Mama's Advent Sweater

Here's a short sketch for the First Sunday of Advent.  One key prop is Mama's purple Advent sweater complete with battery operated lights.
If you use this, I would love to see some pictures from your performance.
Enjoy.

Mama’s Advent Sweater

The scene opens on Mama sitting in her living room after a long weekend of entertaining most of her family.  She’s wearing a gaudy, purple sweater which is decorated with greenery, wreaths, trees, holly and chrismons.  The doorbell rings.  Mama opens the door to see her son Raymond coming for a holiday visit.

Mama: Oh, Raymond!  What a surprise!  So good to see you!

Raymond:  Happy Thanksgiving, Mama!

Mama: Thanksgiving was Thursday, son.  Now I know you had to go with your wife to visit her parents this year, but the Mayflower has sailed here, so let’s put that behind us and move on.

Raymond:  Thanks, Mama.  Uh… you got anything to eat?

Mama:  Nope.  We ate the last of the turkey this morning in some kind of a hash your brother dreamed up using the leftover dressing and green bean casserole.  But speaking of turkey, how is your father-in-law?

Raymond:  He’s fine, Mama, but let’s put that behind us and move on, OK?

Mama:  I’ll leave it alone if you can, son.

Raymond (noticing the sweater): Wow, Mama, that sure is some Christmas sweater!

Mama (offended): It is not a Christmas sweater.

Raymond: Yes it is.

Mama: No, it isn’t.

Raymond: Stop teasing, Mama.

Mama: I am not teasing.

Raymond: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a purple Christmas sweater.

Mama: It is not a Christmas sweater.

Raymond:  Sure it is.

Mama: No. It. Is. Not.

Raymond: How can you say that, Mama?  It’s got wreaths and holly and a tree… and I even see a few snowflakes—

Mama: Those are not snowflakes! They’re chrismons.

Rayond: Chris-whats?

Mama (pronouncing the word): ChriSSS-mAAAhns.  They’re symbols that teach us something about Jesus, and the same goes for the wreaths, the holly and the tree.

Raymond: Oh, Mama, couldn’t you just go with a nice, red “Reason for the Season” Christmas sweater like everyone else?

Mama:  Well, I’m not everyone else, and this is not a Christmas sweater—it’s an Advent sweater.

Raymond: Ad-what?

Mama:  Now why did I even blink at the notion that you’d know what Advent is—that church you go to?  Y’all probably sang a whole bunch of Christmas carols this morning, didn’t you?  I wouldn’t be surprised if you did “Here Comes Santa Claus” before the children’s sermon—

Raymond (offended): We did not sing “Here Comes Santa Claus” in church… (embarrassed) It was “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas”.

Mama: That’s the problem with folks.  They don’t know how to be patient.  They don’t know how to wait.  It won’t be long  before y’all start crankin’ up “Away in a Manger” as soon as you see a Christmas tree next to the candy corn display in Wal Mart in September.

Raymond:  Now, Mama, you’re exaggerating… I think…  besides, what’s waiting got to do with Christmas anyway?

Mama:  Advent!  Aaaad-veeent, son.

Raymond:  What’s Advent?

Mama:  In my church, we take the four weeks leading up to Christmas as a time to prepare and wait with 

hopeful expectation.

Raymond:  What are you waiting for?

Mama:  Well, Jesus, of course.

Raymond:  But Jesus already came, Mama.

Mama: Exactly!

Raymond:  Huh?

Mama:  The church year begins with this anticipation of the celebration of Christmas, but while we’re focusing on the first coming of Jesus, it’s a very good time to remember that Jesus is coming again.  That’s Advent.

Raymond:  But when do you celebrate Christmas?

Mama:  Why December 25, just like everyone else, unlike those heathens who want to sell you a nativity scene along with your back-to-school supplies.  Except, I guess, we do cheat a little.  We get very Christmassy on Christmas Eve, but I reckon that’s so the pastor can enjoy Christmas Day getting woken up by his children at 4:30 a.m. like the rest of us normal folks.

Raymond:  OK, Mama, so it’s Advent.  What’re you supposed to do during Advent?

Mama:  Get ready, of course.  You know, “prepare the way of the Lord”!

Raymond:  You mean Christmas shop and wrap presents?

Mama: No, you bozo!  It’s not about that!  If we’re taking this time to point ahead to when Jesus comes again, then we’re supposed to be getting ready for that.  Christmas day doesn’t catch anyone by surprise—it’s December 25^th just like it was last year.  By the way, what day is my birthday?

Raymond:  Uh…

Mama:  Exactly!

Raymond:  Could you get back to the Advent stuff?  Please?

Mama:  Sure.  So, we take the time while the whole world’s remembering the first coming of Jesus, and we look forward to the second coming—a little taking advantage of an opportune time.  It kind of makes you think, you know?

Raymond:  What do you mean?

Mama:  Well in the gospel of Matthew it says, “But about that day and hour, no one knows… therefore you also must be ready.”  Sometimes I worry Jesus might pop back in on us when I’m having “one of those days”.

Raymond:  You mean like when you start screaming at the people who wave you through the 4-way stop even though they were supposed to go first?

Mama:  Now, there are things even Jesus wouldn’t put up with—if it’s a tie the car to your right goes first.  How hard is that to remember?  You pull up to the stop signs at close to the same time, and for some reason it turns folks into complete idiots.  It’s a simple enough solution, but then they give you that little “come on” wave…

Raymond:  Mama, I believe you we’re filling me in on Advent and being ready?

Mama:  Oh, yes, of course.  Excuse me, Raymond.  Christians live in hope that Jesus is coming again, and that will be a glorious day, a day when God sets the world right.  But, you know it is also referred to as judgment day, don’t you?

Raymond:  You don’t want to get caught unprepared for that.

Mama:  Exactly, son.

Raymond:  So, what do you do to get ready?

Mama:  Well, I like what old Paul has to say about it.  Kind of poetic.  Here, read this (hands Raymond an open Bible).  Romans 13:11-12, read that for us.

Raymond: "Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.  For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near.  Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light."

Mama:  Do you understand that?

Raymond:  Yes.  It’s like what Isaiah says in the Old Testament, “Cease to do evil; learn to do good.”  And John the Baptist told all those folks that repentance was about sharing, not being greedy, and making things right.  That sounds to me a lot like laying aside the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light.

Mama:  I think you've got it, son.

Raymond:  Mama?  Do you mind if I ask you one more Advent related question?

Mama: Shoot.

Raymond: What if Jesus comes back and catches you wearing that awful, purple sweater?

Mama:  To each his own, son.  Besides, I’m sure it separates me from the whole “Reason for the Season” crowd.  Oh, and speaking of putting on the armor of light… (Mama flips a switch under the sweater’s waistband and the whole thing lights up).