Performed FEBRUARY 13, 2000

THE SHORTEST DISTANCE

The message is more of a object lesson that is brought across more with the visual than the words themselves

Scene opens with a man or woman(Person 1) walking in from the back of the church carrying a sign. Person 1 walks down the first aisle, then stands off to the left. As Person 1 starts to come down the first aisle enter another person (Person 2) from stage right carrying another placard type sign. The first sign has only the letter A on it. The second sign has only the letter B on it. A third person sitting in the congregation stands up and acknowledges the presence of person one.

Doug: Hey I know you. Weren't you the guy with the sign predicting that the Canucks would
win the Cup this year?

One: Well maybe not this year, but they will win something sometime.

Doug: So What's with the sign? What does the A stand for?

One: That's the beauty of it. It can stand for just about anything. Perhaps its the starting point
of a list, or it could refer to all those Alpha males out there. You know the ones who
think they are the head of their household. Or perhaps I'm just a big fan of the
alphabet. That would tie in good with B over there .
(Point to the B sign)

Doug: Wait a minute I know you. Weren't you predicting that the world would end last
month.

Two: Well I've teamed up with A now, and I…..

Doug: Hold that thought, I'll be right over there I'd like to talk to you about that.

(Doug starts to walk over but rather than going the shortest route he begins to meander threw the rows of the congregation , eventually winding up beside two. In the meantime , awhile after Doug starts his journey, A walks over to B and arrives before Doug does)

Doug: Hey how did you get here first?

One: Well I wasn't quite as free a spirit as you were to get here. There is a better way, after
all the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Doug: Well , I always start off striving to reach my goal but I tend to get distracted.

Two: Who's leading you?

Doug: I don't have a seeing eye dog, I'm leading myself of course.

One: That's obviously your problem.

Doug: Hey are you accusing me of incompetence or something.

One : Well

Two: No what he means is you need to be led more by the spirit.

One: Look at it this way. If you were to start a marathon and begin running the race you
may run the twenty six odd miles to complete the race, but if you have no map, no signs
laying out the course you will finish the race, but not cross the finish line.

Two: That's what life is , and to end up where the race finishes we must let our selves be
guided, spirit guided.

Doug: So what will the spirit guide me in.

One: Truth

Two: Wisdom

One: The way of Godliness

Two: The things of Christ

One: And much more!

Doug: Like how to get from A to B

Two : It may not help you walk across this room , because truthfully I have no idea how you
could mess that up

One: It will help you to stay focussed on C (two turns their sign around to reveal a large C)

Two: C for Christ.

Doug: So I can finish the big race and cross the finish line!

One: You got it , oh and follow me I'll show you how to walk in a straight line.

(all three walk off with this line)