Liturgical Drama, Revised Songbird Version

Even the wind and the sea

Martha Spong

(Mark 4:35-41 — Participatory reading, based on NRSV)

Voice 1: On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them,
Voice 2: “Let us go across to the other side.”
Voice 3: And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat,
All voices: just as he was.

Voice 4: Other boats were with them.
Voice 1: A great windstorm arose!
Congregation: Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Voice 3: And the waves beat into the boat!
Voices 1, 3 and 4: We’re swamped! We’re swamped!
Congregation: We’ll drown! We’ll drown!

Voice 2: But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.
Voice 1: They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher!”
Voice 3: Teacher!
Voice 4: Teacher!

Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey

Congregation: “Do you not care that we are perishing?”
Voice 2: He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!”

Voice 4: Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.
Voice 2: He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Voice 1: And they were filled with great awe.
Voice 3: They said to one another, “Who is this?”
Congregation: WHO IS THIS?!?!!
Voice 4: “Even the wind and the sea obey him.”
All 4 voices: Even the wind and the sea.

Published by Martha Spong

Writer. Clergy Coach. United Church of Christ pastor. Executive Director @RevGalBlogPals. Coauthor of "Denial is My Spiritual Practice (and Other Failures of Faith)" (Church Publishing, 2018); editor of "There's a Woman in the Pulpit" (SkyLight Paths, 2015).

13 thoughts on “Even the wind and the sea”

  4. Martha – I am writing a high school curriculum based on Mark 4:35-41. I would like to include this as a dramatic reading. I’m not sure about the protocols about securing permission for this work to be included in another publication, so I may need some help with this. You can contact me at anglibyerian@me.com

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  5. Martha,
    Please clarify how this material can be as a intergenerational children’s sermon? We are a congregations with about 70-80 folks at a Sunday service. Your material is wonderful!

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    1. Hi, Bev~
      I didn’t use it as a children’s sermon but as the scripture reading for the day. We used sound effects for thunder and waves (a thunder sheet and a sloshy bucket of water with a microphone held over it – somewhat less effective, admittedly, than the thunder sheet).

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  6. Pingback: WHO IS THIS?!?!! – a participatory reading of Mark 4:35-41 – Reflectionary

  7. Pastor Martha, I would love to be able to use this in this upcoming Sunday’s service. Would you give me permission to do so know ing I would give you credit for your work.
    Peace and Blessings,
    Pastor Trent Zeitler
    Hainesville Lutheran Church
    Sturgeon Bay, WI

    Liked by 1 person

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