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The ROCK Players present…Only One Like You

Based on Psalms 139:1-18

©2010 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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Narrator:Narrator: AlleeAlleeFather, I.M.:Father, I.M.:TobyTobyMother, Abby:Mother, Abby: AnneeAnneeCopernicus:Copernicus: Ryan (Cone Head)Ryan (Cone Head)Einstein:Einstein: Joe (Cone Head)Joe (Cone Head)Galileo:Galileo: Zach (Cone Head)Zach (Cone Head)Ralphy:Ralphy: NateNateChester:Chester: JohannesJohannesBrittany:Brittany: SandraSandraTiffany:Tiffany: AlleeAllee

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Setting: Setting: The Normal family The Normal family sits down for a breakfast: sits down for a breakfast: Mother Abby, Father I.M., and Mother Abby, Father I.M., and boys Einstein, Galileo, and boys Einstein, Galileo, and (later) Copernicus & Ralphy. Of (later) Copernicus & Ralphy. Of course, everything about the course, everything about the “Normal” family is anything “Normal” family is anything but normal. but normal.

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Narrator:Narrator: Just another typical Just another typical school day, the Normal family school day, the Normal family of 615 Ordinary Lane, in Ames, of 615 Ordinary Lane, in Ames, Iowa, sits down for breakfast. Iowa, sits down for breakfast. Meet the normal family. Meet the normal family. Introducing, Mother, Abby; Introducing, Mother, Abby; Father I.M.; and boys Einstein, Father I.M.; and boys Einstein, Galileo, Copernicus, and Galileo, Copernicus, and Ralphy.Ralphy.

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(Copernicus enters and sits (Copernicus enters and sits down.)down.)

Dad:Dad: Well, Copernicus, so Well, Copernicus, so glad you could join us for glad you could join us for breakfast.breakfast.

Copernicus:Copernicus: Pass the Fruit Pass the Fruit Loops, Einstein.Loops, Einstein.

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Einstein:Einstein: (Passes Fruit Loops (Passes Fruit Loops to Copernicus.)to Copernicus.) Mom, Galileo Mom, Galileo is hogging the honey! is hogging the honey!

Galileo:Galileo: I’ve hardly had any! I’ve hardly had any! Hey, Copernicus, pass the Hey, Copernicus, pass the milk.milk.

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Copernicus:Copernicus: (Passes the Milk (Passes the Milk to Galileo.)to Galileo.) I can’t believe you I can’t believe you pour milk on uncooked rice for pour milk on uncooked rice for breakfast!breakfast!

Galileo:Galileo: I tried juice, but it I tried juice, but it just didn’t taste quite right. just didn’t taste quite right.

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Dad:Dad: Say, have any of you Say, have any of you boys seen Ralphy? If he boys seen Ralphy? If he doesn’t get down here quick, doesn’t get down here quick, he’ll be late for school.he’ll be late for school.

Mom:Mom: He seems so depressed He seems so depressed lately. You know, it’s not easy lately. You know, it’s not easy being Normal, following three being Normal, following three high achievers.high achievers.

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Dad:Dad: It’s tough to follow It’s tough to follow Copernicus—the oldest brother Copernicus—the oldest brother and straight A+ student. and straight A+ student.

Mom:Mom: What was it they voted What was it they voted you your senior year, you your senior year, Copernicus?Copernicus?

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Copernicus:Copernicus: President of President of Geek affairs.Geek affairs.

Dad:Dad: Brings a tear to my eye Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it. The just thinking about it. The oldest child of I.M. and Abby oldest child of I.M. and Abby Normal, President of Geek Normal, President of Geek affairs!affairs!

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Mom:Mom: And then there’s And then there’s Einstein’s natural athletic Einstein’s natural athletic abilities.abilities.

Einstein:Einstein: Mom, I lettered in Mom, I lettered in Chess. Chess.

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Mom:Mom: Two years and Two years and counting! Einstein, you just counting! Einstein, you just dominated at state last year. dominated at state last year. Coach Knight said he’d never Coach Knight said he’d never had a player that castled as had a player that castled as well as you. well as you.

Dad:Dad: And then there’s our And then there’s our little musician, Galileo. First little musician, Galileo. First chair accordion in the Ames chair accordion in the Ames High Orchestra!High Orchestra!

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Galileo:Galileo: Dad, there ARE no Dad, there ARE no other accordion players in the other accordion players in the orchestra. Accordion seems to orchestra. Accordion seems to have a limited appeal, you have a limited appeal, you know. know.

Mom:Mom: Galileo, who would Galileo, who would have ever guessed that you have ever guessed that you could make the all-state could make the all-state orchestra on the accordion!orchestra on the accordion!

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Dad:Dad: And to think, I scolded And to think, I scolded you, Abby, for letting the you, Abby, for letting the Accordion salesman get his Accordion salesman get his foot in the door. foot in the door.

Mom:Mom: (Knock on door.)(Knock on door.) Speaking of the door, it Speaking of the door, it sounds like someone is sounds like someone is Knocking. Knocking. (Yelling).(Yelling). Come on Come on in, the door is open.in, the door is open.

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Chester:Chester: Good morning Mr. Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Normal!and Mrs. Normal!

Mom:Mom: Why it’s Chester. Why it’s Chester. Please join us for some Please join us for some breakfast.breakfast.

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Chester:Chester: No thanks, Mrs. No thanks, Mrs. Normal. I’m just here to pick Normal. I’m just here to pick up Galileo for Accordion up Galileo for Accordion Ensemble practice.Ensemble practice.

Mom:Mom: Chester, I thought you Chester, I thought you played Bagpipes..played Bagpipes..

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Chester:Chester: Yeah, but my mom Yeah, but my mom wanted me to diversify, so I wanted me to diversify, so I picked up accordion too.picked up accordion too.

Chester:Chester: Surprisingly, Mrs. Surprisingly, Mrs. Normal, we just couldn’t find Normal, we just couldn’t find any music written for the any music written for the accordion and bagpipes.accordion and bagpipes.

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Ralphy:Ralphy: (Enters room.) (Enters room.) I I don’t have time for breakfast, don’t have time for breakfast, Mom! Besides, I don’t want to Mom! Besides, I don’t want to be overweight for my weigh-be overweight for my weigh-in.in.

Dad:Dad: Weigh-in? Say, you Weigh-in? Say, you didn’t join the wrestling team, didn’t join the wrestling team, did you?did you?

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Ralphy:Ralphy: Wrestling? What, Wrestling? What, and hang out with Nathan and hang out with Nathan Twito and Toby Gassman? No, Twito and Toby Gassman? No, I’m trying out for the Croquet I’m trying out for the Croquet team, again. The team team, again. The team manager tells me with a little manager tells me with a little luck there’s a slim chance that luck there’s a slim chance that I won’t get cut in the first I won’t get cut in the first round this year. Croquet round this year. Croquet players: they get all the players: they get all the babes, you know! babes, you know!

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Mom:Mom: Well, you’d better sit Well, you’d better sit down and have some down and have some breakfast. I don’t want you breakfast. I don’t want you passing out from dehydration passing out from dehydration after the third wicket, again. after the third wicket, again.

Ralphy:Ralphy: Well, all right. Well, all right. (Takes a seat.)(Takes a seat.) Pass the pop- Pass the pop-tarts.tarts.

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Mom:Mom: (Knock on door.)(Knock on door.) Oh Oh there’s the door again. there’s the door again. (Yelling.) Come in!(Yelling.) Come in!

Dad:Dad: (To Audience.)(To Audience.) I bet I bet you folks are wondering how you folks are wondering how many visitors a Normal family many visitors a Normal family could have stop in for could have stop in for breakfast?breakfast?

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Mom:Mom: (To Audience.)(To Audience.) Most Most normal families don’t have to normal families don’t have to put ten kids in a skit. put ten kids in a skit. (Brittany (Brittany and Tiffany enter.)and Tiffany enter.)

Brittany:Brittany: Good morning Mr. Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Normal!and Mrs. Normal!

Mom:Mom: Why, Brittany and Why, Brittany and Tiffany, what brings you here Tiffany, what brings you here so early in the morning?so early in the morning?

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Brittany:Brittany: We heard Ralphy We heard Ralphy was trying out for the Croquet was trying out for the Croquet team, and thought he might team, and thought he might want some help carrying his want some help carrying his equipment to school.equipment to school.

Tiffany:Tiffany: The athletic director The athletic director put us in charge of the put us in charge of the fundraising effort for getting fundraising effort for getting artificial turf for the new artificial turf for the new Croquet field.Croquet field.

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Brittany:Brittany: No more injuries, No more injuries, and less field maintenance, and less field maintenance, and the marching band can and the marching band can use it for practice too.use it for practice too.

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Dad:Dad: Well, now that we’re all Well, now that we’re all here, we can do devotions. here, we can do devotions. Abby, you want to do the Abby, you want to do the honors? honors? (Hands Mom the (Hands Mom the Bible.)Bible.)

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Mom:Mom: Well, okay. Let’s read Well, okay. Let’s read from Psalms today. from Psalms today.

Copernicus:Copernicus: Psalms! Good, Psalms! Good, it’ll be short then.it’ll be short then.

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Mom:Mom: Psalms 119…all 176 Psalms 119…all 176 verses. verses. (All the kids drop their (All the kids drop their spoons simultaneously.)spoons simultaneously.) Just Just teasing. Psalm 139, beginning teasing. Psalm 139, beginning in verse 13. “For you created in verse 13. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully am fearfully and wonderfully made; (Cont’d)made; (Cont’d)

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Mom: Your works are Mom: Your works are wonderful, I know that full wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. made in the secret place. When I was woven together in When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.”eyes saw my unformed body.”

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Dad:Dad: So, kids what does this So, kids what does this mean to you?mean to you?

Kids:Kids: (Kids all pause, and (Kids all pause, and look at each other for about 5 look at each other for about 5 seconds, then simultaneously seconds, then simultaneously respond.) respond.) Jesus?Jesus?

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Dad:Dad: Come on, you can do Come on, you can do better than that.better than that.

KidsKids (Simultaneously again.)(Simultaneously again.) Jesus loves us?Jesus loves us?

Dad:Dad: Try again. Try again.

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Copernicus:Copernicus: Well, the Well, the psalmist is describing the psalmist is describing the intimacy that God has with us. intimacy that God has with us.

Einstein:Einstein: He created us in our He created us in our mother’s womb, right down to mother’s womb, right down to the details.the details.

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Dad:Dad: Martin Luther said this, Martin Luther said this, “The reproduction of mankind “The reproduction of mankind is a great marvel and mystery. is a great marvel and mystery. Had God consulted me in the Had God consulted me in the matter, I should have advised matter, I should have advised him to continue the generation him to continue the generation of the species by fashioning of the species by fashioning them out of clay, in the way them out of clay, in the way Adam was fashioned.”Adam was fashioned.”

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Brittany:Brittany: Hmm, and some Hmm, and some people don’t think Lutheran’s people don’t think Lutheran’s have a sense of humor. have a sense of humor.

Dad:Dad: Thankfully, God didn’t Thankfully, God didn’t consult Luther on human consult Luther on human reproduction, right Abby?reproduction, right Abby?

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Mom:Mom: I don’t know. There I don’t know. There were at least four days in my were at least four days in my life I might have agreed with life I might have agreed with Luther that making kids out of Luther that making kids out of clay would have been better.clay would have been better.

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Ralphy:Ralphy: So, if God was so So, if God was so involved in my creation, why is involved in my creation, why is it that I don’t look like any of it that I don’t look like any of my brothers? Why is it that I’m my brothers? Why is it that I’m not a great computer geek like not a great computer geek like Copernicus, a great Chess Copernicus, a great Chess Team Champ like Einstein, or a Team Champ like Einstein, or a great all state musician like great all state musician like Galileo? Galileo?

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Mom:Mom: Hey, God didn’t want Hey, God didn’t want clones. Science is just now clones. Science is just now figuring out that God had the figuring out that God had the technology to make clones if technology to make clones if that’s what he wanted. that’s what he wanted.

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Dad:Dad: But he didn’t. Just look But he didn’t. Just look at us! He wanted to make at us! He wanted to make unique individuals: people unique individuals: people with different gifts, abilities, with different gifts, abilities, talents, and yes—even talents, and yes—even thoughts. We’re one in the thoughts. We’re one in the spirit, but still very different in spirit, but still very different in many respects.many respects.

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Copernicus:Copernicus: And remember, And remember, we really have to take these we really have to take these verses in the entire context of verses in the entire context of the Psalm, which really the Psalm, which really emphasizes God’s intimacy emphasizes God’s intimacy with us.with us.

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Mom:Mom: Psalm 139 starts like Psalm 139 starts like this: “O LORD, you have this: “O LORD, you have searched me and you know searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.”thoughts from afar.”

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Tiffany:Tiffany: So, the Psalmist is So, the Psalmist is laying out a case for how well laying out a case for how well God knows and loves him. God knows and loves him.

Galileo:Galileo: He knows what he He knows what he thinks and does.thinks and does.

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Ralphy:Ralphy: He knows He knows everything about him. When everything about him. When he sits down to eat Pop Tarts he sits down to eat Pop Tarts for breakfast, or rises to try for breakfast, or rises to try out for the croquet team.out for the croquet team.

Mom:Mom: Then it continues in Then it continues in verse 3: “You discern my verse 3: “You discern my going out and my lying down; going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my you are familiar with all my ways.”ways.”

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Einstein:Einstein: So he knows if we So he knows if we letter in “Geek” at school like letter in “Geek” at school like Copernicus here…Copernicus here…

Copernicus:Copernicus: Or anchor the Or anchor the Chess Club, like Einstein.Chess Club, like Einstein.

Mom:Mom: It continues in verse 4: It continues in verse 4: “Before a word is on my “Before a word is on my tongue, you know it tongue, you know it completely, O LORD.” completely, O LORD.”

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Brittany:Brittany: So, unlike most of So, unlike most of us who have enough trouble us who have enough trouble just hearing or understanding just hearing or understanding what people said after they what people said after they said it, God knows everything said it, God knows everything we’ve thought or said or done, we’ve thought or said or done, even before we’ve thought, even before we’ve thought, said, or done it. said, or done it.

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Mom:Mom: And the Psalmist And the Psalmist continues like this: “You hem continues like this: “You hem me in—behind and before; you me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.”have laid your hand upon me.”

Copernicus:Copernicus: So he hems us inSo he hems us in—he protects and guards us, —he protects and guards us, so we don’t bump our heads so we don’t bump our heads getting in and out of car getting in and out of car doors. doors. (3 coneheads rub their (3 coneheads rub their heads.)heads.)

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Ralphy:Ralphy: And he lays his And he lays his hand on us to guide us, so hand on us to guide us, so even if we don’t make the even if we don’t make the Lego League Championship—Lego League Championship—like our older brothers--we still like our older brothers--we still make the Tinker Toy Team.make the Tinker Toy Team.

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Dad:Dad: And God knew that you And God knew that you were just the right person for were just the right person for that team. And he knows that team. And he knows exactly what he has planned exactly what he has planned for you—be it blessing or for you—be it blessing or challenge—for all the days of challenge—for all the days of your life.your life.

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Ralphy:Ralphy: Well, girls, it looks Well, girls, it looks like we better get going. like we better get going. (Gets (Gets up to leave down center aisle up to leave down center aisle with the girls. Parents stand with the girls. Parents stand and wave.)and wave.)

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Mom:Mom: Good luck on your Good luck on your tryout, Ralphy!tryout, Ralphy!

Dad:Dad: Remember son, you Remember son, you may be Normal, but there’s may be Normal, but there’s only one like you!only one like you!