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The ROCK Players present…

Mary Encounters The Twilight Zone

Based on John 20:1-18

©2009 David Skarshaug (www.alcames.org). Conditions for use: (1) If you use all or parts of this script in any form, please consider sending a suggested $25 donation check made out to “The ROCK” to the following address: Ascension Lutheran Church, 615 Kellogg, Ames, IA 50010. Reference the script title in the memo on the check. (2) Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. (3) You may reproduce this script for internal use, but all copies must contain this copyright statement.

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Rod Sirloin: Matt S.Rod Sirloin: Matt S.Mary: PeriMary: PeriAngel 1: JoeAngel 1: JoeAngel 2: ZachAngel 2: ZachPeter: TobyPeter: TobyJohn: NathanJohn: NathanJesus: OliverJesus: Oliver

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(Twilight Zone Music in (Twilight Zone Music in background until Rod is background until Rod is done speaking.)done speaking.)

Rod:Rod: With a key to unlock a With a key to unlock a door to imagination. Beyond it door to imagination. Beyond it is another dimension, a is another dimension, a dimension of sight, a dimension of sight, a dimension of sound, a dimension of sound, a dimension of mind. dimension of mind.

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Rod:Rod: You’re moving You’re moving through a land of both through a land of both shadow and shadow and substance, of both substance, of both faith and ideas. faith and ideas. (Pause (Pause while Mary appears.)while Mary appears.)

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Rod:Rod: Submitted for your Submitted for your approval. One young approval. One young woman, Mary, about to woman, Mary, about to take a journey into the take a journey into the supernatural, into a zone supernatural, into a zone whose boundaries are whose boundaries are that of our faith & that of our faith & imagination.imagination.

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Rod:Rod: Guiding Mary, her Guiding Mary, her fisherman companions, fisherman companions, and the rest of us and the rest of us through this wonderful through this wonderful journey is the very journey is the very creator of the universe.creator of the universe.

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Rod:Rod: Imagine, if you Imagine, if you will, you, the audience, will, you, the audience, are inside a first are inside a first century tomb where a century tomb where a great teacher was great teacher was buried only two days buried only two days earlierearlier..

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Rod:Rod: Early on Sunday, while Early on Sunday, while it was still dark, Mary went it was still dark, Mary went to the tomb and saw that to the tomb and saw that the stone had been the stone had been removed from the removed from the entrance. entrance.

(Twilight Zone music gets (Twilight Zone music gets louder & stops.)louder & stops.)

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Mary:Mary: (Mary, stands at (Mary, stands at entrance to tomb, in entrance to tomb, in complete shock.)complete shock.) Oh no. I Oh no. I must be lost again. This must be lost again. This doesn’t look right at all. doesn’t look right at all. What is this? Am I at the What is this? Am I at the right tomb? But where is right tomb? But where is the body? I’m certain this the body? I’m certain this was where Jesus’ body was was where Jesus’ body was laid to rest. laid to rest.

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Mary:Mary: But I’m just as But I’m just as certain that there was a certain that there was a stone covering the tomb. stone covering the tomb. (Looks up and notices the (Looks up and notices the stone in it’s new location.)stone in it’s new location.) There’s the stone. How did There’s the stone. How did it get up there?it get up there?

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Mary:Mary: Who could have Who could have moved it there, and why? moved it there, and why? Something is very strange. Something is very strange. I’d better find the others. I’d better find the others. Perhaps they’ll know what Perhaps they’ll know what is going on. is going on. (Runs off (Runs off stage.)stage.)

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Peter:Peter: (“Gone Fishing” (“Gone Fishing” music.)music.) So what do we do So what do we do now? I was just so sure he now? I was just so sure he was the Messiah. But the was the Messiah. But the Messiah can’t just die. Messiah can’t just die.

John:John: (Carefully tying his (Carefully tying his jogging shoes.)jogging shoes.) Ya, sure, Ya, sure, you betcha.you betcha.

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Peter:Peter: I just don’t know if I I just don’t know if I can just go back to fishing. can just go back to fishing. I mean, he said we’d be I mean, he said we’d be fishers of men, right?fishers of men, right?

John:John: (Ties a bandana (Ties a bandana around his head.)around his head.) Ya, sure, Ya, sure, you betcha.you betcha.

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Mary:Mary: (Running to men.)(Running to men.) Peter! John! Peter! John!

(John motions to Mary.)(John motions to Mary.)

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Peter:Peter: Mary, you know John Mary, you know John prefers to be called “The prefers to be called “The disciple that Jesus loved.” disciple that Jesus loved.”

Mary:Mary: Yeah, whatever. Yeah, whatever. Anyway, something terrible Anyway, something terrible has happened.has happened.

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Peter:Peter: And this is just now And this is just now dawning on you, Mary? dawning on you, Mary? Three days after our Lord Three days after our Lord was murdered, and you’re was murdered, and you’re just now realizing just now realizing something terrible has something terrible has happened?happened?

Mary:Mary: No, no, there’s more. No, no, there’s more.

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Peter:Peter: Yeah, tell me about Yeah, tell me about it. You know how hard it’s it. You know how hard it’s gonna be to get back into gonna be to get back into the fishing business after a the fishing business after a three-year break? three-year break?

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Peter:Peter: We’re talkin’ new We’re talkin’ new nets, new sails, new nets, new sails, new riggings, not to mention riggings, not to mention enduring the ridicule of all enduring the ridicule of all those guys down at those guys down at Stumpy’s Bait-n-Tackle Stumpy’s Bait-n-Tackle Shop. Shorty and Stinky, Shop. Shorty and Stinky, are going to really be hard are going to really be hard on us, right John? on us, right John?

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John:John: Ya, sure, you betcha.Ya, sure, you betcha.

Mary:Mary: No. You don’t get it, No. You don’t get it, Peter! They’ve taken him. Peter! They’ve taken him.

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Peter:Peter: Taken him? Who? Taken him? Who? Jesus? That’s an Jesus? That’s an understatement. Mary, we understatement. Mary, we were all there. We all saw were all there. We all saw it. It’s done. It’s over. Even it. It’s done. It’s over. Even Jesus said “it is finished.”Jesus said “it is finished.”

John:John: Ya, sure, you betcha.Ya, sure, you betcha.

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Mary:Mary: Peter, listen! Someone Peter, listen! Someone has taken Jesus’ body out of has taken Jesus’ body out of the tomb, and we don’t know the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!where they have put him!

Peter:Peter: Yeah right. Women! Yeah right. Women! You sure you got the right You sure you got the right tomb? It’s dark, and one tomb tomb? It’s dark, and one tomb looks like another, right?looks like another, right?

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Mary:Mary: Peter, I’m certain. Peter, I’m certain. Quick, go see for yourself.Quick, go see for yourself.

Peter:Peter: All right, all right. All right, all right. (To John.)(To John.) Hey, “The Hey, “The Disciple that Jesus Loved.” Disciple that Jesus Loved.” You coming? You coming?

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John:John: Ya, sure you betcha. Ya, sure you betcha. (John runs.)(John runs.)

(Twilight Zone Music in (Twilight Zone Music in background.)background.)

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Rod:Rod: So Peter and John So Peter and John started for the tomb. started for the tomb. John--the better athlete--John--the better athlete--out-ran Peter and out-ran Peter and reached the tomb first. reached the tomb first. Scripture records that Scripture records that John stood at the John stood at the entrance of the tomb…entrance of the tomb…

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Rod:Rod: …and saw the linen …and saw the linen clothes lying there. The clothes lying there. The Greek word used for Greek word used for “saw” meant that John “saw” meant that John observed the facts just observed the facts just as Mary had related as Mary had related them. them.

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John:John: (Arrives at entrance (Arrives at entrance of tomb and stands at the of tomb and stands at the entrance in disbelief.)entrance in disbelief.) Ya, Ya, sure, ya betcha.sure, ya betcha.

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Rod:Rod: Peter arrived next. Peter arrived next. As was typical with Peter, As was typical with Peter, he ran past John and he ran past John and actually entered the actually entered the tomb: the tomb of a dead tomb: the tomb of a dead man. Peter “saw” the man. Peter “saw” the head clothes all wrapped head clothes all wrapped up, only without the up, only without the head in them. head in them.

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Rod:Rod: A different Greek A different Greek word for “saw” in this word for “saw” in this case tells us that Peter case tells us that Peter not only observed the not only observed the facts, but discerned facts, but discerned them too. He realized he them too. He realized he was face to face with the was face to face with the impossible.impossible.

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Peter:Peter: (Arrives and (Arrives and runs past John into tomb. runs past John into tomb. He picks up the linen He picks up the linen strips, then the folded strips, then the folded head cloth.)head cloth.) The head The head roll is still intact and yet roll is still intact and yet the body is not here. This the body is not here. This is impossible.is impossible.

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Rod:Rod: Finally, Scripture tells Finally, Scripture tells us that John also entered us that John also entered the Tomb and “saw” the Tomb and “saw” everything. Still a third everything. Still a third different Greek word for different Greek word for “saw” in this case tells us “saw” in this case tells us that John not only observed that John not only observed the facts, and discerned the facts, and discerned that something impossible that something impossible had occurred…had occurred…

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Rod:Rod: …but John went …but John went one step further and one step further and realized God had done realized God had done the impossible. He the impossible. He believed. believed.

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(John enters the tomb and (John enters the tomb and stands by Peter. Both gaze stands by Peter. Both gaze at the head-roll, illuminated at the head-roll, illuminated by the strobe light. Music by the strobe light. Music gets louder and stops.)gets louder and stops.)

John & Peter:John & Peter: Ya, sure, ya Ya, sure, ya betcha!!betcha!! (John & Peter (John & Peter slowly back out of the slowly back out of the tomb.)tomb.)

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(Two angels appear in the (Two angels appear in the tomb, and Mary appears at tomb, and Mary appears at the door.)the door.)

Angel 1:Angel 1: So I say to them, So I say to them, “I am Hans and I’m here to “I am Hans and I’m here to pump pump (clap)(clap),, him up him up (points (points to heaven)to heaven).”.”

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Angel 2:Angel 2: And they just freeze And they just freeze and pass out, like a couple of girly and pass out, like a couple of girly men?men?

Angel 1:Angel 1: Like they’ve seen an Like they’ve seen an angel!angel!

Angel 2:Angel 2: Yah. Imagine that? Think Yah. Imagine that? Think how we could have slayed them how we could have slayed them had we played our trumpets! had we played our trumpets! (Loud, manly laugh.)(Loud, manly laugh.)

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(Mary arrives at tomb and (Mary arrives at tomb and stops when she sees the stops when she sees the angels.)angels.)

Angel 1:Angel 1: Woman, why are Woman, why are you so sad?you so sad?

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Angel 2:Angel 2: Yah, why are you Yah, why are you crying like a little girl? crying like a little girl?

Mary:Mary: They’ve taken my They’ve taken my Lord away and I don’t know Lord away and I don’t know where they put him. where they put him.

(Angels look at each other, (Angels look at each other, shrug & point to Jesus, now shrug & point to Jesus, now standing behind Mary.)standing behind Mary.)

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Jesus:Jesus: (Comes up beside (Comes up beside Mary.)Mary.) Woman, why are you Woman, why are you so sad? Who is it you are so sad? Who is it you are looking for?looking for?

Mary:Mary: Sir, if you have Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me carried him away, tell me where you have put him, where you have put him, and I’ll get him. and I’ll get him. (Actors (Actors FREEZE.)FREEZE.)

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(Twilight Zone Music in (Twilight Zone Music in background until Rod is background until Rod is done speaking.)done speaking.)

Rod:Rod: We pause here. Mary, We pause here. Mary, has been face to face with has been face to face with the same evidence that her the same evidence that her friends, Peter & John, had friends, Peter & John, had seen.seen.

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Rod:Rod: In addition, she has In addition, she has seen two angels from seen two angels from God. And now Mary has God. And now Mary has even conversed with the even conversed with the very man whose death very man whose death she was mourning.she was mourning.

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Rod:Rod: And yet she is too And yet she is too distraught to distraught to understand what it all understand what it all means. In a flash, means. In a flash, Jesus mere utterance Jesus mere utterance of her name turns her of her name turns her utter distress into utter distress into impossible joy.impossible joy.

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Rod:Rod: As they say, “A As they say, “A person’s name is to him person’s name is to him or her the sweetest or her the sweetest sound in any language.”sound in any language.”

(Twilight Zone music (Twilight Zone music gets louder & stops.)gets louder & stops.)

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Jesus:Jesus: Mary. Mary.

MaryMary:: TeacherTeacher (She bows to (She bows to him. Praise Band him. Praise Band immediately begins music.)immediately begins music.)