i wanna know what love is

I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
(PLAY)

CAST: YOUTH PASTOR
6 CHRISTIAN KIDS
4 NON CHRISTIAN KIDS

YOUTH PASTOR: A LOVING AND GENTLE MAN WHO LOVES GOD WITH ALL HIS HEART BUT GRIEVES DEEP INSIDE FOR HURTING TEENS INCLUDING A COUPLE OF THE KIDS IN HIS YOUTH GROUP. (PASTOR MARK 37 YRS., MARRIED WITH 2 CHILDREN)

CHRIS: THE FIRST OF THE CHRISTIAN KIDS, CHRIS COMES FROM A GOOD AND LOVING FAMILY WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN CHURCH, BUT CHRIS STRUGGLES WITH TRYING TO PLEASE HIS FAMILY AND FITTING IN WITH HIS FRIENDS. (16 YRS.)


BECKY: BECKY IS CHRIS’S GIRLFRIEND AND SHE ALSO COMES FROM A FAMILY WHO IS LOVING, AND IS ALWAYS IN CHURCH BUT UNLIKE HER BOYFRIEND SHE KNOWS HER PLACE IS WITH GOD AND SHE LOVES GOD WITH ALL HER HEART AND LIVES HER LIFE ACCORDINGLY. BECKY HAS BECOME COMFORTABLE AND SAFE. (16 YRS.)


BEN: BEN IS THE CLOSEST OF THE KIDS TO THE YOUTH PASTOR HIS FAMILY WANDERS IN AND OUT OF CHURCH BUT NEVER REALLY STICKING TO BEING THERE FAITHFULLY, BUT SINCE BEING IN PASTOR MARKS YOUTH GROUP BEN HAS BECOME A FAITHFUL SERVANT TO THE LORD AND LIVES HIS LIFE ACCORDING TO GODS WORD, BUT BEN STRUGGLES WITH HIS FAMILY. (15 YRS.)


SARAH: SARAH IS A SHY AND QUIET GIRL, LIFE AT HOME IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD AND HAS MADE HER FEEL INVISIBLE. BECKY IS HER BEST FRIEND AND BROUGHT HER TO CHURCH. HERE IN PASTOR MARKS CLASS SHE HAS FOUND PEACE AND DRINKS IN EVERYTHING. YET WHEN SHE RETURNS HOME SHE CAN’T SEEM TO BALANCE THE LIFE SHE WANTS TO LIVE WITH THE REALITY OF WHAT SHE LIVES. (16 YRS)

CAMERON: A LITTLE ARROGANT AND COCKY CAMERON IS REALLY GOOD AT HIDING HOW HE TRULY FEELS. HIS FAMILY GOES TO CHURCH AND PUTS ON A GOOD SHOW FOR THE PEOPLE THEIR BUT AT HOME THEIR LIVES ARE NOT WHAT THEY SHOULD BE. CAMERONS DAD IS AN ALCOHOLIC AND CAN BE ABUSIVE WHEN HE IS DRINKING. AND STILL CAMERON LOVES GOD AND WANTS TO DO RIGHT. (16 YRS)


BETH: BETH IS THE YOUNGEST OF THE GROUP AND IS VERY BOLD IN HER BELIEFS. SHE KNOWS THAT SHE IS SAVED AND WANTS TO PLEASE GOD WITH ALL HER HEART, BUT BETH STRUGGLES WITH SOMETHING THAT SHE CANT SEEM TO GET OVER, WHEN SHE LOOKS AT HERSELF IN THE MIRROR SHE DOESN’T SEE WHAT OTHERS SEE AND SHE IS VERY SELF CONCIOUS ABOUT THE WAY SHE LOOKS.(14YRS)


TOM: TOM IS A VERY SOLEM AND LONLEY KID. HE LOST HIS MOM WHEN HE WAS 12YRS OLD, AND HIS DAD, THOUGH A GOOD MAN, IS VERY WITHDRAWN, SO TOM TURNS TO DRINKING AND SMOKING POT TO DULL THE PAIN. (15YRS.)
MELISSA: MELISSA IS A VERY ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR GIRL, BUT MELISSA HAS A REPUTATION AMONG OTHERS FOR BEING PROMISCUIS. SHE FEELS THIS IS THE WAY TO BE LOVED. (17YRS)


BRIAN: BRIAN ONLY KNOWS ONE WAY OF LIFE AND THAT’S LIFE OF ABUSE. HE’S ANGRY ALL THE TIME, HIS DAD SLAPS HIM AROUND,(WHEN HE’S EVEN AROUND) SO BRIAN FINDS LIFE ON THE STREETS. (16YRS)


CANDI: CANDI HATES HER LIFE AND ALL THAT IT REPRESENTS SHE COMES FROM A GOOD HOME BUT FOUND HERSELF INVOLVED WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS THAT ARE GOTHIC AND SHE HAS BECOME SO INTRENCHED IN THAT LIFESTYLE THAT SHE HAS TURNED HER BACK ON EVERYTHING. (16YRS)


CHARACTERS SOLOS
Suggested music:

Title song: I want to know what love is

Ben: Hands and Feet

Chris: This man

Becky: Brave

Beth: Beautiful

Sarah and Candi: Scream

Cameron, Brian and Tom: Praise you in this storm

Melissa: Fingerprints of God



Act one: Scene one:

The Scene opens during the middle of a youth service. Pastor Mark has been teaching on the meaning of the word love.


Pastor Mark: (standing in front of a pulpit with some notes and his bible in front of him) now the dictionary defines the word love as, (reads from notes) “a warm affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. (Looks back at the kids). I want to know from some of you what you think love means.

Becky: (raises her hand) I think love is the way you feel towards someone like your family and friends.

Pastor Mark: very good Becky, Ben what do you think love is?

Ben: Well, the bible says that we are supposed to love everybody including our enemies, but how can we love our enemies if we don’t feel it, because love is an emotion something that we choose to feel.

Pastor Mark: That’s a very good question Ben, How can we love our enemies when love is just something we’re supposed to feel? Anyone else want to give an opinion?

Cameron: Yea (kind of sarcastically) well love as an emotion that gets you into trouble, so what’s the point.

( this starts the kids into a heated discussion among themselves. )

Pastor Mark: Ok, Ok you guys. I think that’s enough opinions for now, Now lets see what the bible has to say about love. ( Pastor Mark gets his bible) everyone get your bibles out and turn to 1John chapter 4, we will be reading verses 7 thru 13.(read from the bible). ( looks back at kids) So now, the bible says that God IS love, not God has love or that God has the emotion of love but that God is love, the bible also says we are to love one another as God loves us and if we are to be true followers of Gods word than we should love the way God does. This is what I want each of you to do this week, I want you to go up to at least one person that you wouldn’t normally talk to, and talk to them try to get to know them a little, show God’s love to someone, someone that may look different or act different, someone who may seem like their off to themselves. I want you to BE Love this week the way that God is love. (pause) Let’s pray and then you will be dismissed. ( everyone bows their heads and closes their eyes. )

Pastor Mark Prays: Our heavenly Father, Thank you for this time we have been able to share together.
Thank you Father that YOU are love and that you have given us a spirit of love by abiding in each one of us. Help each of us to be able to show love for others no matter who they are. Be with each one of us as we go our separate ways and help us to be able to live for you. Thank you for loving us so much that you gave us your only son to die for us. In the name of your son Jesus I ask these things. AMEN

Scene one ends with kids getting up to leave and talking amongst themselves.


Act one, Scene two:

Pastor Mark is talking with Chris and Becky and Ben everyone else has left.


Chris: Pastor Mark you know that I love the lord and want to serve him, but my friends at school think I’m weird when I start talking about God, and now you want us to talk to people that we wouldn’t normally talk to. Man, their really going to make fun of me. I just don’t know if I can do this one.

Pastor Mark: Well Chris, maybe its time for you to make a difficult decision. Who do you want to please more, your friends or God? You need to search your heart and think about all that Jesus has done for you. Then decide which is more important to you, what God has done for you or what your friends think of you.

Becky: Pastor Mark you know I don’t care what other people think of me because of my relationship with the lord, but this is kind of out of my comfort zone. Talking to people who don’t know the lord, well that will be really hard. I don’t mind talking to my friends about God not at all because they all know how I feel. But do I really need to do this? I am comfortable right where I am in my relationship with God.

Pastor Mark: Becky, you say you don’t care what others think of you that you have a good relationship with the lord, but doing something like this makes you uncomfortable. Well now just like Chris you need to decide what’s more important you being comfortable or doing what God wants you to do? God never said that he wanted you to get comfortable and stay there. Maybe he’s trying to move you into the next level. Go home both of you and seek God. Ben do you have a problem with this too?

Ben: No, Pastor Mark I don’t have a problem with what you want us to do this week. I just need to talk to you privately about something.

Chris and Becky leave. Pastor Mark and Ben stay behind.

Ben: I wanted you to know something, God has really been working in my heart these last few weeks and I made a decision I am going to do whatever and go wherever God wants me to.

Pastor Mark: (hugs Ben ) That’s awesome Ben, you know its not always going to be easy but just keep leaning on him and you will make it and I will be praying for you. You have come such a long way Ben and I am so proud of you and the man God is turning you into. ( the two embrace and Pastor Mark turn to leave. Ben stays behind.)

Cue Ben’s solo song.

Lights go out end act one scene two.

Act one Scene three

Later that night, Chris and Becky have just gotten off the phone with each other and are sitting alone in their rooms thinking about what Pastor Mark said to each of them.

Lights go up to show Chris and Becky. Chris is pacing back and forth in his room and Becky is sitting on her bed, reading her bible.

Lights dim on Becky but stay on Chris. Cue Chris’s solo.

Lights go back up on Becky as they fade from Chris.

Becky: Okay God it’s just me and you please help me to know what it is you want from me.

Cue Becky’s solo.

End act one Scene three.

Act Two Scene One: starts out at school. Chris, Becky, Cameron, and Sarah are standing in a group discussing how to go about what Pastor Mark wants them to do.

Cameron: I don’t know why we need to do this; nobody is going to want to talk to us. The kids that Pastor Mark wants us to talk to don’t care anything about God.

Sarah: But Cameron how will they ever know if somebody doesn’t tell them, how can they make a decision when they have no information. And anyway you used to be one of those kids and now you love God, don’t you?

Chris: Well you know what I don’t care if they think I’m weird or crazy Jesus died for me and I plan to tell everyone about it.

Becky: Wow Chris what’s got into you? Last night you weren’t sure you could do this what happened?

Chris: I just say that God and I had an encounter that I will never forget, and it made me realize what was really important in my life.

Becky: Really, me to, Man its not going to be easy, but I know now that God has more for me than just staying where I am and being comfortable.

Cameron: Well that’s great and all for you two, but it still doesn’t solve our problem of how to go about talking to people.

About this time Beth and Ben come running up to the group smiling and excited.

Sarah: Hey you two what’s up?

Beth and Ben look at each other and smile.

Beth: I am just so brilliant tell me I am brilliant (jokingly)

Becky: (laughing) Okay Beth you’re brilliant. Now what’s this all about?

Beth: Last night I was trying to think of the best way to approach some of these kids that Pastor Mark wants us to talk to and well I just had this idea.

Cameron: Well what’s this brilliant idea of yours? We have been talking all morning and can’t come up with a thing.

Ben: (playfully punches Cameron in the arm) If you would be quiet a minute Beth could tell you.

Beth: (grinning) Thank you Ben, My idea was to come up with a flyer so I did. It says do you feel abandoned and alone, do you feel scared, do you feel like nobody knows the real you, do you feel like you could scream but nobody would here you, do you want to know what love is? If you do come meet us after school in the cafeteria and we would love to talk to you!

Chris, Becky, and Sarah: that’s a great idea (then laugh because they were in unison).

Ben: I have already talked to the principle and he has given us permission to put up the flyers and use the cafeteria for an hour after school. So now all we have to do is make up some more copies and hang them around the school.

Cameron: Well we can give it a shot. Come on we have to go to class.

Every body scatters to get to class. End Act two Scene one.

Act two Scene two. After school in the cafeteria. All the Christian kids are sitting around waiting to see if anyone shows up.

Sarah: I sure hope that somebody shows up.

Becky: Maybe we should pray and ask God to send those kids who need to be here.

Chris: That’s a good idea. Come on everybody lets get in a circle and pray. Ben will you lead us in prayer.

The group joins hands and bows their heads.

Ben: Dear Father, we just want to say thank you for allowing us this time to do your work, thank you that you have chosen us for this experience. Lord please send those kids that we need to talk to about you. Let them hear and see you through us. Father we bless you and thank you for all you are doing in our lives. In the name of your son Jesus we pray these things Amen.

The group sits back down, Tom and Melissa enter the cafeteria.

Tom: (kind of quietly) Is this where I’m supposed to be? (holds out one of the flyers)

Melissa: Yea I was wondering the same thing?

Becky: (standing up and walking toward the two) yes it sure is the place. Come in and sit down.

Chris: Hi I’m Chris, and what’s your names?

The two introduce themselves as does everyone else.

Chris: well it sure is nice to meet you, Tom why don’t you come and sit with us guys and Melissa you can go sit over there with the girls. (Chris starts to laugh at seeing the look on Melissa’s face) don’t worry they won’t eat you or anything like that.

About this time Brian and Candi show up to the cafeteria.

Brian: Hey yo I came to see what all this love(draws out the word) stuff is about, but I’m telling you now anybody I know comes up in here I’m leavin.

Candi: ME TOO!!!

Ben and Sarah: ( together stand up and move towards the two)

Ben: well why don’t you come in and sit down for a few and we’ll get started. What’s your names?

Everyone introduces themselves again.

The guys and the girls split up and go sit at opposite sides of the cafeteria.

Scene ends with them talking to each other. Lights go down.