THREE
LETTERS AND A NUMBER SHOW THE WAY!
Props: Compass; a sheet of poster with a compass drawn on it. See page 37 for patterns.
Larry Low: Hi! My name is Mr. Larry Low. I am very excited to have you all here today. We have a big job ahead of us. We have to help my friend Marty Mountaineer prepare for his grand summit climb. Yes, Marty is going to hike up a mountain! (Looking around.) I wonder where Marty is?
Marty Mountaineer: Here I am! Oh, oh, oh, I got lost-again!
Larry Low: How could you get lost? You have a compass!
Marty Mountaineer: (Looking at his compass) Is that what it is? It has an arrow, three letters, and a number on it! But, I don’t know what the letters and number are for.
Larry Low: What are you talking about?
Marty Mountaineer: Well, the letters are Z, M. S, and the number 3. How are they suppose to tell me where to go?
Larry Low: Marty, I think I have something to help you learn how to use a compass. (Points to the poster board compass.)
Marty Mountaineer: Hey, that looks just like my compass - only bigger! (Pauses, then talks with determination and confidence.) Hey… with that BIG compass, I can climb a BIG mountain! Then I’ll never get lost!
Larry Low: Your compass is just the right size! But you need to know how to read your compass!
Marty Mountaineer: But, I CAN read it
- it has three letters and a number on it!
Larry Low: No Marty. They are all letters.
Marty Mountaineer: Huh?
Larry Low: The “3” is a capital E.
Marty Mountaineer: Oh. Okay so now I have an E, Z, M, and S. I still don’t know what it says. oh wait-yes, I do! MEZS (mee-zes). Me-zes and You-zes! Now that I can read it - what does MEZS mean?
Larry Low: Marty. The Z is an N. It just is sideways.
Marty Mountaineer: Oh. Then it says MENS. (Pauses) Unless, the M is not an M.
Larry Low: It’s a W.
Marty Mountaineer: A W? Is the S an S?
Larry Low: Yes.
Marty Mountaineer: Ok, so now |I have a compass that says “WENS” (whens)? Whens what?
Larry Low: It’s not a word. Those are initials.
Marty Mountaineer: What do the initials stand for?
Larry Low: Directions. The letters stand for North, East, South, and West. You know
- They’re directions like left and right, up and down.
Marty Mountaineer: (Holding up his left hand) I know this is my right hand. (Pauses) Or is it my left.
Larry Low: Marty Mountaineer, that is your right hand. A compass lets a mountaineer, or hiker, know what direction he is going. By following a compass, a hiker can hike mountain trails without the fear of getting lost. A compass guides the hiker in the right direction.
Marty Mountaineer: Hmmmm. I may not know how to read a compass, but I do know how to follow directions from the best Guidebook there is! Jesus said that His Word, the Bible, will direct, and guide my path!
Larry Low: That’s right! The Bible is just like a compass. It tells us how to follow Jesus - our Leader!
Marty Mountaineer: I am going to go and study using my compass. I’ll come back again to learn more about hiking the heights! (Begins to leave, but heads in the wrong direction.)
Larry Low: (Calls after Marty.) Marty, we need to leave this way! (Turns to the audience) We will see you all again tomorrow!