Four actors dressed as sheep make reference to the Good Shepherd.
You can download a PDF version of Following the Shepherd. If you use it, let us know in the comments!
Themes: Following Christ, Listening to God

Genre: comedy

Biblical Ref.: Psalm 23

Church Season: Any

Suggested Use: Worship Service, Bible Study, Prayer Service

Characters:

Lead sheep

Sheep #1

Sheep #2

Sheep #3

Costumes: sheep costumes

Sound: Classical music (Grieg’s Morning)

Props: A large fake flower on the stage wedged into a crack.

(The scene opens with the sheep coming onstage from different directions while the music plays. Sheep #1,2, and 3 stand in a line. The Leader stands in front, Music fades.)

 
Lead Sheep: All right ….all together now….one…two… three….

(All sheep stare at each other and then blankly look at the leader. Sheep # 3 holds up hand.) What?

 
#3: Bah….huh?
 
Leader: Remember what “together” means….everybody “bahs” at the same time…as a group…no lost sheep left behind…we are one…..do you…bah…got it?
 
(All sheep vigorously shake their heads yes.)
Okay…all together now…bah…one…two…three…
 
(All sheep bah at different times.)
 
Lead Sheep: BAH!!! No…no… no…we need to do it at the same time….let’s try again…bah… One…two…three…
 
(All sheep bah at different times.)
 
(Frustrated.) Great! Just great! We’ll never get this right. (The sheep start bleating as if frightened.) No…no…don’t get discouraged. We’ll move on. Let’s try following. I’ll lead…come on…walk this way. Baa! Baaa!!!! March! March! Be a flock! Bah…Ram…Ewe…and all that! Yeah,
that’s what I am talking about! March! March!

(Sheep #1 follows. Sheep #2 and #3 get distracted by a flower. Sheep #1 taps Lead Sheep on the shoulder and motions to the lost sheep.)

 
Lead Sheep: Good grief! Can’t you guys stay focused for just one second.
 
#3(Holding the flower.) Bah…it’s a really pretty flower.
 
#2(Grabbing the flower.) Good enough to eat. (Starts to take a bite.)
 
Lead Sheep: (Taking the flower.) Quit thinking about your stomach.
 
#2: Bah! That was my flower!
 
#3: Bah! It was my flower!
 
#1: Bah! No, it was my flower!
 
#2&3: No, it wasn’t! Bah! Bah!!!!
 
Lead Sheep: Stop talking about the silly flower. We need to get organized here…we’re sheep for goodness sake…we’re defenseless…if we don’t get it together the wolf is going to have one of us for lunch.
 
#2(Whispering to #3) Bahhhh…sounds like someone has a shepherd complex.
 
Lead Sheep: Bahhh…what did you say?
 
#2: Bah? Did I say something? ( Acting innocently/To #3) Did I say something?
 
Lead Sheep: You said I had a shepherd complex.
 
#2: Bah! If the wool fits, wear it!
 
#1&#3: That’s right! Bah! If the wool fits, wear it!
 
Lead Sheep: I can’t believe you said that to me. I do not have a shepherd complex…Bah!
 
#2: Bah, you do, too!
 
(Everyone starts saying “bah” at once.)

#3: Who made you shepherd?

 
#1: Bah…yeah…who made you shepherd?
 
#2: Bah… you are not the shepherd! Quit trying to be the shepherd…
 
#3: Yeah, you don’t even sound like the shepherd!
 
#1: Bah yes! I love the shepherd’s voice….kind…gentle. (Looking around.) By the way, where is the shepherd?
 
Lead Sheep: Good question!
 
(They all look around. They begin to act frantic.)
 
#2: Bah! He’s gone!
 
#1(To lead Sheep.) It’s all your fault…
 
Lead Sheep(Frantic also.) Bah! He’s got to be around here somewhere.
 
(All “bah’ with great anxiety and search. #1 and Lead Sheep go to SR. #2 and #3 come off the stage and scour the audience CS.)
 
#2: What if he left us?
 
#3: Bah…no….no bah way…he said he would never leave us.
 
#1: (Sniffling.) What if he forgot my name? What if he forgot all our names?
 
(All sheep look at the audience at the same time.)
 
Together: GROUP HUG!
 
(They all scramble together and huddle.)
 
Lead Sheep: The shepherd’s not that way. No, he wouldn’t forget our names.
 
#2: Remember when we were little lambs and he would carry us over his shoulder.
 
#3: I always loved it when he would hold me close to his heart. It would go “Bah…Bahbah… bah..bahbah.” Yeah…
 
#1(Crying.) And he always found the greenest grass for us to eat.
 
#2: And sweet clover.
 
#1: Yeah, I always felt so safe even when we had to cross streams. I knew he would never let anything happen to us.
 
(SOUND: Wolf howl.)
 
Lead Sheep(Slowly.) What was that?
 
#3(Gulping.) I don’t think it’s the shepherd.
 
#1: It’s definitely not the sheep dog either.
 
#2: It’s the…
 
Together: Wolf!
 
(They bunch as a group and bleat…first moving to the right and then to the left.)
 
#3: There’s safety in numbers.
 
#1: I don’t want to be on the outside. (Scrambles to get in the middle.)
 
(SOUND: Wolf howls again.)
 
#2: I want to be in the middle.
 
#3: No, I do…get out of the way.
 
#2: Quit pushing!
 
Lead Sheep: Stop! (Points SL.) Look! The Shepherd! He’s over there.
 
(Everyone heaves great “bahs” of relief. They gaze offstage with love in their eyes.)
 
#2: He didn’t leave us.
 
#3: He said he never would.
 
#1: Did you hear that? He’s calling my name.
 
#2&3: He’s calling me, too.
 
Lead sheep: What are we waiting for.
 
(They exit as a group/bleating softly.)