Act II

The Tales of BART & ANDY

Bart, Wind,

& Fire

Or

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

By

Paul Dallgas-Frey

2.

The PLAYERS

BART & ANDY

The Apostles Bartholomew and Andrew, again!

The TEACHER

She still knows everything! (Of course!)

The SETTING

The UPPER ROOM. Again. Bart and Andy are sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor, Andy is snoring loudly. Okay, Bart and Andy – the real Bartholomew and Andrew – probably wouldn't know what a sleeping bag was if they saw one – but they are sleeping in sleeping bags!

The PLAY Begins

Teacher  Today we are pleased to present Act II of our little play.

                Today we get to see what Bart and Andy were waiting for!

                Remember, Jesus had gone up into heaven, but he promised he wouldn't leave them alone – he promised he would send the Holy Spirit!

                But Bart and Andy weren't sure what that really meant... who was the Holy Spirit? What was he going to be like?

                And besides that, they missed Jesus. Remember, they were sort of like sheep who lost their shepherd. They really didn't know what they were supposed to do next.

                And they were really afraid. They were afraid that the people who hurt Jesus might want to hurt them too.

                So Bart and Andy are in the Upper Room. You could almost say they were hiding there!

                And they were waiting.

                Let's see what happened!

[The room is dark, really dark!]

Bart     [he sits up, pokes at Andy and whispers] Andy.... Andy... are you asleep???

Andy    [he looks around all confused] Huh??? What??? What?

Bart     Are you asleep?

Andy    I WAS!

Bart     [he takes out a lighter and lights a candle and sets it beside them] Can you believe what happened today?! [he is really wound up!]

Andy    [sitting up, rubbing his eyes. He sees the lighter in Bart's hand] You know, those won't be invented for a couple of thousand years!

Bart     Oops! Sorry! [sneaks it back into his pocket]

Andy    [he still a bit confused, looking around] Where are we?

Bart     Same place we were when you started snoring your head off – we're in the upper room. Duh! Remember – where the Holy Spirit came to us!

Andy    You mean that wasn't a dream?!

Bart     No way!!

Andy    [getting with the program] Whoa! That was so amazing!

Bart     It was AWESOME!

Andy    [their "Spirit-filled-ness" is bubbling over now!] It was stupendous!

Bart     [he looks at Andy as if to say, 'stupendous'??? what kind of word is that?] Yeah! It was pretty cool!

Andy    Now we know what Jesus was talking about when he promised he was going to send the Holy Spirit!

Bart     [Jumping up] I feel so... so... so full of LIFE!

Andy    Calm down, Bart, calm down! Sit down before you hurt yourself!

Bart     [sitting back down again] I can't help myself!

Bart     Hey, Andy...

Andy    What, Bart?

Bart     Wasn't that the most amazing day ever?!

Andy    [Laughs] You know, Bart, we have seen some pretty amazing things – Jesus walking on water, Jesus feeding 5,000 people, Jesus alive when we thought he was dead...

...and this was definitely one of them!

Bart     It sure was! Just think, this morning we were all just... well, we were hiding!

Andy    I know. Jesus was gone. We were too afraid to do anything.

Bart     Well, YOU were afraid!

Andy    You were too!

Bart     Was not!

Andy    Were too!

Bart     Was not!

Andy    Well, if you weren't, you sure did jump when you heard the roar of that wind!

Bart     Are you kidding?!!!  Did you hear it?!

Andy    Did I hear it?!! – I was there!

Bart      It was like the sound of a freight train just filling the room!

Andy    What's a freight train???

Bart     I don't know, but that's what it sounded like – WHOOOOOOOSH!!!!! – like something really powerful –  like something really MIGHTY –  was coming! It was kind of SCARY!

Andy    You should have seen your face!

Bart     My face?!!! You should have seen yours!!!

Andy    But it was the strangest thing – I looked out the window - and the trees weren't moving at all!

Bart     That's because it really wasn't a wind – it was the power of the Holy Spirit filling the house! But that wasn't the strangest thing, was it?!

Andy    That's for sure!

Bart     What did you think when you saw a lick of fire over your head?!

Andy    Well... I wasn't afraid!

Bart     I wasn't either!

Andy    I saw a tongue of fire flickering over your head, kind of like the way a bit of flame will flick off a campfire, like it's licking the air...

Bart     And I saw one over yours too [holds the candle up over Andy's head, so that the flame is above him] kind of like this – there was a tongue of fire over each one of us! Over all of us... I have never, ever, seen anything like it!

Andy    Or ever will again!

Bart     But then something strange happened... it was like the fire was filling me up – like my heart was on fire!

Andy    I know, Bart! I know! Same here!... but not like a hot, burning up kind of fire... but like... well... like – before, my heart was all cold and almost dead – and then it had fired up again, like it had come back to life... full of life!

Bart     Yeah... like a coal that has almost gone out – and then it's burning bright again...

Andy    Sort of... it's so hard to describe! But all I know is, before the Spirit came I was lost and afraid - and now I am not. I am full of life and courage!

Bart     I know, Andy! But you know what the best thing is?

Andy    What's that, Bart?

Bart     The best thing is that now I know that Jesus is here with me, right now! [patting his heart]

Andy    I know... I feel it too!

Bart     ... and this time he will never leave.

Andy    Is our God great or what?!

[pause]

Bart     Hey, Andy...

Andy    What, Bart?

Bart     Did you see all those people?!

Andy    Yes! I was there!

Bart     Oh yeah.

Andy    There had to have been people from everywhere - Parthia, Media and Elam!

Bart     Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia...

Andy    Pontius and Asia!

Bart     Phrygia and Pamphylia!

Andy    Egypt, Libya, and Rome!

Bart     I guess that's just about everywhere!

Andy    They must have heard the sound of the wind, it was SO loud! And it must have been so strange!

And then didn't it feel like the Spirit just started to fill you up, like a jar bubbling up with water?!

Bart     Yeah! And then it was like it just started overflowing, and words poured out of my mouth!

Andy    I know! I know! I knew what I was saying – about God, and how much he loves us, and how Jesus came to save us – but the words coming out of my mouth... sounded so strange!

Bart     It was Greek to me!

Or maybe it was Phrygian – or Pamphylian! I am not sure!!!

Andy    Do you speak Pamphylian?

Bart     No!

Andy    Or Phrygian?

Bart     Nope!

Andy    Or Latin? or Greek?!

Bart     Not a word - Not until this morning!!! But it wasn't me! – it was the Holy Spirit!

Andy    Couldn't you just feel his power?!

Bart     So even though there were people from Parthia and Media, Elam and Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia...

Andy    Yeah, yeah, we know, Bart, they were from everywhere!

Bart     Everyone heard us speak in their own language!

Andy    Now we know what the Holy Spirit can do!

Bart     But wasn't it just the best feeling, telling them how much God loves them, and how Jesus came to give them life?!

Andy    It really was!

Bart     Hey Andy...

Andy    What, Bart?

Bart     Wasn't that funny, how some people thought we had too much wine!

Andy    At 9 o'clock in the morning? That was crazy! But then, it must have sounded crazy, all those words pouring out of our mouths in all those languages!

             And then Peter stood up...

Bart     [Jumping to his feet] Of course it was Peter! He is always the first one to jump into anything!!

Andy    That's for sure – that's Peter!

Bart     And then he started to speak... [Andy pulls a flashlight out from his sleeping bag and spotlights Bart. Bart begins to do his Peter impression, striking a forceful pose.]

             "Friends! I know we sound crazy – but it's not what you think. We haven't had too much wine! It's too early to be drinking wine!"

Andy    [commenting on Bart's impression] That's good!

Bart     Thanks! [returns to his impression] And then he said...

             "No! We haven't had too much wine!

The prophet Joel said this would happen a long time ago,

             [quoting] 'In the last days I will send my Spirit to all people.

Your sons and your daughters will tell everyone about me.

Your young men will see visions,

And your old men will dream dreams.

There will be miracles in the sky,

And wonders on the earth.

And when things seem at their worst,

The Lord will come in Glory!

And whoever calls on his name

Will be saved!'"

Andy    [jumps up next to Bart, and does his best Peter impression. Andy grabs the flashlight and shines it on him] And then he said,

"You saw all saw the miracles Jesus did with your own eyes – you know that Jesus was sent by God.

And you put him to death on the cross!"

[back to himself] But it was all part of God's plan!

Bart     God's plan to save us!

Andy    [continuing Peter impression] "Yes! Jesus died – but he didn't stay dead! The grave couldn't keep him in!"

And then, remember, Peter started to talk about King David...

Bart     David was a great King - and he wrote most of the Psalms too!

Andy    Peter said, "King David told us all about this in the Psalms,

'I saw the Lord with me at all times,

             So I won't be afraid, I will be filled with joy!'

             'I won't be left to rot in the grave -

             you show me the path to life.

             And I will be filled with joy forever!'

Bart     God let David see that someone was coming

             who would not die, but who was going to rise from the dead!

Both     JESUS!

Bart     I must have heard those words a hundred times before and I didn't get it! And now, duh! [smacks himself in the head] the Holy Spirit has made it so clear!

Andy    The whole time the Holy Books were talking about Jesus!

Bart     Who knew?! And all the time we were with Jesus... we just didn't get it!

Andy    Because Jesus lives forever, we all can live forever!

Bart     But then, remember, Peter told us what else David said in the Psalms,

             "My King said to my King,

             'Come, and sit at my side!'"

Andy    Yeah – God raised Jesus from the dead ­– and now he is sitting by his Father on his throne in heaven, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit!

Bart     And now the Holy Spirit has come to us!

Andy    Now we know that Jesus is the Messiah we have been waiting for all these years!

Bart     Peter made it all so clear!

Andy    You mean the Holy Spirit made it clear!

Bart     Yeah, you're right, Andy. But then, remember how everyone said, "What do we do now?"

Andy    And Peter said, "Stop the wrong that you are doing and turn to God! Believe that Jesus died for you.

"Come and be baptized! God will forgive you, and he will give you the gift of the Holy Spirit, just as he has given it to us!"

Bart     Hey, Andy...

Andy    What, Bart?

Bart     Did you see how many people came to be baptized?! Have you ever seen so many people?

Andy    Yes! I was there!

Bart     I tried to count them all... I got to 3,000 and then I lost count! 3,000 people who gave their lives to God in one day!

             I was so happy I almost danced!

             [looks as if he is going to start doing a little jig... Andy grabs him and holds him]

Andy    That's okay, Bart... I have seen you dance!

Bart     [they both collapse back into their sleeping bags] God is so good!

Andy    Yes he is!

Bart     What a day!

Andy    What a day!

[pause]

Bart     Hey, Andy...

Andy    What, Bart?

Bart     What are we going to do tomorrow???

[slight pause]

Andy    I guess go tell the world about Jesus!

[Enter teacher]

Teacher  You two sure have had an exciting day!

A&B       Yes we have!

Teacher  But don't you think now it's time to get some sleep?

Andy       I guess we should.

Bart         We have a lot to do tomorrow!

Teacher  Oh, and you need to hand over that flashlight, Bart. You didn't have flashlights back in your day. [Bart reluctantly hands over the flashlight]

Bart         Oh... all right...

Teacher  Thank you, Bart. And the lighter too. You didn't have those either!

Bart         Do I have to??? Do you know how hard it is to light a candle with two sticks???

Teacher  I am afraid so. And those sleeping bags... [motions silently with her hand to fork them over!]

Bart         Awww...  They're so nice and warm!

Teacher  Hand 'em over. You didn't have sleeping bags either. Here [goes over to a meager pile of thin, scratchy blankets] these are yours!

[They hand over the sleeping bags,
and try to cover themselves with too-small blankets]

Teacher  [blows out candle] Now, get some sleep!

[Lights go out...pause]

Bart         Good night, Andy.

Andy       Good night, Bart.

[pause]

Andy       I need a drink of water!

Teacher  Get some sleep!

[Pause]

Bart         Where's my teddy bear???

[pause. We hear snoring. And then the lights come on brightly!]

Teacher  Rise and shine!

[Bart and Andy scramble there stuff together]

Bart         Let's go, Andy, we've got to tell the world the Good News!

[They run off... Bart has to come back

for his very large teddy bear!]

Teacher  Now we know what Bart & Andy were waiting for – the Holy Spirit came just like Jesus promised he would!

                We call it the Day of Pentecost. The disciples were all gathered in the upper room, and there was a sound, like the rush of a mighty wind, and then the Holy Spirit came to them – and something that looked like tongues of fire – little flames – appeared over their heads!

                And then they all began to speak in strange languages!

                This all happened in Jerusalem, and at the time, Jerusalem was a place where people from all over would come to worship. And so there were a LOT of people from a LOT of different places who spoke a LOT of different languages!

                But on that day, each one of them heard the Good News of Jesus in their own language!

                What a mighty thing the Holy Spirit did that day!

                But do you know what? Jesus made his promise to send his Holy Spirit to you too. He made it to everyone who believes in him!

                When you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to you, and lets you know that Jesus is with you, and he helps you to do the things God wants you to do.

                And when you are afraid or worried, or in trouble, the Holy Spirit helps you.

                The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us!