St. Polycarp Skit

Authors: Jimmy Vilson, Rogin Itteera, Stacy Scaria, Jesse Scaria

This skit was created for a regional Sunday School conference held in Detroit. The kids were give 45 mins to learn about St. Polycarp and to learn this skit.  Then they were to perform it later that evening.  The life of St. Polycarp is inspiring.  The steadfastness of his faith is an example to us. (You can watch the performance from the regional here.)

Characters:

---

(Scene 1: The basement of the church while service is going on upstairs)

 

Narrator: Our story begins one Sunday morning, with Holy Quarbana taking place @ church. Apart from the usual, we have one lone black sheep who is bored of the weekly routine and finds solace in the basement of the church. Lets tune in shall we? 

(Cell phone rings)

Bored Guy: Yo yo yo hommie G! Whats going on? Nuttin much man. What? Naw dude, that’s not church singing u hear. You nuts? I wouldn’t be caught dead in church, hahaha. Yea we’re still on for tonight’s party. Cool. I’ll see ya then.

Friend: (Coming from Washroom) Hey Mathai, what u doing?

Bored Guy : Oh nothing, you know, important phone call.

Friend: I overheard you saying you wouldn’t be caught dead in church.

Bored Guy: What!? No! You’re hearing things.

Friend: It’s easy to take things for granted and not appreciate them to their fullest extent. You know back in the day, they had to do their services upstairs in secrecy because if they were caught, they would be condemned to death. Have you ever heard of St. Polycarp?

Bored Guy: No. Who’s St. Polycarp?

Friend: Oh well the story begins set back in AD 155…in the town of Smyrna. St. Polycarp was a student of the disciple John and was ordained as a bishop by him.

 

(Scene 2 - Flashback in time to Polycarp praying with the believers.)

 

St. Polycarp: *Praying-Heavenly Father, thank you for this day and all grace and mercy you have continually showed us. May your steadfast love govern and guide all the days of our lives. Amen.

Narrator: Polycarp began to bless the bread and wine

St. Polycarp: This is the body of our Lord which is for you; do this in remembrance of Him.”

Narrator: In the same way he took the cup, saying

St. Polycarp: This cup is the new covenant of our Lord’s blood, do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ

(Pretend celebrating Qurbana)

Follower 1: *Whispering amongst each other-Should we really be here? Won’t the Romans come take us away? I’m afraid…

Follower 2: Let’s approach Polycarp and beg him to flee with us. He’s our spiritual leader, it’s not safe here.

 

(Scene 3: Outside on the street)

 

Narrator: During this time, the Roman soldiers were going from door to door to look for Polycarp and the other believers and they saw a servant walking along the street and grabbed for him.

Roman soldier 1: You servant, we know you know where Polycarp and his friends are hiding…tell us now or we will whip you to death.

Servant: I don’t know where they are…

(Roman soldiers began to torture and whip the servant)

Servant: Please don’t kill me…I’ll tell you where they are…They are all together praying and worshipping at the house 3 miles from here.

(Scene 4: Back at the house, the scared believers approached Polycarp and he lifted his head from praying)

Follower 1: Father Polycarp, we are scared…the Romans hate us and believe we bring bad luck to this city because we are going against the Roman law because we are Christians.

Follower 2: We must leave Father Polycarp because it is not safe here..they will find us!

St. Polycarp: My brothers, take heart and trust in the Lord as he promised to be with us always.  I have been praying &  I have received a vision that  I must be burned alive.

Narrator: All of a sudden there was banging on the door. Polycarp had gone to answer the door.

(All of the those present whispering in fear..Polycarp opened the door and there stood the Roman soldiers)

Polycarp: Hello! Please come and join us for supper tonight.

Soldier 2: We have come to take you the Roman governor.

Polycarp: Then you must wait while I say my prayers.

Soldier 3: Fine…but make it quick…we don’t have all day…

Narrator: Polycarp began to pray for 1 hour. The soldiers were impressed by Polycarp and also regretted their decision because as Polycarp prayed so fervently, they began to feel convicted of their sin.

Soldier 1 : Alright, we are done now…it’s time for us to go now….

(Soldiers grabbed all the believers and Polycarp and took them away)

 

(Scene 5: Stadium)

(The believers were led to a sports arena where spectators  chanted for Lord Casesar & waited expectantly to see the fight between the lions and the men)

Spectator 1, 2, 3: Cheering and excited continue to say: Caesar! Lord Caesar! Lord Caesar we worship you!

(2-3 lions come out and come out roaring and the Christians were killed)

(Believers fall to the ground dead) and are taken off the stage by the soldiers. along with the lions. Polycarp was then brought out to the arena to stand in front of the Roman governor.

Narrator: There was one more Christian left to punish. When the spectators saw who it was, (the leader of the Christians in Smyrna) they broke out into the loudest cheers.

Spectator 1, 2,3: Woo! Hooo! Caesar! Lord Caesar! Lord Caesar we worship you!

Roman Governor: I will give you one more chance. Just say that everything you believe is nonsense and make a sacrifice the Roman gods. Swear by Caesar!

Spectator 1, 2,3: Kill him! This is the father of the Christians. He wants to destroy our gods.

Narrator: Polycarp looked around with strength and faith in God’s truth and lifted his hand to the people.

Roman governor: Think of your age. Take the oath. Speak against this Jesus and I’ll set you free!

Polycarp: (Shakes his head) Eighty and six years have I served Him, and he has done me no harm. How then can I curse my Lord Jesus, My King, that saved me." I will not deny Jesus.

Roman governor: You shall be thrown to the lions! Lion caretaker, get the lions ready for the greatest fight of all!

Lion Caretaker: (points to the lions) The lions are full, governor and are sleeping.

Roman governor: Then, I have a better idea. Polycarp will be put to death by fire. We will tie him to a wooden stake and burn him alive!!

Polycarp: You threaten me with fire which will burn for a only a short time, but I know the everlasting joy of heaven that is to come. Do what you like.

Narrator: The governor ordered the soliders to put a stake in place in the arena and pile wood around it. Polycarp was tied to the stake, and the soldiers set fire to the wood.

Polycarp: "He who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from nails."

Spectator 1, 2,3, (Cheering) ! Lord Caesar! Lord Caesar we worship you!

Narrator: Surprisingly, the flames didn’t seem to harm Polycarp. The fire, "like the sail of a vessel filled by the wind, made a wall and arc around the body” leaving it unscathed & untouched.

Spectator 1, 2,3 were in shock and couldn’t believe what their eyes had seen.

Polycarp:  I thank you for my life and for your blessings. Thank you for giving the chance to follow so closely in your footsteps by standing for God’s truth.  and I praise you for making me worthy to be received among the number of the martyrs this day and this hour, so that I share in the cup of Christ for the resurrection of my soul.”

I give glory to you my Lord and your truth.

Roman governor: Stab him with a dagger as the fire will not touch him.

Narrator: His story has been written down of his faith and his fight against evil so that others like us might remember those who have fought before us so that we can worship Christ freely today.

(Scene 6: Back at church...modern time)

Bored guy - ………wow…….

Friend – As easy as it is today to just be here stress free, it wasn’t always that easy. Faith didn’t come cheap.

Bored Guy – I’m sure this is just a rare case…

Friend – actually….thousands upon thousands were martyred for what they believed in, which was the truth.

Bored Guy – But how do we know it’s the truth?

Friend – How many people do you know would die for a lie?

Bored Guy- I guess you have a point…..

Friend – what I’m trying to say is that all of this shouldn’t be just a once a week thing, it should be a way of life. A way of our life.  Christ died for us to have this opportunity to have this relationship with God. Polycarp, and other martyrs like him upheld the true faith up until their death.

Bored Guy - ….but…but…I don’t wanna die…….

Friend – We no longer have to die for our faith, but we do have to live it out, through our various talents.

Bored Guy -  oh talents,…..i gotchu…..i got so many of those……check this out …….(does some talent…..goofy dance?)

Friend – uhhhhhhh…..yea……we can use such amazing talents and gifts to build up the Kingdom of God, like many before us.

Bored Guy – like Polycarp and his ability to lead?

Friend – yea! This Church is a body, and you’re a vital piece of that body. Without you, or any other person, doing his or her part, the body can’t function. So while you’re sitting here talking to your “homies”…..the rest of the body is missing you.

Bored Guy –  but I don’t understand the service up there….

Friend – that will come, that takes time and dedication to learn. Let’s first work on being part of this body…..

(bored guys calls friend…won’t make party.

 

(Put’s hand around bored guy and begins to walk upstairs)

Narrator – In a letter written by Polycarp to the Philippians, “Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the Lord, 'firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other, united in truth,' helping each other with the gentleness of the Lord, despising no one”