Scene: Class room on the last day of school

Vacation from God: Version One

Scene: Class room on the last day of school.

Sign held up: “Last Day of School”

Mr. D: My question for you today is: “What if God took a vacation?”

Dana: God would never do that Mr. D. Would He?

Joey: Well, the Bible does say He took a rest – maybe He rests all summer. My mom says that is what my dad does all year long.

Julie: I don’t think so. Jesus said “Lo, I am with you ALWAYS.” He didn’t say always, except for two weeks in July ‘cause me and my Trinity pals are going to visit the Florida Mouse on vacation.

Mr. D: I think you are right Julie. God never takes a vacation. He is like a good doctor. He may be resting at home, but really is on call all the time for us.

Joey: Yeah. Twenty four seven – three sixty five?

Dana: 24 – 7 -365? I don’t get it.

Joey: Ya know… 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 3 hundred sixty five days a year – all the time.

Julie: Yeah. 24 – 7 – 365. He may rest – but He never goes on vacation from us. He’s truly a 24 hour God! Cool.

Mr. D: But now comes an even bigger question: “Will you go on vacation from God this summer?”

Joey: NO WAY!

Dana: Me Neither!

Julie: Not a chance!

Dana: We will never ditch God. Ever!

Joey: We promise!

Mr. D: That is awesome. I hope you keep your promise. Have a great summer and I’ll see you in September when school starts.

Scene: Sitting around the camp fire

Sign held up: “Summer Camp”

Leader: Well, we have had a great time today at camp. We had fun and games, but for tomorrow, we are looking for some of you to volunteer during your free time to help clean up the trash along the highway. It will go a long way toward showing our community how much we care.

Billy: (Whispers to Joey) I think that is dumb. Why would anyone want to do more work than they have to? This is our vacation.

Joey: I don’t know; I think it could be fun; besides it is sort of helping others.

Billy: No way. Only a chump would work on their vacation. What are you? A chump?

Joey: Ahhh, ahh. No. I’m not a chump.

Billy: I mean would you rather help others or hang with me?

Joey: Ahh, I , I ..I

Billy: What are you? One of those Bible do-gooders or something?

Joey: NO!, I mean yeah, I mean No…

Billy: So what is it? Me or the highway?

Joey: Ok, ok….I’ll hang with you – after all it is our vacation.

Joey walks off – Dana Walks on

Leader: And tomorrow is also Sunday, so we will be having a church service down by the lake for those who would like to get up early and worship God.

Billy: (Whispers to Dana) Man who wants top get up early and go to a boring church service. Songs we don’t know, a long sermon and they’ll probably ask for money. I’m sleeping in – after all, this is our vacation isn’t it?

Dana: I don’t know….I mean sometimes the sermons are not that long and…

Billy: So, you are one of those “holier than thou” Church Chicks who likes to sing about God all the time… Amen God, Amen God!

Dana: No I’m not…I mean not all the time, I mean I‘ve slept in…once….I, I, I…

Billy: I don’t know about you, but me and a few of the other campers are gonna sneak out tonight and stay out late by the boat house tonight. We are gonna have our own party. We won’t be in any mood to do that church thing. Are you gonna join us or are you gonna hang out with your Church Chicks? What’s it gonna be Dana?

Dana: I ahh, I wanna, I don’t know, I mean, well, I ….

Billy: Come on Dana – lighten up. This is vacation. I think your God will understand.

Dana: Oh alright. I’ll be there. After all, it is vacation.

Dana walks off. Julie walks on.

Leader: Well, it is time for us to break for the night. Let’s close with prayer. Any volunteers?

Julie raises her hand but Billy pulls it down.

Billy: What are you doing?

Julie: Dah… I’m volunteering to lead the prayer.

Billy: Pray. Give me a break. I thought you were cooler than that. I mean, if you pray in front of everyone, they will stay away from you the rest of the weekend because they’ll think you are some religious Jesus freak or something.

Julie: Give me a break, it is just a prayer.

Julie tries to raise her hand; Billy pulls it down.

Billy: I can’t believe you don’t get it. Don’t you see how no one else is raising their hand? They all know that saying a prayer labels you as one of those “Jesus People.” I don’t know…but I thought you were cooler than that.

Julie: I don’t know, I mean…I want people to like me and all. But I like to pray, but maybe it is a dumb thing to do tonight…I mean maybe another time and…

Billy: Yeah, that’s it…another time. After all, this is vacation. God expects you to get away from praying and church and doing that Bible good deed stuff during the summer.

Julie: Yeah, maybe you’re right. I can pray anytime – after all, this is my vacation and I don’t want to seem un-cool!

Billy: Alright! Now you got it! It’s our vacation – no rules, no obligations and no church stuff. I’m cutting out of this prayer stuff. I’ll see ya later.

Dana and Joey join Julie on stage

Julie: (whispers) Hey you guys, I haven’t seen you all day.

Joey: I’ve been running all over the place today.

Julie: Isn’t camp fun?

Dana: Sure is.

Leader: Before we pray, are there any prayer requests?

Joey: Man, I’m tired of all this “prayer stuff.” Can’t we just get back to our cabins?

Dana: Yeah and we have to go to church tomorrow too.

Julie: Bummer – I’m not going. I’m gonna enjoy my vacation.

Joey: Me too.

Dana: Me too.

An owl hoots loudly three times in the woods.

The three kids jump. The leader doesn’t move.

Julie: What was that?

Joey: I don’t know, but it sure was loud…

Dana: And scary.

Julie: How come no one else jumped from the sound?

Joey: I don’t know, maybe they didn’t hear it.

Dana: Now that’s freaky!

Leader: Let’s pray: Lord we want to thank you for all that you do for us. For faithfully providing all that we need everyday. But most of all, we want to thank you for always being there for us – for never leaving us and most of all for never taking a vacation from us. In your name, Amen.

Dana, Julie and Joey pause and just look at each other for a moment.

Dana: Are you two thinking what I am thinking?

Joey: You mean 24 – 7 -365?

Julie: Our promise to Mr. D?

Dana: Yeah. And to think, I was going to skip church tomorrow.

Joey: Yeah, and I wasn’t going to help with the community cleanup.

Julie: And I wasn’t willing to pray.

Dana: We were all going to take a vacation from God.

Joey: Mr. D wouldn’t have been very proud of us.

Julie: God wouldn’t have been very proud of us.

Billy walks up to the three

Billy: So is that prayer thing over? Good! Let’s all go out and have some fun then.

Dana: I don’t think so Billy. I have to get to bed early as I have church tomorrow morning.

Billy: Oh the “church chick” is going to church.

Joey: That’s right Billy, and after I go to church, I’m helping clean up the highway.

Billy: Oh, so the Bible do-gooder is gonna help people.

Julie: That’s right Billy – and you know what I’m gonna do?

Billy: Let me guess. Go read your Bible together?

Julie: Maybe, but first, we are going to pray for you Billy.

Billy: For me? What? No body needs to pray for me. I don’t need your prayers. I don’t need no church stuff. I don’t need no Jesus people. I get enough of that the rest of the year. Besides, I’m on vacation. Yeah, that’s it, I’m on a vacation from God!

Dana: You might be on vacation from God, Billy; but God is never on vacation from you!

Julie, Dana, Joey: (together) 24 – 7 – 365!