ARIZONA MUSINGS READERS, PLEASE NOTE:
I'll be at Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ in Scottsdale, AZ, this weekend - www.scucc.com - Seminar: Sat June 20, 2-4 pm - Preach: Sun June 21, 9 and 11 am.)
This piece below is one I wrote years ago - it appears in my recent book, BIRDLIKE AND BARNLESS (available at www.tcpc.org - click on "store").
Matthew 13 Revisited
(A readers’ theater in four voices.)
From BIRDLIKE AND BARNLESS by Jim Burklo
Matthew: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.
Martha: That a woman mixed in with three measures of flour.
Mark: What was that?
Mary: It was a pearl of great value.
Matthew: Which, when it was leavened,
Martha: Turned into the greatest of shrubs.
Mark: What did she hide?
Mary: It becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and made nests in its branches.
Matthew: When the man found it, he sold everything he had and bought the field where he had found it.
Martha: Until all of it was all leavened.
Mark: What is the kingdom of heaven like?
Mary: It's like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
Matthew: It's like a woman.
Martha: It's like yeast.
Mark: It's like who?
Mary: It's like a net which was thrown into the sea.
Matthew: It's the smallest of all seeds.
Martha: When it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
Mark: What was full?
Mary: What is the kingdom of heaven like?
Matthew: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.
