Day 1: It Begins with a Call

SCENE: Holy Land Landscape. Actor 1 and Actor 2 are standing with Saul

ACTOR 1: Thanks, Saul for keeping an eye on our coats!

SAUL: Not a problem; all for a good cause.

(All freeze in place. Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 enter from the right)

NARRATOR 1: Hello everyone. I’m…

NARRATOR 2: And I’m…

NARRATOR 1: And this (gesture to Saul) is Saul of Tarsus, soon to be known as St. Paul, one of the
greatest apostles, called by God to witness to Jesus Christ.

NARRATOR 2: But he did not start out that way.

NARRATOR 1: No, in fact, right now he seems like one of the last people God would call. But then, we
are not called to our vocation because we are perfect. God calls us because He loves us. He loves each
one of you. And He loved Saul.

NARRATOR 2: Just a few minutes ago, St. Stephen, the first martyr, gave his life for his belief in Jesus
Christ. These two (gesture toward the Actors) were part of the crowd that killed St. Stephen. And Saul
here (gesture to Saul) helped out by holding everyone’s coats while they threw rocks at Stephen.

(Actor 1, Actor 2, and Saul unfreeze their position and continue)

SAUL: I’m planning on beginning a search today in Jerusalem to see if we can arrest as many followers of
Jesus as possible.

ACTOR 2: Excellent! I may be able to join you this afternoon.

(Actor 1, Actor 2, and Saul exit while talking and gesturing silently while the Narrators continue to
address the audience. Actor 1 immediately comes back and walks to the center to represent the High
Priest in Jerusalem.)

NARRATOR 1: This afternoon Saul will begin to search for and arrest anyone who follows Jesus Christ. He
won’t stop here.

(Saul enters and approaches the High Priest, silently gesturing and explaining his mission.)

NARRATOR 1: As soon as he can, Saul will go to the High Priest in Jerusalem and ask for letters to help
him in arresting followers of Jesus Christ in another city call Damascus.

NARRATOR 2: It doesn’t seem like he has a vocation, does it?

NARRATOR 1: But he does. Everyone does. And for everyone, including Saul, it begins with God’s call.

(Actor 1 nods, giving “letters” to Saul and all exit EXCEPT for Narrator 1.)

(Ananias, his wife Miriam, and their son Jonas enter)

NARRATOR 1: Meanwhile in Damascus, here come some followers of Jesus Christ: a holy married couple,
Ananias and Miriam, along with their son.

MIRIAM: What a beautiful day! Ananias, I was thinking of taking a walk by the river. But how would you
like to spend the afternoon?

ANANIAS: I think I would like to spend the afternoon outdoors. A walk would be nice.

MIRIAM: And how about you, Jonas?

JONAS: What about visiting Uncle Simon?

MIRIAM: Well, here comes Simon now!

(Simon runs up, breathless and panting)

SIMON: I need to warn you! Saul of Tarsus is still breathing threats and murder against anyone who
follows the Lord, Jesus Christ. He comes today to begin arresting us Christians!

(Everyone pauses, too stunned to speak.)

JONAS: So, this afternoon we could also… lock the doors and hide under our beds? (They stare at him.)
Just throwing out some more options.

MIRIAM: Oh dear.

(All exit gesturing and whispering)

(Actor 1, Actor 2, and Saul enter and begin to march their way slowly across the stage area)

NARRATOR 1: On the road to Damascus everything changed for Saul.

SAUL: I think I can see Damascus in the distance.

ACTOR 2: Yes, sir. We are in sight.

SAUL: Excellent – (suddenly cries out. Saul behaves as if a blinding light has stunned him. He falls to the
ground. Actor 1 and Actor 2 stare and circle wildly about looking for some unseen enemy.) Who’s there!
Show yourself! Who are you? (Saul continues to cry out. Then suddenly, the Narrators freeze and Saul is
silent)

JESUS’ VOICE (From off-stage): Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

SAUL: Who are you, Lord?

JESUS’ VOICE: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, but rise and enter the city, and you will be told
what you are to do.

(Saul rises. The Narrators unfreeze, looking bewildered. Saul squints and blinks a lot as if he has lost the
power of sight.)

ACTOR 1: Sir, what was that? What happened?

SAUL: I – (holding his hands out to feel) I… where are you? I can’t see. I need you to guide me into the
city to Straight Street, to the house of Judas.

(Actor 1 gives Saul his arm. Saul, Actor 1, and Actor 2 freeze. Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 turn to the
audience.

NARRATOR 2: Woe, this is intense! What vocation has God planned for Saul? (asking the audience) I
think he wasn’t listening to God’s plan. What do you think?

NARRATOR 1: Wait till you see how God changes everything for Saul! You’ll see!

(Narrator 1 leads Saul, Actor 1, and Actor 2 off)

(Ananias enter stage left with chair and sits down on it, facing stage right and acting as if writing at a
desk.)

NARRATOR 2: Meanwhile, the Lord appeared in a vision to Ananias.

(Jesus enters from stage left behind Ananias.)

JESUS: Ananias!

(Ananias stops writing and his eyes get very wide. He knows Jesus is calling him. Very slowly, he terns
and gets down on his knees, facing Jesus)

ANANIAS: Here I am Lord.

JESUS: Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus
named Saul; for behold his praying, and he has seen a vision of you coming to lay hands on him so that
he might regain his sight.

ANANIAS: Lord, I have heard from many about Saul, how much evil he has done to the believers in
Jerusalem. I hear that the chief gave him permission to arrest Christians. I’m afraid of him!

JESUS: Go, for I have chosen him to preach to the whole world. He will be an instrument of mine to carry
my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel…

(Jesus’ voice gets quieter and quieter as Saul enters from stage right and sits upon the ground, blind and
dejected. Exit Narrator 2 on stage right. Meanwhile Ananias nods and bows his head and Jesus exits
stage left.)

(Ananias rises and walks downstage across to stage right with a map ad looking around, circling back to
an imaginary door on stage right outside the room where Saul is sitting. Ananias goes to knock on the
imaginary door. To give some joyful humor the audience, Ananias has the option of spending a few
moments working himself up to knock on the door, practicing a knock, doing some calisthenics, shadow-
boxing, miming the conversation he is about to have, etc. Whatever he does, he should end by praying,
then knock on the imaginary door and enter.

ANANIAS: Saul? Saul of Tarsus?

SAUL: This is my name. Who is it? I cannot see.

ANANIAS: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent
me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Brother Saul, receive your sight.

(Saul blinks and appears to catch something in his hands – the “scales from his eyes” – and then blinking
very much, looks slowly about, rubs his eyes, looks up at Ananias and smiles.)

ANANIAS: Let me give you a hand up (helps Saul up; they exit stage right.)

(Enter Narrator 1 from stage left and Narrator 2 from stage right, both coming to stand downstage right
and shaking hands.)

NARATOR 1: And what’s left to tell?

NARRATOR 2: Well? I think we’re all dying to know what vocation God gave Saul. Marriage? Religious
life? The priesthood?

Well, Ananias followed his call from God and with other disciples in Damascus took care of Saul for a
time. Saul was baptized and soon took the name of Paul. He met Peter and the other apostles and
began to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. And then (to the audience) drum roll, please (pause for
children to “drum” on their laps). Paul was ordained a priest and bishop and later would ordain other
priests!

Many other adventures befell Paul as he followed God’s call.

NARRATOR 1: I heard that preaching about Christ made a lot of enemies for Paul. His enemies were
watching the city gates day and night, and some of the disciples helped Paul escape by lowering him over
the city wall in a basket!

NARRATOR 2: Once God rescued him from prison by sending an earthquake to break the gate open!

NARRATOR 1: Another time he was shipwrecked! Paul survived a snakebite, stonings, and beatings. He
preached in dozens of cities, baptized and taught, and wrote most of the New Testament.

NARRATOR 2: Eventually, having followed the path God gave him, Paul died and went to heaven.

(Actors exit except for narrators and Paul, Paul stands alone, kneels, and bows his head. All available
actors, except for Ananias, enter and stand upstage near the audience in “Heaven.” This tie the actors
should be wearing habits, priest collars, and a boy and girl should hold hands as if they are married.
Narrators 1 & 2 join them. Jesus enters stage left, comes to Paul and gives him a hand up. They turn and
walk to join the crowd which is waiting for them in “Heaven.”)

NARRATOR 1: It begins with a call. All vocations begin with the call of the Lord to follow Him, to serve
Him in others, and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven (makes a sweeping gesture with arms to
show that they are in Heaven)

JESUS: Welcome, Paul. Come be happy with Me forever!

ALL ACTORS: (smile, cheer, and clap as Paul and Ananias reach them in “Heaven”): Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul!
Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! (All Actors end with cheering, backslaps, hugs, etc., then quickly, all turn back to
audience and bow or invite the audience to join them in the heavenly feast.)