005. God Gives the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai

God Gives the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai
About 2 minutes, from Exodus chapters 19-20, and Deut. 6

Participants (No need to memorize lines; the aim is to relive sacred events,
not to perform)
Â Â Voice (of God)
Â Â Moses
Â Â Aaron
Â Â PrompterÂ Â Â Â Â Shout a brief line and Echoes repeat it.
Â Â Echoes Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Children and all adults who want to take part. Echoes need no script.

Aaron	I am Aaron. My brother Moses has organized us. He sought out honest and unselfish leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. Now they need help to shepherd the people. Moses, why did you stop us here by this mountain in the Sinai desert?
Moses	Our God who freed us from slavery in Egypt will come down. Set the people apart, for the Lord Almighty will give us his Law. All the people will see what happens on Mt. Sinai. Let no man or animal touch the border of the mountain, or they will die.
Aaron	Stand back! Mount Sinai is all in smoke and fire; it is quaking violently.
Prompter & Echoes	Terrifying!
Moses	I go up to the top, out of breath; the mountain keeps quaking fearfully! God gives me many orders and inscribes on stone ten basic commands.
Voice	You shall have no other gods before me. You shall make no idols, or image of anything in heaven or on the earth. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Prompter & Echoes	Honor your father and mother.
Prompter & Echoes	You shall not murder.
Prompter & Echoes	You shall not commit adultery.
Prompter & Echoes	You shall not steal.
Prompter & Echoes	You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Prompter & Echoes	You shall not covet.
Aaron	Look! Moses is finally coming back down, carrying two stone tablets. Lightning is flashing, and the mountain is still smoking.
Prompter & Echoes	Stand back!
Aaron	I’m ashamed to say what else happened while we waited for Moses. He took so long on that mountain that the people got impatient; I made them a golden calf to worship, and they celebrated corruptly. Moses interceded for us, or God would have taken our lives.
Moses	Later, the Almighty has me proclaim the greatest of all commands.
Voice	Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God; the Lord is one! You shall in love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.
Prompter & Echoes	And love our neighbor as ourselves.