Message From A Frustrated Writer Series

I Am John – Frustrated Writer

(This is a first person sermon. The more participation from the congregation, the better. I did this in period costume and remained outside the sanctuary until it was time for the sermon. After the other minister read the scripture, I allowed for a long, uncomfortable pause before knocking and pounding on the door. When the music director opened it, I, as John, walked in and said..."

Behold, I was standing at the door and knocked...

(John enters from the side carrying an armload of books. He approaches the chancel and drops them on the floor.)

I love books! Do you love books? How many of you like to read? What books do you like to read?

(John picks up one of the books and holds it up to the congregation.)

The DaVinci Code. How many of you read this? Great book. Very interesting. I found it in the FICTION section of the library.

(John picks up one of the books and holds it up to the congregation.)

War and Peace. How many of you have read this? Thick book!

(John picks up one of the books and holds it up to the congregation.)

The Presbyterian Church Welcomes You, but Maynard Pitt…, Pitt…, Pittendragon? Whatever. That will never sell.

(John picks up one of the books and holds it up to the congregation.)

The Bible! How many of you have read this book? Wonderful.

(John picks up one of the books and holds it up to the congregation.)

My name is John. I am a writer – a very frustrated writer because I wrote a book and nobody is reading it. I even had copies to send to seven different churches and still nobody is reading this book.

(John holds up a copy of Revelation and holds it up to the congregation. This computer generated copy of Revelation can also become a hidden script for the sermon)

REVELATION! Any of you read this book?

I want to ask you a question – I ask this of those of you who have read my book, those of you who have read part of it, and those of you who have never read my book but have heard about it---

What did you think of my book?

What is your opinion of Revelation?

Scary?

Confusing?

Boring?

Violent?

Depressing?

Too many symbols?

Some of you say it is scary. Right! Like you in your time never go to horror movies like SAW and THE RING.

Well, I will admit my book is sometimes scary.

Revelation 20 verse 10 –

(John reads in a dramatic and scary tone of voice…)

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Some of you say my book REVELATION is boring.

(John reads in a monotoned voice…)

Rev 7:4-8

4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin...

(NIV)

11,999 – no just kidding. It’s 12,000. OK, so parts of it are boring. Give me a break! I wrote this while I was in exile on an island – my whole day was boring.

Some of you say my book is violent.

(John reads in a dramatic and scary tone of voice…)

Rev 9:14-18

14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."

15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.

18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.

(NIV)

OK, maybe this is violent. But in your century, you have movies and television shows that makes my book on REVELATION look mild and tame.