Betty and The Huge Pimple

Our culture is dominated by the Big Names. Some celebrity blows their nose and it hits the headlines. (I mean the news hits the headlines not the … sorry). A Famous Name says, ‘buy this shampoo’ and we all buy it.

So it’s a welcome antidote to such idle worship (did I spell that wrong?) that 75% of the Queen’s recent birthday honours were for people making a difference in their local communities. Little people who mean a lot.

The Bible also has a special place for the little folks. Jesus didn’t spend much time with the rich and famous and, tbh, when he did it was less than pleasant. Instead Jesus spent his time on the little people, complete nobodies in the eyes of the world.

We find this scattered throughout the Old Testament too. Slotted between the Big Names of Moses and Isaiah and Abraham we find small, often nameless, heroes and heroines of the faith: widow this and servant that. Small maybe in terms of Bible verses, but not in God’s plans.

Here’s a fun drama script about one such nameless heroine. We’ll call her her … ummm … how about Betty?

This is an extract from my up-coming book – a sequel to the (number 1 best seller – yes, really) ‘A Bucketful of Ideas for Church Drama’, The working title is ‘A(nother) Bucketful of Ideas for Church Drama’. Catchy, eh?

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Outline

Naaman, the Syrian who came to worship the God of Israel, is a wonderful illustration of our God who welcomes all, even those we might consider ‘outsiders’.

The unlikely heroine of the tale is a nameless slave girl, reminding us that God can use even the least of us to tell of his goodness.

This sketch uses two narrators to denote the two locations of the story and works well with either people or puppets.

Characters

Narr 1 – person
Narr 2 – person (can be same as Narr 1)
Betty – person or puppet
Naaman – person or puppet

Costumes & Props

Narr 1 and Narr 2 can read from scripts on lecterns

Betty is dressed like a waitress, Naaman is dressed like a businessman.

Naaman has a big red spot on his nose. This can be a circle of red paper stuck on with glue for a person, or a large, glass-headed pin for a puppet (don’t use the pin on a person!)

Staging

One side of the stage is Israel (Narr 1 is on this side) and the other side is Syria (Narr 2).

Betty starts at the Israel side and Naaman starts at the Syria side.

When Betty and Naaman travel between the locations, they take a long, circuitous route. Narrators can tap fingers or whistle to pass the time while this is happening.

If you are using just one person as both Narrators, the Narrator passes straight from one side to the other, making this a deliberate move to signify a change.

Betty and The Huge Pimple

Narr 1:
Long ago, in Bible times, there lived a girl called … [enter Betty]

… well, actually, we don’t know. The Bible doesn’t tell us her name. No-one thought that she was important, so they never bothered to write down her name.

We can call her … ummm … how about Betty? What do you think, Betty?

Betty:
Ooh yes. I like Betty. Hello, everyone!

It’s very nice to have a name at last. I wondered if my name might be ‘Age 4 to 7 Years’ because that’s what it says in my coat, but Betty is much nicer.

Narr 1:
Betty lived in a country where the people knew and loved God, and God knew and loved them too, and that was all lovely.

[if Narr 1 and Narr 2 played by same person, moves to other side of stage to read Narr 2]

Narr 2:
But then something not lovely happened.

There was a war and Betty was taken to a far, far away country, where they didn’t know God. It was a loooooong journey

[Betty moves to Syria]

Betty went to work in the house of a man called Naaman.

[enter Naaman]

Now Naaman was a very important man …

Naaman:
Oh yes, I’m a very important man. I’m chief boss-bossyness of Bossy-Tech Industries.

Narr 2:
… but he had a very bad illness, and no doctor could cure him. And worst of all he also had a huge pimple on the end of his nose

Naaman:
It’s true. I’ve tried medicines and creams and organic kale super-fruit diets, but nothing works. And worst of all I’ve got this huge pimple on the end of my nose!

Narr 2:
But just then, he saw Betty.

Naaman:
Hello Sally.

Betty:
It’s Betty, sir.

Naaman:
Yes, yes, of course it is.

Betty:
Ummmn, sir?

Naaman:
Yes Milly?

Betty:
It’s Betty, sir.

Naaman:
Yes, yes. What did you want?

Betty:
Did you know you’ve got a huge pimple on the end of your nose?

Naaman:
[sigh] Yes, I know. I have a bad illness that no doctor can cure, and worst of all I’ve got this huge pimple on the end of my nose!

Betty:
Have you tried asking God?

Naaman:
Asking who, now?

Betty:
Asking God. Back in my country we worship God. We love God and God loves us. I think God can cure your illness, and probably help with the huge pimple too.

Naaman:
Really? That’s great! Thanks a lot Polly.

Betty:
It’s Betty, sir.

[Naaman moves to Israel]

Narr 1:
So Naaman went on a long journey to Betty’s home country where the people knew and loved God.
God’s friend, Elisha, told Naaman to wash seven times in the river and then God would cure him.

Naaman:
Wash seven times in a stinky old river? Is that all? I’ve got better rivers back at home. I could have washed in those.
Anyway, it doesn’t look like a magic river to me.

Narr 1:
It’s not a magic river. Remember, Betty said that God could cure you. That’s the important bit.

Naaman:
Oh, OK then.

Narr 1:
So Naaman prayed:

Naaman:
Dear God, please will you cure my bad illness, and could you do something about this huge pimple on the end of my nose?
Thank you.
Lots of love, Naaman.
Amen.

Narr 1:
And Naaman jumped in the river seven times. Count with me.
Sploosh! One. Sploosh! Two. Sploosh! Three. Sploosh! Four. Sploosh! Five. Sploosh! Six. Sploosh! Seven!
[Naaman bobs up and down and removes spot]

And guess what? God did cure him!

Naaman:
Wow! I’m better! God made my illness get go away, and best of all there is no huge pimple on the end of my nose! Hooray!

[Naaman moves to Syria]

Narr 2:
So Naaman went home very happy.

Betty:
Hello sir. You look very happy.
And that huge pimple on the end of your nose …?

Naaman:
It’s gone! It’s gone! I am very happy because now I know that God loves me and I love God. Thank you for telling me about God, Nelly.

Betty:
It’s Betty, sir.

Reading

Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria, because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to the Syrian forces. He was a great soldier, but he suffered from a dreaded skin disease. In one of their raids against Israel, the Syrians had carried off a little Israelite girl, who became a servant of Naaman’s wife. One day she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his disease.” When Naaman heard of this, he went to the king and told him what the girl had said. The king said, “Go to the king of Israel and take this letter to him.”So Naaman set out, taking thirty thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of fine clothes. The letter that he took read: “This letter will introduce my officer Naaman. I want you to cure him of his disease.”When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and exclaimed, “How can the king of Syria expect me to cure this man? Does he think that I am God, with the power of life and death? It’s plain that he is trying to start a quarrel with me!”When the prophet Elisha heard what had happened, he sent word to the king: “Why are you so upset? Send the man to me, and I’ll show him that there is a prophet in Israel!”So Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, and he would be completely cured of his disease. But Naaman left in a rage, saying, “I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the Lord his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me! Besides, aren’t the rivers Abana and Pharpar, back in Damascus, better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured!”His servants went up to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can’t you just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured?” So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child.