KATIE — (runs on stage with open book in hand) I’ll get it.
MOM —- (enters opposite with cordless phone) I got it.
KATIE — Oh. (stops, looks at Mom for a moment, turns, begins exiting reading book)
MOM —- (turns on phone) Hello. Oh, hi. Sure, no problem. I’ll have it for you in plenty of time. Sure. Bye bye. (clicks phone off)
KATIE — (turns) Who was it?
MOM —- It was Pastor Tom. He asked me to make the bread and buy the wine for the communion service tomorrow.
KATIE — Oh, cool. We’re studying the passover in Bible study.
MOM —- Passover? What does that have to do with communion?
KATIE — You know when Jesus says, “Whenever you do this, remember me.”?
MOM —- Yes. He said that at the last supper.
KATIE — The last supper was the passover meal. He was saying to his Jewish friends, whenever you celebrate the passover, remember me.
MOM —- Oh, yes. I remember now.
KATIE — So, you’re going to do it authentic, right?
MOM —- If by authentic, you mean, “Am I going to bake the bread myself?” The answer is yes. I thought I’d bake that light french bread with the flakey crust that you and Daddy like so much.
KATIE — That’s not authentic.
MOM —- What, you think that just because Jesus was Jewish he wouldn’t like French Bread?
KATIE — He’d probably love it. But I’m sure he would never serve it at passover.
MOM —- Alright, Miss encyclopedia, how did they bake bread in Israel?
KATIE — The first passover was in Egypt, not in Israel.
MOM —- Yes, but I’m sure they baked bread the same all over the Mediterranean.
KATIE — Except at Passover.
MOM —- What’s different at passover?
KATIE — Moses told the Jews that they were leaving in a hurry in the morning and they didn’t have time to wait for bread to rise. So, he told them to bake bread without yeast.
MOM —- Oh that.
KATIE — You do want to be authentic, don’t you, Mom?
MOM —- Do you know what french bread looks like without yeast? It looks like pancakes. Besides, we’re not Jewish. And I’m sure there’s not going to be a single Jew in church tomorrow.
KATIE — There’s another reason for leaving out the yeast, you know.
MOM —- (sigh) I’m dying to hear it.
KATIE — Almost always in the Bible, yeast or leaven is a symbol of sin.
MOM —- So, you think that if I bake my beautiful light French Bread with the flakey crust, I’ll be insulting Jesus with the suggestion of sin?
KATIE — I don’t know if I’d go that far….
MOM —- I really thought people would enjoy my French Bread. But how can I bake French Bread now, knowing that some people might associate it with sin? Jesus was completely without sin.
KATIE — I’m sorry I brought it up.
MOM —- No. I’m glad you did.
KATIE — On second thought, people use leavened bread all the time in communion services.
MOM —- Yes, but now that I know about the symbolism of yeast, I’m not sure I want it in the communion service tomorrow. I don’t want any hint of sin in a rememberance of Jesus.
KATIE — Good for you, Mom.
MOM —- What does your book say about the wine? I suppose a chablis or a rose’ wine are out of the question, huh?
KATIE — Only if you want to be authentic.
MOM —- I’m listening.
KATIE — The Jews use a heavy red wine in the passover and they dilute it with luke warm water.
MOM —- Yuk.
KATIE — Well, the Jews think red wine symbolizes the blood of the lamb that they painted on their door frames in Egypt before the angel of the Lord passed over to kill the firstborn children. The blood saved their lives, you know.
MOM —- It means more than that to Christians.
KATIE — The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
MOM —- Now that I see the symbolism, there’s no way I could justify using Chablis or even rose’ to symbolize the blood of Jesus…. although, there’s no comparison for taste.
KATIE — There’s nothing that says you HAVE to be authentic, Mom. If you think it would taste better….
MOM —- No. You’re right, Katie. You’re absolutely right. If I want to impress people with my cooking, I’ll invite them over for dinner. The communion service is a reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus. Even grape juice would be a better reminder of Jesus’ shed blood than Chablis.
KATIE — Can I help you bake the bread, Mom?
MOM —- Sure, come on.
(they turn to exit)
DAD —- (enters with newspaper under arm) Did I hear the phone ring?
KATIE — Yeah, it was Pastor Tom asking Mom to bake the bread and buy the wine for the communion service tomorrow.
DAD —- (smiles broadly, strokes own tummy) You going to bake that delicious French Bread of yours with the flakey crust?
MOM & KATIE — No.
DAD —- No?!
MOM —- No Chablis wine either.
DAD —- Well, if you’re not serving bread and wine for communion, what ARE you serving?
MOM —- (exiting) Little Miss Encyclopedia will explain it to you.
KATIE — (exiting with Dad) Well, you see, Daddy, it has to do with Passover.
DAD —- Passover? What does that have to do with communion?
©2008 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it.Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances.You may reproduce and distribute this script freely,but all copies must contain this copyright statement.http://www.bobsnook.org email: [email protected]
