Mary Magdalene

This is my monolog that I wrote for Mary Magdalene. I wanted another "bad girl" from the Bible to show that Jesus loves us all. This, IMO, also shows how a person can turn around her entire live when Jesus becomes her Savior. As I researched Mary Magdalene, I found out how totally controversial she is. While I do not have the scriptures listed on here, everything that I do have(allowing for creative liscence) is found in scripture. I did not include some areas that you may relate to Mary Magadelene that were not supported by scripture. For example, some people think that Mary was the prostitute who washed Jesus' feet with her hair. I found no evidence to support that so I did not include that in this monolog.

As with all of my monologs, this is free for you to use in your ministry. Please do not take credit for writing this or try to sell it or print it as your own. This monolog takes about 12-13 minutes to perform. As with most of my work, I performed it for my church's senior citizen group.

Mary Magdalene

(Mary walks into room mumbling & talking to herself.)
No, no, demons, get out of me! (Lots of moaning and making noises)
(She looks out like she sees someone coming. In a demonic voice she cries out.)
We know you.( points to someone) You are Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God.
No, do not cast us out! We are satisfied with this body and mind. We do not want to go from this woman. No! No!
You are Jesus. We know that we must obey you, son of God. Demons scream. (Mary falls to the floor moaning. become composed now)
(Softly call.) Jesus. Jesus. You have made me whole again. My demons are gone. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you… (voice trailing off.)
Turn around for transition.
Joanna, Susanna--come with me. The master is in town. The one who cast out my demons. Come and let’s listen to Him as he teaches. There are ways that we can help him, serve him. Come now ladies. Oh, Susanna, grab that basket; Joanna, don’t forget the water.
(Shaking her head.) You know, if it were up to the 12, Jesus would have to get His own water from a rock. Come ladies, it’s our time to serve Him.
Pause & turn around slowly for a transition.
Joanna, have you heard? The chief priests brought soldiers last night while Jesus was praying at the Mount of Olives. I heard that Judas led them to the Master! How could he have done that? How could he have betrayed Jesus after spending all this time with Him? Jesus has been taken to Pilate. They are planning to crucify Him. I was told that he’s already been beaten with the cat-o-nine tails until He was practically dead. We must go see if there is anything that we can do to help. (pause) Oh, I know the men in charge won’t let us do much. We are just women but we’ve got to try. Jo, Suze, come with me. I can’t just stay here and do nothing.
Transition time
It’s so crowded here. It seems that everyone in Jerusalem has come to watch the Master carry His cross to Golgotha . Please, excuse me, please, let me through (Mary moves her arms back & forth like she’s trying to push through a crowd.) I must see my Master. Oh my, how could they have beat Him so. His flesh still oozes blood from the stripes. (reach out with a glass or bottle) Here, Jesus, here, a drink of water. Just a sip.
(pulls arms back like soldiers grabbing her) No, no, don’t make me leave him.
Come, we will follow up the hill. (walk in place a bit, stop & look ‘up the hill’ like you are watching what’s going on, cry) Look to your side.
Oh Mary, how can you watch them nail your son to the cross? Oh, I know. We are all in despair. But none so much as you.
Look, they’ve nailed Jesus between two thieves, 2 common criminals. It’s bad enough that they crucify Him but to hang Him between men like that is so humiliating. They shoved that crown of thorns into his scalp. His blood is running down His face, into His eye. If I could just wipe His face.
Jesus speaks. Isn’t it just like him to think of others while he is suffering. Now he forgives a thief. Oh my, the thief will be with the Lord in paradise. Oh my.
John, where are the others? Where are the 10 who were so close to Him? Why are they not here?
Oh, listen, Jesus is speaking again…Yes, John will take good care of Jesus mother.
Is this the last I’ll ever hear from Jesus? What was it He said about coming back…3 days? Oh, I need Him to explain so much of His teaching. Will I ever hear him call me a faithful servant again?
It has been such a long morning. Jesus said that it is now finished and he just died. Where were the angels? Why didn’t He call out to them to save Him? Oh Jesus, why did you have to die? (falls down & cries out)
Transition
Ladies, hurry now. Salome, Mary. Sabbath is over. We didn’t have time to properly prepare Jesus’ body after He died. We must hurry now to the tomb with the spices we have prepared.
Oh, I don’t know how we will get the stone moved away from the tomb. I guess we will just rely on God to provide a way. (walk in place)
(Point) Look, the stone has already been moved. We’ll go in to take care of things.
Oh, no, Jesus body is not here. (pause) Oh Mary, do you see them? Two men in dazzling apparel? Angels? (bow head to ground, then look up)
Yes, I remember His words, that He would be crucified and on the third day rise. You mean--he is not here because He has risen? But where? Where is He? (pause)
Oh Salome, Mary, we must go. We must tell the eleven that our Jesus has arisen from the dead!
Transition
(Mary walks back in, sits on a chair or bench, & cries softly.)
We’ve told Peter and the others about what the angels told us. Even Peter and John have gone to the tomb to see His body is missing. Jesus has risen from the dead. Praise His holy name. But what now? I still can’t believe it. Oh, I know what the angels said but I don’t even know where His body is. What have they done with Him? I’ll just sit here in the garden for a while. I need some time by myself to think and to pray, to decide what to do next. (pause, crying)
Oh, the garden caretaker is speaking to me. What? Why am I crying? Don’t you know? “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him.” I will come and take him away. (to herself) What? This man know my name? (slowly looks up to see Him) Rabboni, teacher, master (reach out to Him & slowly sink to knees) What? I am not to touch you? But, it is you? Master, Lord. It is you! You are alive! You are here. You have risen. Oh, my Lord!
(Looks at audience)
And Jesus has risen from the dead. After I saw Him in the garden, He also appeared to the eleven and to many of His other followers. He continued to walk on earth and speak and share with His followers for 40 days until it was time for Him to ascend into heaven. He gave us His last message--His last command--that day on the hilltop. And I share that with you for if you are one of His followers, then His command is for you also. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Yes, He is with us always, even to the end of the age.

2 Day Street Camp Program

I have just finished writing a program for a 2 day street camp that we are going to do in Galveston on our mission trip the first week in August. The title is "What You Can Learn from a Donkey." With the popularity of Shriek and donkey as his best friend, I think this is something that kids will enjoy. As a retired elementary teacher, I have had lots of experience with circurrulum and have spent lots of time coming up with things for my own students to use. Josh Derell, with Galveston Urban Ministries, told us that most of the kids there would not come for more than 2 days, 3 days max. I felt that if I took a VBS program(and there are many excellent ones) and cut it down to 2 days, that I would just have a watered down program. So I decided to write my own. I am offering it basically free for anyone interested in it. I would like $2 to cover the cost of copying it plus the postage to mail it. Postage for priority mail is $5.15. Postage for parcel post depends on where you live. My zip code is 76502 and it weights about 9 oz. You can go to usps.com to calculate the postage. Anyone who gets this program from me has permission to make as many copies as needed for their children.

 My program is based on the story of Balaam's donkey in Numbers and the donkey that Jesus rode on for the trimuphal entry into Jerusalem. I have all the scripture refrences from ESV and have written my own orignial children's stories to go with them. I have comprehension questions, mazes, and word search puzzles to go with each story. I have a fill in the blank sheet to go with the memory verses and memory verse activities & games. I have original pictures to use for cards to make your own concentration game. I have instructions for a craft activity for each day and suggestions for recreation activities. There are also original illustrations that I've drawn to use. I've even included a schedule that you may use. Some of the word searches and mazes were generated from computer programs but all pictures on them are original. I have included 2 color sheets that came from the internet.

Any one interested in this program can email me at djohnson68@hot.rr.com. I will be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

This is one of my illustrations for the program. I am not a trained artist nor have I sold any of my art work. I just try to serve the Lord with whatever gifts he gives me. This will give you an idea of my artwork.

Just Do It!

James 1:22 Be doers of the word, not hearers only so you will not be deceived.

I've recently completed Beth Moore's study "James:Mercy Triumphs." Wow! For a short book, James has a lot of meat! I've learned so much about James, the half-brother of Jesus, and so much about me too. Well, I'm not here to rehash what Beth said about James. If you're interested, study it for yourself. What I do want to talk about today is my "life verse."

I've heard people say things about their "life verse" before but I never had one. I've thought "I need to look through at some of my favorite scriptures and pick out a life verse for me to use." I never did and at this point I don't think you pick a life verse. I think it picks you. I think this James 1:22 picked me a long time ago and I just didn't realize it. I can remember as a kid going to Sunday School and when I was in 5th or 6th grade being in the "Junior" department. That department had it's own special song and it seemed like we sang it every Sunday. "Out of James 1 and 22 comes a call for Juniors true, be ye doers of the word. Be ye doers and not hearers only, be ye doers of the word." To begin with, it's a known fact that when something is set to music, people will remember it easier and longer. But that verse is one that has really impressed me. I've tried to live my life by it. Oh--not that I always succeeded but I have tried. It just always seemed to be in the back of my brain even when I wasn't aware of it.

I know that we do not come to salvation through our works, "lest any man should boast." Salvation only comes through believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins and accepting Him into our lives. But how can anyone know what we believe when they just listen to us? What we truly believe shows in who we are and the things that we do in our lives. Those who tell people about Jesus but then go around lieing, stealing and cheating others don't "walk the talk." If our life doesn't show what we believe, then how can any one believe what we say. Our "talk" and our "walk" have to go together. That's where being a doer of the word come in. To be a doer of the word you have to "walk your talk." Jesus told us to love others (John 13:34) and we do that by reaching out to them. Taking food to the hungry, giving clothes to the naked, and comforting the sick. Basically, doing for others--not just keeping everything for our own selfish selves.

So anyway, as I was finishing up this study and Beth was asking us questions about the impact of James on our lives, James 1:22 just jumped out and landed right smack dab on top of me. This is the verse that I have tried(not always know it & not always succeeding, but tried) to live for the majority of my life. This is MY life verse. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22

So let's go out and JUST DO IT. Just do what our Lord Jesus wants us to do. He tells us over and over in his word. Be doers and not hearers (or talkers) only.

(The picture shows my son-in-law delivering things to soldiers when he was stationed in Baghdad. He's a doer in every sense of the scripture.)