Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute me? and circumcision

struck me yesterday when reading this line from Acts how formative it must have been in the Theology of Paul.
Firstly the speaking of his name, when an audible strange voice is heard elsewhere in the bible - a theophany, the persons name always seems to be said twice. It is God speaking, when Paul asks who it is - the reply - I am Jesus who you are persecuting. Now to all intents and purposes Saul wasn't perscuting Jesus rather his followers.
It must have really scrambled Pauls' eggs a bit - firstly - God Speaks, secondly God identifies himself as Jesus, thridly Jesus identifies the suffering that his followers are under as his own suffering.
So I guess as Paul reflected on this he must have somehow concluded that Jesus is God, and that the followers of Jesus - the Church are Jesus's body......

Amazing what lies behind a sentence that we so often just glance over.

In Nelson next year we are planning to run a joint initaive of an Alpha course aimed at intermediates, so i have been on the hunt for dramas to illustrate talks - i found this beauty on Jesus being fully human - it's about two kids who attend his circumcision - kind of screemish really but I loved the following line
WAYNE -- Well, let's see... CIRCUM is like circle, so it means around something. And CISION is like incision. It means to cut. So, circumcision must mean to cut around something.
GARTH -- Oh, I get it! They're giving the kid his first haircut!

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Two teenagers witness Jesus' circumcision
WAYNE -- (Enters, looks around, waves Garth in, whispers) There they are. (points at opposite exit)
GARTH -- (Enters, whispers) You're gonna get us into trouble, Wayne.
WAYNE -- (half whisper) It'll be a piece of cake, Garth.
GARTH -- But Gentiles are not allowed in this part of the temple, Wayne.
WAYNE -- Trust me, I know what I'm doing, Garth. If we just look like we belong here, nobody will say nothin'.
GARTH -- Wayne, all the men are wearing those little tiny hats. They're gonna kick us out if we're not wearing one of those little tiny hats.
WAYNE -- (looking both ways) They're called yamulkas, Garth.
GARTH -- How do you know?
WAYNE -- (returning to exit) I know all kinds of stuff. (exits) Here's a box a full of yamulkas! (reenters, wearing skull cap, offers cap to Garth) See, I told you, Garth. There's nothing to worry about.
GARTH -- (puts on cap, poses) How do I look in my new yamaka, Wayne?
WAYNE -- (laughs too loud) Like a dork. (chuckles, covers mouth, ducks slightly)
GARTH -- (whispers, ducks behind Wayne) Shshshsh. Somebody is coming.
MAN ---- (enters, crosses upstage, exits without noticing boys)
WAYNE -- (Stands tall, pulls up Garth, whispers) It's okay, just act natural. (aloud) So, I was saying to the rabbi, rabbi, I said...
GARTH -- I didn't know you knew a rabbi, Wayne.
WAYNE -- (pounds Garth's shoulder) You are such a dork, Garth.
GARTH -- You always hit me in the same shoulder. What did I do?
WAYNE -- (moves toward opposite exit) Okay, he's gone. Follow me.
GARTH -- (stays put, rubs shoulder) I still don't know what we're doing here, Wayne. And I don't think you know either.
WAYNE -- (returns to Garth) Yes, I do. We're here for the circumcision of the Christ child. (moves toward exit)
GARTH -- (stays put) Oh! The circumcision! Well, why didn't you say so? (pauses) Wayne?
WAYNE -- (eyeing offstage events, whispers) Yeah.
GARTH -- What's a circumcision?
WAYNE -- (returns to Garth) It's a thing they do eight days after he's born. (moves towards exit)
GARTH -- (stays put) Oh! (scratches head, pauses) Wayne?
WAYNE -- (whispers) Yeah.
GARTH -- What thing do they do?
WAYNE -- (returns to Garth) You know the Jewish ceremony. And one thing I'm sure about is that the circumcision of Jesus will undoubtedly make it into the Bible. And I want to be able to tell the guys back home that we saw it.
GARTH -- So, what is a circumcision, Wayne? I'm not gonna have to sing, am I? Because I don't sing so good.
WAYNE -- Naw, if they sing. You just move your mouth. Nobody will know.
GARTH -- What if everybody has to get up and read from the scroll, Wayne? I don't know how to read Hebrew.
WAYNE -- Don't worry, Garth. This ceremony is for a baby. He can't understand Hebrew either.
GARTH -- So, what do you suppose they do in there, Wayne?
WAYNE -- Well, let's see... CIRCUM is like circle, so it means around something. And CISION is like incision. It means to cut. So, circumcision must mean to cut around something.
GARTH -- Oh, I get it! They're giving the kid his first haircut!
WAYNE -- (moving to exit) Yeah, maybe. (whispers) Shshshsh. quiet. The ceremony has already started. Remember, just look like you belong here.
GARTH -- (moves toward exit, whispers) He's using a knife, Wayne, not a scissors. What kind of a haircut is that?
WAYNE -- (whispers) It's not the hair that they're gonna cut, Garth.
GARTH -- (whispers) You don't think they're going to cut his... (backs away from exit, holding stomach, turns) Oh, I think I'm going to be sick.
WAYNE -- (follows) Garth! You're supposed act natural. You're supposed to look like you belong here! Remember?
GARTH -- (exiting) I don't think I belong here, Wayne. (Vomits loudly from offstage)
WAYNE -- (backs toward ceremony, points over shoulder) Garth! Where are you going? The circumcision is....
GARTH -- (vomits loudly)
WAYNE -- (turning to ceremony) The big sissy. (backs away) Oh, man, they really are going to cut his... (holds stomach, covers mouth, runs to exit, vomits aloud)
GARTH -- (backs onstage, holding stomach) Well, at least we didn't have to sing. (looks over shoulder, exits again)
BOTH --- (vomit aloud)
©2005 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it.Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances.You may reproduce and distribute this script freely,but all copies must contain this copyright statement.http://www.fea.net/bobsnook email: bobsnook@fea.net
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