Rotation.org Writing Team

Paul and the Bright Light

A Script for Younger Children, Puppets, or Storytelling

By Amy Crane, Adapted from The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The following script was originally written for a teacher-storyteller to lead a group of young non-readers through the story who are prompted to "act like Saul" with facial expressions, body language, and modest displays of acting. The students take the role of Saul-Paul and act out following the storyteller's prompts.  

The script could easily be adapted to lead children with puppets. It could also be used with adults in a worship or inter-generational setting to involve the audience in the story. It is also suggested that the script be adapted to include sound (whoosh!) and non-verbal utterances (huh? ug!)

Prop:  Some water in  bowl.

***

Acts 9:1-22

You are Saul: a fuming, raging, hateful man who wants to kill every last one of the Lord’s disciples. [You don’t look angry enough. Let me see your mean and angry faces. Aaargh! Now you sound like pirates! Stomp your feet. That’s right!]

You go to the high priest in Jerusalem for permission to arrest and chain any of Jesus’ followers—women as well as men. [Can someone tell me what you asked the high priest? Does that sound mean enough to everyone? Any other suggestions? Good.]

You take your permission letter – [hold onto it tightly! or is it in your pocket?] – and travel north toward Damascus with a group of companions.

Imagine this: Suddenly a light flashes from the sky around you, and you fall to the ground at the sound of a voice. [Is that the best fall you can give me? Try again! Remember, it was a big flash, bigger and brighter than lightning!]

The Lord said: “Saul, Saul, why are you attacking Me?”

You say, “Lord, who are You?” [Louder! Or do you think you whisper?]

Then you hear these words: “I am Jesus. I am the One you are attacking. Get up. Enter the city. You will learn there what you are to do.”

These are shocking, unexpected words that will change your life forever. [What do you think you do? Do you get up slowly or quickly? What might you say?]

Your traveling companions just stand there, paralyzed, speechless because they, too, heard the voice; but there is nobody in sight. [Let me see what they might have looked like. Confused? Afraid? Happy?]

You rise to your feet, eyes wide open, but you can’t see a thing!! [Is that really how you would get up if you couldn’t see anything?]

So your companions lead you by the hand and take you into Damascus, to the house of a man named Judas! You say, "what?"  "huh?" Because you thought Judas was dead. But in fact, Judas was a common name back then, so you go to Judas' house....

And there you wait for three LONG days—completely blind—and do not eat a bite or drink a drop of anything. [Sit quietly. Or do you think you are singing? Or dancing? Or praying? Remember, you can’t see anything!]

***

Meanwhile in Damascus....   a disciple named Ananias had a vision in which the Lord Jesus spoke to him. [You are a man named Ananias now. Listen!]

The Lord Jesus said, “Ananias.” [I wonder, did he shout, or whisper? Say “Ananias” again as the students direct.]

Ananias said, “Here I am, Lord.” [Say it. Whisper or shout? Puzzled or afraid or happy?]

The Lord said, “Get up and go to Straight Boulevard. Go to the house of Judas, and inquire about a man from Tarsus, Saul by name. He is praying to Me at this very instant. He has had a vision—a vision of a man by your name who will come, lay hands on him, and heal his eyesight.”

Well, you hear Jesus, but you aren’t happy. You say, “Lord, I know whom You’re talking about. I’ve heard rumors about this fellow. He’s an evil man and has caused great harm for Your special people in Jerusalem. I’ve heard that he has been authorized by the religious authorities to come here and chain everyone who associates with Your name.” [You aren’t very agreeable right now, are you?]

But the Lord Jesus insists: “Yes, but you must go! I have chosen him to be My instrument to bring My name far and wide—to outsiders, to kings, and to the people of Israel as well. I have much to show him, including how much he must suffer for My name.”

So, guess what? You go and enter the house where Saul is staying. [Divide the class into pairs of Sauls and Ananiases.]  

Ananiases: lay your hands on Saul and tell him that the Lord Jesus, who appeared to Saul on his way here, sent you so he can regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. [Encourage the Ananiases and Sauls to do this.]

At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes! [ICK!] I said, "like" scales, not real scales.  So now Saul, you can see!

You can see Ananias and give him a hug.

You can see Judas and give him a hug.

You can see that Jesus really is the Lord, and you give yourself a big hug!

You're so excited, and you start to cry when Ananias suggests you be baptized just like all the other disciples of Jesus. 

So here's some water [fling some]

And more!  

And even more!!  Because God's grace is absolutely amazing. It even saved a wretch like you Saul.

You once were blind, but now you see. Look around... thanks to Jesus, you can SEE JESUS!  And see the right way to serve God.

So you're no longer looking like this (awful). Or like this (scary). 

But like this (happy, excited). Because you have been saved and set free to serve God.

So now you're hungry, of course. and you eat some food (remember, he had not eaten for three days), and regains his strength.

Now are you going to dance?  Show us your "I'm Saved," Saul Dance!

***

[Everyone, you are Saul now.] You spend a lot of time with the disciples in Damascus over the next several days. [I wonder, are you still trying to arrest them? What do you think you are doing?]

Then you go into the very synagogues you had intended to purge, proclaiming, “Jesus is God’s Son!” [Say it. Louder. Louder!]

Obviously, this amazed everybody, and the buzz spread. [Let me see your amazed faces.]

The people said, “Isn’t he the man who caused so much trouble in Jerusalem for everyone identified with Jesus? Didn’t he come here to arrest followers of Jesus and bring them in chains to the religious authorities? Now he’s switched sides and is preaching Jesus?”

As time passed, Saul’s confidence grew stronger and stronger, so much so that he debated with the Jews of Damascus and made an irrefutable case that Jesus is, in fact, God’s Anointed, the Liberating King. [Let me see your confident faces.]

This is how Saul’s many adventures began. Saul started calling himself Paul, which means, "small" or "humble" because Paul would tell people he was “the least of the apostles,” when in fact, he went on to become the GREATEST disciple the Church has ever known.

...Thanks to Jesus, of course.

The End of the Beginning