Paul's Journeys

Drama Workshop 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

In this workshop, the learners will act out the story to learn it.

Supplies:

• The Children’s Bible;
• props for the story (see Attachment);
• some Biblical costumes or togas;
• name tags of characters in the story—Paul, Silas, servant woman, Roman soldiers, slave owners, jailer, other prisoners, magistrate, narrator (nametags with string to hang around the neck work well);
• poster board with the memory verse on it.

Teacher preparation:

• Read the Bible passages.
• The story will be read from The Children’s Bible, so you might want to preview this, too.
• Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you review the lesson plan. Note that the jail scene is set in one corner of the drama room. The rest of the room can be used to set up the other scenes.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week—some may not know you. Wear your nametag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Dig:

Read the story from The Children’s Bible, pp. 397-399 (stories #351 and #352.) Since the memory verse is from the NRSV Bible and not The Children’s Bible, use the poster board with the verse on it and go over it with the children.

Following the story, recap the events by asking the following questions to have the children recall the story (younger children may need prompting; reread passages where needed. You may prompt by beginning the answer sentence and have them "fill in the blank."):

• What can you tell me about the young servant woman (slave girl)? (Verses 16-21) She was possessed by an evil spirit, which gave her the ability to tell the future; her owners made money from her ability to tell fortunes; she followed Paul and Silas, shouting; Paul freed her from the evil spirit by invoking Christ's name.
• Why did her owners get so angry? (Verse 19) They made money from her ability to tell fortunes, and Paul took that ability away.
• What did the slave owners tell the officials? (Verse 20) Paul and Silas were teaching others to break the law.
• What did the jailer do to Paul and Silas? (Verses 23-24) He beat them and threw them in jail. He bound their feet in heavy chains.
• What did Paul and Silas do while in jail? (Verse 25) They were praying and singing hymns to God.
• What two miracles happened at midnight? (Verse 25-29) An earthquake opened the jail doors and the chains fell from their feet.
• Why did the jailer want to kill himself? Who stopped him? (Verses 27-29) He believed the prisoners had escaped. In ancient Rome, a jailer whose prisoner escaped was liable and would forfeit his life. Paul stopped him by telling him that they were still there.
• Why do you think Paul and Silas stayed? Accept any reasonable responses: Paul knew that God would protect him; Paul wanted to use this miracle to show the jailer the truth; etc.
• How did the jailer and his family come to be baptized? (Verses 31-34) The jailer recognized the miracle and brought Paul and Silas to his home. There, Paul told the story of Jesus and baptized the jailer and his family.
• The jailer told Paul he was told he was free to go. Why did Paul want the Roman official to release him? (Verses 35-37) He was a Roman citizen and had been beaten and jailed without a trial. That was against Roman law (and Philippi was a Roman colony).
• Paul says that "God, who gives us peace" will be with us. Let's reenact Paul and Silas' story in Philippi. Notice that Paul has a sense of God's peace and purpose throughout his experience.

Preparation for performing:
As you assign performing roles, remember that some children would rather contribute in non-performing roles, such as props, costuming, music, lighting, etc.
You may wish to have the actors read through their lines while crew members prepare the stage, props, and costumes. If you have a small group, get everyone involved as crew before performing. 

Remember that half the fun of performing is setting the stage and costuming. Allow time for them to prepare, with about 20 minutes or less of actual performance. 

Performance of "Paul and Silas in Philippi":
This skit is written so that it may be performed without rehearsal. The narrator's role is to explain the action that the characters portray. With 2 exceptions, Paul and the jailer, the roles have few lines but plenty of action. 

There are a minimum of 9 roles to fill, an optimum of over 15. The number you have in your class will determine how the roles are filled. 

There are 9 speaking roles; if you have fewer than 9, have the teacher or shepherd join the cast as the narrator. Double up on roles if necessary. A larger class will be able to expand the multiple roles. To keep it all straight, use name tags as you assign the roles. Use the skit in the attachment for the performance.

Reflection:

Gather the children together and discuss the performance. Let them talk about how they felt in the dark prison and how they might have felt having been put in prison unjustly. What would they have done if they were in Paul’s and Silas’ place?

Closing:
Close with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Dear God, we spend a lot of time complaining about what we don't have. And yet we have so much! Help us to be joyful because of the life we have found in you. Amen.

Journal Time:
Help the shepherd pass out the journals. Ask the children to answer the following question:
What role did you play in the drama class today?

Adjustments for younger/older children:
The Beginner class will need to have an adult narrator dictate what they will enact. Have each cast member study his or her part before you begin. Don't start cold!
For the other 2 classes, if you have enough kids, assign the narrator role to a willing participant. Lots of kids? Divide the narrator role by scenes, and indicate which scene on their name tags.

References:

• Rotation Lesson exchange/Paul’s journeys, Paul’s preaching/lesson set-2nd Presbyterian, Indianapolis. c. 1999.

Drama Script:

Characters 
Narrator 
Paul 
Silas 
Servant woman 
Servant owners 1 and 2
Official
Jailer
Magistrate

Props
Yarn whip
Chains
Washing cloth and bowl
Large sword

Non-speaking Roles:
Jailer's family
Crowd

Basics of the story
Paul and Silas are traveling through Asia Minor and come to Philippi in Macedonia. Some in Philippi are not happy to see them, and they are jailed after healing a possessed woman. A miraculous earthquake opens the jail doors and frees Paul and Silas from their chains. An awestruck jailer leads them to his home, where he and his family are baptized into the faith. City officials learn that they have jailed Roman citizens and apologize to them.

Settings
In first century Philippi in Macedonia: by the river; in the city; in the jail; in the jailer's home.

Scene One:
Riverside in Phillipi. Stage left is the "praying area" by the river. Center stage is curtained off. Stage right is the jailer's home. Lights up on stage left only.
A small crowd is gathered at the river, including the servant woman and her two owners. People are paying the servant woman to "read" their palms. Everyone listens as she tells their fortunes. 

Narrator: Paul and Silas had been traveling throughout Asia when Paul had a vision in which he was told to go to Macedonia. They traveled by ship and foot to Philippi, a large city in Macedonia.
One day, Paul and Silas walked to the riverside, where Jews gathered to pray. A young servant woman was telling the future to those around her because of an evil spirit in her. Her owners collected money from her customers. The servant woman stood up when she saw Paul.

Servant: These men are servants of God! They tell you how to be saved!

Narrator: The woman repeated herself over and over as she followed Paul and Silas.

Paul, Silas and the servant woman wander around the set as she continues to cry out.
Paul is clearly irritated. 

Paul: In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to come out of her!

Narrator: At that moment, the woman stopped and fell to the ground.

Servant: What happened? Who are you?

Paul: I have released you from an evil spirit in the name of Jesus Christ.

Narrator: The servant's owners stepped forward from the crowd.

Owner 1: What do you think you are doing?!

Owner 2: Now she can't make money telling fortunes! Grab them!

Narrator: Her owners grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them away. The servant followed.

Scene Two:
The public square in Philippi. The owners of the servant woman have dragged Paul and Silas to center stage, where a Roman official is standing. Lights center stage only. 

Narrator: Paul and Silas were dragged before a Roman official. A crowd gathered to hear.

Owner 1: These men are Jews, and they are causing trouble in our city.

Owner 2: They are teaching ideas that are against our law!

Official: Jailer! Beat these men and lock them up! And don't bother me again.

Jailer: Enters, wearing a sword and whip at his waist. Yes sir!

Narrator: The jailer beat Paul and Silas with a whip. The Roman official left, and the crowd slowly disappeared.

Center stage lights dim. 
Scene Three: In the jail.

Narrator: The jailer then threw Paul and Silas into jail and locked their hands and feet with large chains. The jailer fell asleep while Paul and Silas prayed to God and sang hymns praising God. Around midnight, they felt the earth tremble and shake. It was an earthquake!

Silas: An earthquake? What are we to do? We will be crushed because we are locked up and can’t run!

Paul: Look! The earthquake is causing the jail door to come open! Our locks are loosened! God has provided for us.

Narrator: The jailer woke up and saw the open jail doors.

Jailer: Everyone has escaped! The Romans will torture me for allowing this to happen! I will kill myself with my sword before they find out! He raises his sword in preparation for killing himself.

Paul: Don't harm yourself! We are all here!

Narrator: The jailer called for a light, and rushed in and fell to his knees in front of Paul and Silas. Then he led them out of the jail to his home.

Scene Four:
The Jailer's home. Dim lights stage right only.
The jailer brings Paul and Silas to his home, where his family awaits inside.

Jailer: Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Paul: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your family.

Narrator: The jailer's family came out, and they listened as Paul and Silas told them about Jesus. The jailer washed their wounds as they talked.

Jailer: We do believe that Jesus is the son of God. We are sinners who need God’s forgiveness. Please baptize all of us.

Narrator: The jailer and his family knelt before Paul and Silas and were baptized. Then they all sat together and ate. Everyone was filled with joy.

Bring up all lights onstage. 

Silas: Look! The sun is rising. It's morning already.

Narrator: The Roman official had sent a magistrate to the jailer's house. The magistrate handed the jailer a piece of paper.

Magistrate: The Roman official says to let those men go.

Jailer: (Reading the paper) The officials have sent an order for you to be released. You may leave, then, and go in peace.

Paul: Wait a minute! We didn't do anything wrong, yet they had us whipped in public!

Silas: And we are Roman citizens!

Paul: Then they threw us in jail. And now they want to send us away secretly? Not at all!

Silas: Have the Roman official come here and tell us we are free to go.

Narrator: The magistrate left to tell the Roman official these words. And when the official heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, he was afraid. So he came to the jailer's house.

Official: We did not know you were Roman citizens! We are very sorry to have treated you so badly without a trial. Let us escort you as you leave the city.

The Roman official takes Paul and Silas across stage and off. The jailer and his family wave goodbye as the lights dim. 

Narrator: Paul and Silas left the city. They went on to many other cities to spread the word of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

Originally posted by Brenthaven Church

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.