Pod the Alien Sketch : ‘Raising Hands’

Standard introduction and entrance (Compere talking is interrupted by spaceship landing sound effects, I think I can hear a spaceship landing, lets switch to the school’s outside security camera. Overlay external photo of school with spaceship slide, landing. OHP off. Look here he is, it’s our friend Pod the Spaceman, arriving from another world. Spaceman enters)

Hello.
Hello Pod, how are you today?
Oh, I’m feeling puzzled.
And what is it that’s puzzling you?
Well, you meet together every week.
Yes, quite often more than once.
And when you meet; you sing.
Oh yes, we love singing.
All at the same time.
Yes, all together.
Yes, I understand that. But there’s one thing that’s been bothering me: Why do some of you hold your hands in the air? Are you afraid that someone’s going to shoot you? (holds hands in air in surrender gesture).
Oh no, it’s nothing like that. Although I suppose it does have something to do with surrender.
Or maybe, as there are so many people in churches all over the world, are you waving at God? You know, to try and catch his attention? Like, (waving) Hello. Excuse me. I’m over here.
No, no, it’s not like that either, after all it’s not like he’s a long way off. He’s right here with us. It’s more like we’re showing Jesus that we want to reach out to Him, and to show Him that we are not holding on to anything else, but just want to hold on to Him with both hands. And we reach upwards because we know that He’s bigger and better than we are.
But I still don’t see why you have to make like trees. Can’t God see that you’re not holding on to anything?
Oh this is quite difficult to explain. Maybe it would be easier if I showed you …
(Call for volunteer father and small child [aged 3-4ish] to come to the front)
(to child) If you wanted your daddy to pick you up, without saying anything, show me what you would do.
(child reaches up to father and is picked up) Thank you that was lovely (sending volunteers back) There, do you see now?
Ahhh, you just want to be cuddled and loved by your Heavenly Father, don’t you. Why didn’t you just say that. You’re not very good at explaining things, are you.
Well, it doesn’t mean that for everyone, for some people it’s more like asking the Father to give them something to help them in their lives.
Whatever, I’m always happy to get a cuddle myself: Well I must be going now as my spaceship’s ready to leave. But I’ve learnt something new on this trip: You hold your hands up to your Heavenly Father because he’s more important to you than anything else, and you just want to be close to him. Good-bye now, I’ll see you again soon.

Standard exit (leaves. Spaceship takes off on OHP overlay to accompanying sound effects through PA.)

© M Day 29-Sep-1997