Inspired by a puppet and the ubiquitous corvids of the area, I began writing a series of scripts for multi-generational worship. These conversations with my friend, Crow, were designed to discuss big topics with young minds. The series proved as popular with adults as with the children (and sometimes more so). Below is one of the earliest scripts with its order of service – a conversation on the topic of stewardship.
Gathering Song #361 “Enter, Rejoice, and Come In”
Prelude “Simple Gifts” (Shaker melody, arr. Joseph Martin)
Welcome [Rev. John gives the greeting from his “work bench”]
Message (part one)
[Rev. John is tinkering with a bird house, hammering or maybe painting. After a few moments, Crow appears and watches from a distance. Crow gets closer and closer, sneaking up behind Rev. John.]
CROW: Rev. John!
[Rev. John jumps]
JOHN: [yelps] You scared me, Crow. It’s not nice to sneak up on someone with a tool in their hand.
CROW: I’m sorry, Rev. John. I couldn’t help myself. I’m just sooooo curious.
JOHN: Curious?
CROW: Curious. Whatcha got there?
JOHN: Oh, this? It’s just an old birdhouse I had that needed some fixing up. A little glue, a little paint.
CROW: What do you need a bird house for? Looks a little small for you.
JOHN: It’s not for me, Crow. It’s for the birds.
CROW: You can say that again.
JOHN: Crow, is there something wrong with my bird house?
CROW: Well, it seems silly to me. You’re spending all this time on a bird house.
JOHN: Mhmm.
CROW: But you’re not a bird.
JOHN: This is true.
CROW: And as far as I know, I’m the only bird you know.
JOHN: Well, on a first name basis, yes.
CROW: And that bird house is obviously too small for me.
JOHN: Your point being?
CROW: Well, if it’s not for you and it’s not for me, why are you spending all that time and energy and paint and glue on a silly old bird house?
JOHN: You really don’t know?
CROW: That’s why I’m asking.
JOHN: Have you forgotten already?
CROW: Forgotten what?
JOHN: Crow this is an important bird house. There’s a story behind this birdhouse. I’m surprised you don’t recognize it.
CROW: Not ringin’ a bell there, nope. But . . .
JOHN: But what?
CROW: But I wouldn’t mind hearing the story.
JOHN: Okay, Crow. Tell you what? Why don’t you let me finish getting this service started, and then I’ll tell you that story? Deal?
CROW: Deal.
Chalice Lighting & Call to Worship
Hymn #21 “For the Beauty of the Earth”
Children’s Processional “¡Miren Qué Bueno!” (Pablo Sosa)
Children’s Affirmation
We come together to celebrate Unitarian Universalism.
(Action: Make 2 U’s with hands)
Ours is the church with open minds.
(Action: Cover eyes and then uncover eyes)
Ours is the church with loving hearts.
(Action: Put your hands on your heart)
Ours is the church with helping hands.
(Action: Put your hands with palms up out in front of you)
Together we care for our earth.
(Action: Bring arms up to make a circle)
And work for friendship and peace in our world.
(Action: Grab the hands of people standing or sitting next to you)
Message (part two)
CROW: Okay! Story time! Story story story!!
JOHN: Alright, Crow. Settle down. Now, before I go on, I’m going to need your help telling the story.
CROW: My help? You’re the story teller here.
JOHN: Yes, but this is your story, Crow. You’re going to have to tell part of it.
CROW: My story?
JOHN: Your story.
CROW: About me?
JOHN: About you.
CROW: Did you just give away the ending?
JOHN: No, Crow . . .
CROW: Spoiler alert! Jeez. Don’t go ruining it before everyone’s had a chance to hear it.
JOHN: No. Now Crow, this a story about you and about me. It starts there. But, like any good story, it doesn’t end there.
CROW: A story about you. And about me?
JOHN: That’s right.
CROW: I’m hooked. I love it! Go on.
JOHN: Well, it all starts several years ago, when you were a much smaller crow. Can you remember that far back?
CROW: How far?
JOHN: Back to when you first came to town.
CROW: Oh, wow. That was a long time ago. But I remember that day like it was yesterday.
JOHN: You were a tinier Crow back then, and you’d just flown into town from . . . where was it, again?
CROW: Green Bay, Wisconsin.
JOHN: And why did you leave?
CROW: It was a cold place. Very snowy. A frozen tundra, if you will.
JOHN: And so you came here.
CROW: To get away from all that snow. I thought a desert climate would suit me better.
JOHN: And you didn’t think to Google Los Alamos before you started flying?
CROW: That’s too time consuming when all you can do on a keyboard is hunt and peck.
JOHN: So you had no idea that you were flying into
JOHN AND CROW: even more snow!
CROW: I was so cold.
JOHN: I bet.
CROW: And I was all alone in a new place.
JOHN: Scary.
CROW: Yeah. I thought I was one goner of a crow, until . . .
JOHN: Until
CROW: [starting to remember] Until I came across a little wooden bird house in a tree branch!
JOHN: That you did.
CROW: That’s the bird house! That one there!
JOHN: That’s the one.
CROW: Oh man, I never would have made it through those first month’s here without that shelter.
JOHN: I know.
CROW: Or the seed in the feeder on your deck.
JOHN: That’s right.
CROW: I almost forgot. How could I have forgotten. How are you little bird house, you life saver you.
JOHN: And if it weren’t for this bird house, we never would have met.
CROW: And we wouldn’t be friends today.
JOHN: So do you understand why I’m fixing it up now.
CROW: Yes. You’re trying to replace me!
JOHN: No, Crow. I’m trying to give some help to other birds, like you.
CROW: Why?
JOHN: Well, with enough food and shelter, maybe I can build a whole community of birds. You know how birds make me happy.
CROW: That’s true.
JOHN: And wouldn’t it be nice to have some other birds to befriend around here?
CROW: You know it would. I mean, you’re great friend and all, but there are some bird things you just don’t understand.
JOHN: Exactly.
CROW: Oh, Rev. John, this is a wonderful idea. And I want to help!
JOHN: That’s great, Crow! What would you like to do?
CROW: Well, I could help paint.
JOHN: Mhmm.
CROW: But I don’t have thumbs.
JOHN: That could be an obstacle.
CROW: Oh, let me think, let me think.
JOHN: Okay, Crow. Why don’t you take some time to think about it and we’ll take care of a few things here.
CROW: Okay. [leaving] Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know.
Pastoral Prayer
Silence
Sung Response #123 “Spirit of Life”
Message (part three)
JOHN: Okay, Crow, have you thought of anything.
CROW: [offstage] Hang on.
JOHN: The crowd’s getting a little restless, here.
CROW: Give me a minute.
[the Jeopardy “think music” plays. at the end, Crow cries out . . .]
CROW: Eureka! I’ve got it. Oh, I am so smart.
JOHN: What’s your plan, Crow?
CROW: You know how I really want to pay it forward?
JOHN: Right.
CROW: And, well, there’s already a bird house and a bird feeder.
JOHN: Okay.
CROW: So, you know what’s missing? A bird bath!
JOHN: Hey, you’re right. That’s a great idea!
CROW: I know! It’s like we could build our own little birdie spa.
JOHN: Wonderful!
CROW: Yeah. We could get one of those ones with the heater and all the birds could soak in the hot tub after a hard day of flying around looking for seeds and bugs.
JOHN: Sounds good, Crow. So, how are you going to make that happen?
[Crow starts to respond and then stops. Starts and stops again.]
CROW: Okay, I may not have thought this plan all the way through. I don’t have a bird bath to give.
JOHN: You could buy one.
CROW: But, I’m a bird! We don’t use money. We don’t need it! Oh, what was I thinking. Now we’ll never build that birdie spa.
JOHN: It’s okay, Crow. I bet if we asked around, we could get some help.
[John starts asking the crowd if they’d be willing to help with the bird bath idea.]
CROW: But wait, Rev. John. Rev. John!!
JOHN: What is it?
CROW: If everybody gives but me, then it won’t by my gift. I won’t be the one paying it forward. I won’t be the one helping.
JOHN: But, Crow, that’s okay.
CROW: No it’s not. [crying, and exiting the puppet stage] I have nothing to give. Nothing!
JOHN: Wow. She’s really broken up about it. Crow? Crow, it’s alright. [nothing] Well, maybe if we sing her a song it’ll help her feel better.
Choir Anthem #404 “What Gift Can We Bring”
Message (part four)
CROW: That was lovely.
JOHN: Feel better?
CROW: A little. But it still bugs me that I can’t carry out my idea about the bird bath.
JOHN: Crow that’s okay. Your idea is a gift, too.
CROW: It is?
JOHN: Sure. You used that creative brain to see a way to make our little bird community a better place. And then you shared it.
CROW: That’s true.
JOHN: And then, enough people liked the idea to make it want to happen.
CROW: They did!
JOHN: See, that counts.
CROW: But I still want to do more.
JOHN: That’s great, Crow. And I think I know how you can do that.
CROW: How?
JOHN: See, there’s one last bit of this bird house that needs fixing up, and I think you’re the perfect bird to help.
CROW: What do you need?
JOHN: Remember how this had some nice, soft straw nesting inside when you were living in it?
CROW: Oh, yeah. That was nice.
JOHN: Well, that old straw got all nasty and musty and rotten, so I had to toss it.
CROW: That’s a shame. That was some nice straw. I should know. I’m something of a straw aficionado.
JOHN: I know. And I know you have a pretty huge collection of nice, soft, quality straw.
CROW: That I do! It is my greatest treasure on this planet.
JOHN: Really?
CROW: As precious to me as gold.
JOHN: That precious?
CROW: [a la Gollum] Preeeeeciousssssss . . .
JOHN: Um, okay. So, Crow, I was wondering if maybe you might consider . . . giving some of that straw for the bird house?
CROW: Wha-huh?
JOHN: Could you give us some of your straw so we can finish the bird house?
CROW: Give? Straw? Did you not hear me say how precious that was to me?
JOHN: No, I heard you. And I don’t want you to give me all your straw. Just . . . y’know . . . enough.
CROW: Enough?
JOHN: Just enough. A fair amount so we can put a nice little nest inside.
CROW: Well . . . It was really nice having that soft little bed in there. And I’d hate to think the new bird might not have that.
JOHN: So, can you give up some of your straw?
CROW: Just enough?
JOHN: Whatever you think is fair and will do the most good.
CROW: [thinks] I’ll do it!
[Crow ducks down to pick up some straw.]
JOHN: That’s wonderful, Crow. Thank you so much.
CROW: mffmfmfff.
JOHN: What was that?
CROW: [dropping the straw into John’s hands] Happy to help. Hey, you know what? I really am happy! Weird.
JOHN: Not really. When you help take care of the place you love, it can make for a lot of happiness. For you and the other birds.
CROW: But I felt reaaaallly happy.
JOHN: Well, sure. Think of all the different ways you gave to the neighborhood today. You opened your heart enough to want another bird to have the same shelter you did.
CROW: That’s right!
JOHN: And you used that clever birdie brain to come with an idea about how to make the birds more welcome.
CROW: I am a genius.
JOHN: And you even gave up a fair share of your treasured straw to help finish the job.
CROW: And it didn’t hurt nearly as much as I thought it would.
JOHN: You’re a good steward, Crow.
CROW: What did you call me?
JOHN: You take good care of the neighborhood, Crow.
CROW: If I don’t, who will? Besides, I like this happy feeling.
JOHN: I know you do. There’s a song about it. Would you like to learn it?
Hymn #402 “From Your I Receive”
Litany
We gather the warmth of love,
The light of truth,
And the energy of action,
Into our hearts and out into the world.
May we remember always to Love Beyond Belief!
Canvass Appeal
Offertory “Give a Little Bit” (Roger Hodgson)
Announcements
Hymn #322 “Thanks Be For These”
Benediction
Extinguishing the Chalice
Closing Song “Go Now in Peace” (Natalie Sleeth)
Postlude