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AT THE BALL GAME Cast: NARRATOR BILL JOE Props Needed: A row of chairs across center stage to represent the bleachers at a ball field. Bill and Joe will sit next to each other in two of them. General Directions: Two men are at their sons' first Little League game of the season when the subject of singing in church comes up. Both men are sitting in their chairs as the skit begins. NARRATOR: For 2000 years music has played a central role in the worship life of the church.Music often lifts our spirits and comforts our souls but it can also be the subject of controversy since not everyone appreciates the same kinds of music. In the following skit two men are attending their sons' first Little League game of the year and, while lots of things get discussed at ball games, this conversation takes an unusual twist as the subject of music in church comes up. Let's listen in. BILL: Well, here we are, Joe, at the first game of another Little League season. I sure hope that kid of yours has improved his pitching since last year. JOE: What do you mean? His pitching wasn't so bad. And what about your son, (with sarcasm) "the greatest catcher in the history of the game?" Did he ever learn that book of signs the coach gave him? Or is he still going to be making 'em up as he goes along? BILL: There's nothing wrong with being a little spontaneous now and then! JOE: There is if the pitcher doesn't have a clue what the catcher's signs mean! BILL: Hey, that kid of yours couldn't read a sign if it was as big as a house and lit up like a Christmas tree! (Bill gives Joe a shove) JOE: (Joe shoves him back) Are you saying my kid is blind? (a brief shoving match ensues between the characters until they realize that their sons are looking at them) BILL/JOE: (both speak at once) Oh, hi boys. No, no, we're not fighting. JOE: I was just helping my ole buddy Bill here get some mustard off his sleeve. (pats Bill on the shoulder in a friendly way) BILL: Yeah, that's right. I spilled a little here from my foot long. Thank you, Joe, for helping me with that. I appreciate your kindness very much. JOE: That's ok, Bill. Any time. I know you'd do the same thing for me. Now, you boys go back to the dugout and get ready. The game's about to start. BILL: Hey, I know. Let's show the boys and the rest of the team that cheer they use to do in high school. You know, the one that always got us going when we were on the field. JOE: I don't know, Bill. There are an awful lot of people here (looking around). Do you think the boys would really want to see it? BILL: Of course, they would! Hey, boys, watch this. BILL/JOE: (both men stand and get ready for the cheer which they perform with enthusiasm and large gestures)
(the cheer ends with smiling, back slaps and high fives by both men - then they sit back down) JOE: We've still got it, haven't we? BILL: You bet 'cha! (he hears his son calling to him and cups his ear) What's that son? What did you say? (pause) No, you can't tell everybody IÕm your crazy Uncle from Iowa! JOE: It's been a long time since I've thought of that cheer. Hey, we should tell Pastor Wayne about it. That would make a great choir anthem some Sunday, wouldn't it? BILL: Well, I don't know if he'd go for that. But it wouldn't be any worse than that song you and the choir sang last Sunday. JOE: What do you mean? That was a beautiful piece of music. BILL: Yeah, it might have been beautiful when the composer wrote it but it lost something in the translation. And, speaking of that, I don't know why we have to have so much music in church anyway. I don't sing and it gets boring just sitting there waiting for the congregation to sing all 18 verses of every hymn. JOE: Believe me, I know you don't sing. And don't think the rest of us aren't grateful. But the hymns are a central part of the service. Don't you ever just read along and think about the words? BILL: Oh, yeah, sometimes. But - oh, say, the game's about to start. I sure hope your kid has his best pitches ready to go. JOE: He does. He does. (speaking to his son) Go, son! Strike him out! BILL: (speaking to his son) Get ready, son! Do your best! (pause - both men turn their heads back and forth with each pitch) Ball one. (pause) Ball two. (pause) Ball three. (pause) Ball four. Oh, yeah, we're in for a great afternoon! JOE: He'll get better. He just needs to settle down and get warmed up. (under his breath) He probably can't read the catcher's signs. BILL: Anyway, getting back to the music at church. Another thing I want to know is how come they're always making us learn new songs? What's wrong with the old songs? They've been good enough for all these years and they're still good as far as I'm concerned. JOE: Sure they are, Bill, but don't you want to have a little variety in the service, too? What if we just sang the same old songs Sunday after Sunday? Wouldn't that get a little boring? BILL: Well, I suppose it might but if we just stuck to the old songs at least everybody would know them and be able to sing 'em with gusto. JOE: I doubt there'd be much gusto left if we sang "Amazing Grace" 52 Sundays in a row! We need a little variety at church. It's good for us to learn some new things even though it's a struggle some times. (yelling to his son) Ok, son, don't panic now just because the bases are loaded and there aren't any outs! You'll get this one! Give him your best stuff! BILL: Yeah, give him your best stuff! (under his breath) Unless this is your best stuff. JOE: Hey, I heard that. You want to step outside and discuss it in more detail? BILL: We are outside, Joe, so just settle down. JOE: Ok, ok. Anyway, maybe you need to take a music appreciation class so you'd understand how important the music is in the worship service. BILL: Well, I need to take something that's for sure. Aspirin doesn't help anymore. Oh, look at that, will you? Another walk so now they're ahead one to nothing. This is gonna be a long afternoon. JOE: Yeah, maybe you're right. But that reminds me of one more very important reason to have hymns and lots of music during church. BILL: What's that? JOE: Well, if we didn't have any music at all, just think how long the sermons would be! NARRATOR: There are lots of good reasons to sing hymns and have music of all kinds during worship and just keeping the sermons shorter isn't necessarily one of them. But Joe is on to something when he reminds Bill that music is a very important part of Christian worship. Starting with the very first Christians as Luke tells us about them in the Book of Acts and continuing throughout the church in every age, music has always been central to Christian worship. Music speaks to our souls and often does so in a way that mere words can't do. Music stirs our spirits and touches something deep within us and, in doing so, draws us closer to God. And even for those of us who can't sing or don't sing very well there's still something stirring about hearing the great music of the church performed in a way that brings glory to God.
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