The Rich Fool and God's Generosity

 Knowing that this is our annual Splash event and that we'd want to incorporate puppets, Craig and I looked for a dramatic version already out there for kids and tried to adapt it for puppets (and the puppets we already had!)  It originally called for birds, cows and rabbits.  Instead, we found in our puppet closet:  a dove...(and Godwin will make a special "guest starring" role), a sheep, a lion, and a giraffe.  We figured the giraffe was more likely to eat the lettuce  than the lion and so it was included in our little menagerie.  

From: www.kidswise.com.au

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The Rich Fool and God's Generosity

Luke 12:13-21

Narrated Drama – Script by Emily Hager and Craig Stanley. An adaptation of Sandy Galea's "The Parable of the Rich Fool" and N.Butterworth and M. Inkpen's ‘The Rich Farmer’.  

**Main Point – God is generous to us and calls us to be generous to others, instead of hoarding the treasures we are given.

Narrator: There once was a farmer. He was a very rich farmer, who had good soil, rain, and sun. His corn grew faster than all

the other farmers, and  harvest time he had much

more corn than all the other farmers.

He was happy, but he had a problem. He had MOUNDS of corn. His old barn was too small to store all the corn.

It was far too small!  So the farmer sat down and thought,

Farmer Puppet: "Um!"

“No Problem! I will knock down this old barn and build a bigger, better barn. Then next year, I will be rich. Rich enough to take a rest."

Narrator: So the farmer set to work.

He took down the old barn,

and he built a new bigger, better

barn. But, at harvest time the next year,

the new barn was still too small.You see the farmer had been

greedy. He had planted even more corn.

And some carrots as well.

The farmer said to himself,

Farmer Puppet: “No problem.

I will build an even bigger, better,

super-dooper barn. Then next year, I can have a

really great holiday”

Narrator:

So the farmer pulled down the

barn and he built a bigger, better,

super-dooper barn. But at harvest time the next year,

even the bigger, better, superdooper

barn was still too small. Again the farmer had

planted more corn, more carrots,

and a few lettuces as well.

So the farmer said,

Farmer puppet: “I will build the most super-dooper, bigger and better GIANT

barn in all the world. Then I will be so rich, I will never have to work again!”

Narrator:  So the farmer pulled down the

barn, and he built a barn that was

enormous. It was higher than the tallest

tower. When he had finished building

the barn the farmer smiled.

 Farmer puppet: “Tomorrow I will harvest my corn

and my carrots and my lettuces. And when that is done I can have

some fun!.

I know what I'll do! I'll have a party!  PARTY! (puppet dances)"

Narrator:  But that very night,

while the farmer was asleep, (Farmer snores loudly)

he died. (Farmer dies dramatically)

Just like that!

Pause.

The birds ate up all his corn. The sheep ate up all his carrots.

The giraffe ate up all his lettuces.

Wait—giraffe? (giraffe looks at narrator) Where did that giraffe come from?  (shrugs as the giraffe prances across stage and then disappears)

And the super-dooper, bigger and better GIANT barn stood empty.The rich farmer never did get to have a party. He never got time to enjoy being

rich.

(Narrator moves to centre stage and addresses the audience)

Jesus said,

"It is very, very silly for anyone to

spend their whole life trying to get

richer and richer.

You see, God gives us much and so we, in return, should share our treasures with others instead of keeping it all to ourselves.