Roman Youth

I didn't actually get into John's visions in the first week, nor did I do much to explore the characters of either John the Revelator or his friend the eagle Celeste. I had thought that would be the central relationship, and ultimately I suppose it will be. But I started with the two Roman kids, Benedict and Beatriz, and as I wrote, their characters really took off. Dialog is the essence of drama, and for me it is often how my characters take on a life of their own, sometimes even taking the plot in directions I had not originally intended. In this case, we have two bored kids, stuck on this island where they don't even have any trees to climb, because their Dad is stationed here and their mother has died. That last fact is an instance of something I hadn't thought through earlier, and it may give me trouble as things progress, as they speculate about pagan Mom in the afterlife. In fact, the whole piece took on a layer of apologetics I hadn't intended, with John being the only true believer in a cast of pagans. We'll see where that goes. At any rate, since I'll be out of town the next week, and most likely unable to blog further, I decided to post the entire script for your reading pleasure. Comments are most welcome!

VISIONS OF PATMOS
Week 8

[BENEDICT and BEATRIZ enter with bows and arrows.]

ARMOND [offstage]: Benedict! Beatriz! Don’t go too far down the beach!

BENEDICT: We WON’T!

ARMOND [offstage]: And stay where I can see you!

BEATRIZ: We WILL! [to BENE] What a WORRIER!

BENE: I KNOW! We’re stuck on an ISLAND! It’s not like we could WANDER OFF far or get LOST!

BEAT: Or be attacked by WILD ANNIMALS!

BENE: Or get CAPTURED by Vandals or Goths!

BEAT: Maybe PIRATES?

BENE: We’re ROMAN CITIZENS! What pirate has the NERVE to attack us?

BEAT: Probably he’s worried about the prisoners.

BENE: Are you KIDDING? We work these guys to DEATH in the mines! You think any of them has the ENERGY to attack us?

BEAT: Well, Papa’s always saying we should stay away from them and not talk to them.

BENE: That’s because they’re BENEATH us! We shouldn’t STOOP so low as to consider them!

BEAT: What EVER! Let’s shoot! What should we use as a target?

BENE: How about that pile of driftwood down there?

BEAT: WAY down there?

BENE: Yeah! What’s the matter? Can’t you shoot that far?

BEAT: I can shoot farther than YOU!

BENE: No you can’t!

BEAT: Yes I CAN!

BENE: Prove it! Shoot the farthest you can!

BEAT: You shoot first and I’ll shoot farther!

BENE: Ok! [shoots] THERE! Beat THAT!

BEAT: Just watch me! [shoots. BENE is stunned.] THERE! How’s THAT!

BENE: That was AMAZING!

BEAT: Just call me Diana the HUNTRESS!

BENE: You better watch your language!

BEAT: Why? Who’s to say that our mother wasn’t a GODDESS?

BENE: Dad never said that. He just said she was LIKE a goddess.

BEAT: And now she’s gone, maybe she IS one!

BENE: You think normal people get to be gods and goddesses?

BEAT: They do in SOME of the stories!

BENE: Only if they’re VERY SPECIAL people.

BEAT: Our mother WAS very special.

BENE: I don’t remember. I was too young when she died.

BEAT: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.

BENE: I’m not sad! Let’s get back to our game.

BEAT: What game?

BENE: Who’s the better archer!

BEAT: I thought I’d already WON that!

BENE: You can shoot FARTHER, but can you shoot HIGHER?

BEAT: Well, HOW are we going to measure THAT?

BENE: We’ll just shoot at the same time, and see who’s arrow goes higher!

BEAT: Well they’re not going to stay UP there! What do we do when they turn around and fall to earth?

BENE: RUN! Ready? Aim… RELEASE! [both shoot arrows in the air] Look at THAT! See how HIGH mine went?

BEAT: Annnnnd HERE THEY COME!!!

[BENE and BEAT run offstage. An arrow and the eagle CELESTE fall from the sky. BENE and BEAT creep back over to the bird.]

BEAT: Oh Benny! What did you DO?

BENE: I didn’t do anything!

BEAT: You shot a bird!

BENE: How do you know it was ME?

BEAT: MY arrow didn’t go that high! YOU won THAT round! And it’s an EAGLE! You killed an EAGLE!

CELESTE: OHHHHHWWW!

BENE: I didn’t KILL it! SEE?

BEAT: STILL! You shot it down! You INJURED it! THAT can’t be good…

BENE: Why can’t that be good?

BEAT: It’s an EAGLE, you blockhead! The symbol of the ROMAN EMPIRE! Jupiter’s favorite bird! This is a VERY BAD thing you’ve done!

BENE: You think Papa will be upset?

BEAT: I think the ROMAN ARMY will be upset! I think the GODS will be upset!

BENE: OK! OK! What do we DO?

CELESTE: What happened?

BEAT [whispering]: It’s TALKING!

BENE: So TALK to it!

BEAT: PEOPLE can’t talk to EAGLES!

BENE: They can in SOME of the stories!

CELESTE: Where am I?

BENE: You’re on the Island of Patmos.

CELESTE: How did I get here?

BEAT: My brother shot you down!

BENE: It was an ACCIDENT! HONEST! I didn’t see you flying there!

CELESTE: What were you shooting at, Boy?

BENE: Nothing! I just shot an arrow in the air, to see how high it would go.

CELESTE: Foolish, foolish child!

BENE: I’m sorry!

CELESTE: Well , don’t just stand there.

BEAT: What, what should we do?

CELESTE: Get it OUT of me!

BENE: Beatty?

BEAT: I—I’ve never done anything like that!

CELESTE: If you children are going to PLAY with things that can HURT others, then by JUPITER you’d better learn how to HEAL those you hurt!

BENE: OK, well we’ll enroll in the next class we can, but WHAT do we do NOW?

BEAT: I don’t KNOW!

BENE: YOU’RE the BIG SISTER! You always act like you know EVERYTHING!

BEAT: I do NOT!

BENE: SURE you do! You’re ALWAYS telling me what to do. Now I NEED you to tell me what to do, because I DON’T KNOW!
CELESTE: Children! FOCUS! OOOOOH!

BEAT: Well if YOU hadn’t shot in the air!

BENE: YOU shot too!

BEAT: But you shot HIGHER!

JOHN [entering from cave]: What’s all this fuss about?

BENE [moving to hide CELESTE]: Fuss?

BEAT [joining BENE in trying to cover up]: What fuss?

JOHN: I don’t know. Sounds like SOMEONE shot SOMETHING too high… Do you want to tell me about it?

BEAT: We’re not supposed to talk to you.

JOHN: Oh, I’m sorry. I guess that’s because I’m a prisoner, and you’re the children of one of my guards. Is that it?

[BEAT nods.]

JOHN: Well, I’m sorry to disturb you. It just seemed like maybe you needed some help, but I guess I was mistaken… [Turns to go.]

BENE: Um… Sir?

JOHN: Yes?

BENE: You wouldn’t happen to know how to heal an arrow wound, would you?

JOHN: Who is wounded?

BENE: Um, well, it’s not so much a WHO as a WHAT [steps aside and shows JOHN CELESTE]

JOHN: I see.

CELESTE: SOMEBODY help me!

BENE: Can you heal her?

JOHN: I know someone who can?

BEAT: Who?

JOHN: My Lord.

BEAT: Are you a worshipper of Apollo? Or Aesclepius?

JOHN: No, my Lord is Jesus Christ.

BEAT & BENE [together]: WHO?

JOHN: Jesus Christ.

BEAT: Is that some new god?

JOHN: No, he’s the eternal Word. He was with the Father in the beginning, before anything was made. Here, help me get her into my cave.

BENE: Is this JESUS in your CAVE?

JOHN: He’s EVERYWHERE. But last week I saw him in my cave, yes.

BEAT: You did?

JOHN: Yes. Help me lift her.

CELESTE: AAAAAUGHH! CAREFUL!

JOHN: Just bring her over here into the shade. Son—what’s your name?

BENE: Benedict.

JOHN: Benedict. I have some herbs on a table, just inside the cave there. And a knife. Could you get them for me?

BENE: Sure! [goes to cave].

JOHN: And daughter—

BEAT: Beatriz.

JOHN: Beatriz. I will need some salt water. There’s a small pitcher in my cave, just run down to the sea and get some. [BEAT goest to cave and exits down the beach]. And what is YOUR name?

CELESTE: Celeste.

JOHN: Celeste. “Heavenly.” And my name is John.

CELESTE: And this new god of yours—

JOHN: There’s only one true God. You and I know that.

CELESTE: I’ve never heard of this “Jesus”

JOHN: He is God’s Son. You fly through the heavens and look down on all of creation. Certainly you know HIM!

CELESTE: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

JOHN: Well God has brought you here for a very special purpose.

CELESTE: I don’t like the sound of THAT!

JOHN: He has given me a message which I must get to the seven churches of Asia minor.

CELESTE: The seven WHAT?

JOHN: Churches. Gatherings of Believers, in Ephesus, Smyrna, Peragmum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. And since I’m stuck on this island, and prisoners aren’t allowed to use the mail service, I need you to take it to them.

CELESTE: You expect ME to be your CARRIER PIGEON?! I’m an EAGLE! I’m the symbol of the ROMAN EMPIRE. I’m the favorite of JUPITER!

JOHN: There IS no Jupiter, and you KNOW it. These Romans have put a lot of crazy notions in your head, and made you think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.

CELESTE: Leave me be! I don’t want anyone who disregards Jupiter to try to heal me.

JOHN: I worship the ONE TRUE GOD. And you are the greatest of his winged creatures, but you are STILL a creature, and you must do what HE commands. And I think he has brought you here to carry his word to his people.

CELESTE: I don’t believe you.

JOHN: Search your heart, and you will find it is true. And whether or not you want it, I AM going to tend your wound, because if I don’t, it will fester and you will die.

BENE [returning from cave] Here you go!

BEAT [returning from sea]: And here’s your water.

JOHN: Thank you Benedict. Thank you Beatriz. Celeste, this is going to hurt a bit. [stands over her and pulls the arrow out]

CELESTE: AAAAAAAAUGH!

JOHN: There it is! [holds up arrow]

CELESTE: OHHH! Is that an EAGLE feather on the shaft?

BEAT: Yes it is.

CELESTE: ALAS! See how I have given my enemy the means of my own destruction!

BENE: But I’m not your enemy!

JOHN: And you won’t be destroyed by it. Now just let me clean out the wound…

ARMOND [offstage]: Benedict! Beatriz! Where have those two gone to?

BEAT: Here we are, Papa!

ARMOND [entering]: What are you doing here? Haven’t I told you before not to go near the prisoners’ quarters!

BEAT: It’s alright, Father.

JOHN: My name is John.

ARMOND: And what are you doing with my children?

JOHN: Your son shot down an eagle, which I am tending.

ARMOND: You shot down a WHAT?

BENE: An eagle. It was an ACCIDENT! She just flew into my path!

ARMOND: Son! Do you have any idea how SERIOUS this is?

BEAT: Yes Papa, we know.

JOHN: That’s why they thought it best to keep it a secret from your fellow Romans, and brought the bird to me.

ARMOND: Are you sure you can heal it?

JOHN: With God’s help, I can.

ARMOND: Very well then, I thank you. And children, lets be on our way.

BEAT: Yes, Papa.

BENE: But can we come back tomorrow and check on the bird’s health?

BENE & BEAT [together]: PLEEEASE!

ARMOND: All right. But come on, now!

BENE: Goodbye John.

BEAT: We’ll pray for your success.

[ARMOND, BEAT & BENE exit.]

JOHN: And so will I, child, so will I!

CELESTE: And so will I!

JOHN: Just be sure you pray to the TRUE GOD!

[CURTAIN]

"I Shot an Arrow in the Air..."

So, I ask myself, why would an eagle sit and listen to St. John go on and on about his vision, if he didn't particularly like the man or the task he was being asked to carry out (deliver John's scroll to the seven churches)? Perhaps because it was injured and couldn't fly away from the island for awhile.

And how would it become injured? Archery seems the most likely way of injuring an eagle in the first century and forcing it to land (unless, of course, it was attacked by another eagle, but that would put all the drama in the clouds when I need my audience focused on the ground--and I can't think of a good motivation for one eagle to attack another). On the other hand, if two children were having a contest to see who could shoot the furthest (or highest), it is possible one of them could strike the eagle by accident.

If there are children on the isle of Patmos, then they would most likely be the children of one of the Roman guards. I cannot find any evidence, but it would seem that, with the eagle being a symbol of the Roman Empire (and the army in particular), shooting an eagle would be a crime and an incredibly unlucky thing to do. It could be ruled treasonous and/or sacrilegious (as the eagle was Jupiter's particular bird).

The father of said children would not want them associating with the prisoners on the island in general. But, if one of them had injured an eagle, and one of the prisoners thought he could nurse said eagle back to health, and Dad wanted to keep his child's crime covered up, I think we have the formula to give a good dramatic setting to the next several weeks' puppet shows for KidzLife.