A long, long, long time ago, there lived a man named Abram.  (Enter Abram and “Abram” sign behind him)  His wife’s name was Sarai.  (Pronounced Sar-eye)   (Enter Sarai with “Sarai” sign behind her)

They had been married for many years and they had grown very old.   They had lots of relatives and friends, but they never had any children.  One day, God spoke to Abram.  (Abram looks around.)  He told Abram “I want you to leave your home and go to a land that I will show you.  If you do this, I will give you many children and grandchildren.”

Well, Abram and Sarai didn’t want to leave their home,  (Abram and Sarai shake heads and gesture to each other)  but they trusted in God, so they gathered their belongings and they got their servants together and all their sheep and they left for another place that God would show them.  (Servants and sheep enter.  Abram, Sarai, servants, and sheep all walk in place.  Sign with arrow pointing to “another place” moves behind them and off stage.)

They traveled for a long time.

They came to a beautiful land.  (Servants and sheep exit.)  God said to Abram “This is the land that I promised you.  One day, this land will belong to your children and your grandchildren.”  Abram and Sarai knew they didn’t have any children, but still they trusted God.  Abram built an altar to honor God (Abram brings up altar) and they all praised God.  (Abram and Sarai praise God.)

It was not yet God’s time for them to claim this beautiful new land, though, so they traveled on to another place.  (Abram takes altar down.  Enter servants and sheep.  They all walk in place.  Sign comes up on left end of stage saying “One Place” and moves behind them.)  For many years, they traveled from one place to another.  (“Another Place” sign with arrow comes up on left end of stage and moves behind them.  When sign is off stage, servants and sheep exit.)

They would set-up their tents wherever they went.  (Abram and Sarai put up tent.)  By now, Abram was almost 100 years old and Sarai was 90.  They had been following where God lead for 25 years.

Again, God spoke to Abram (Abram looks around) and again God promised that Abram would have many children and grandchildren.  God said that Abram would be the father of nations.  God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (“Abram” sign comes up and rotates to other side that says “Abraham” and then goes down), which means father of nations.  God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah (“Sarai” sign comes up, rotates to “Sarah” and goes down), which means princess.

God told Abraham that Sarah would have a son.  Abraham laughed at what he was hearing.  (Laugh sticks come up)  Yes, Sarah will have a son, God said, and you will name him Isaac, which means laughter.

One day, Abraham saw three strangers passing by.  (Strangers enter)  He went up to greet them.  Please stop here a while and rest, Abraham told them.  He made them comfortable and then went back to the tent and asked Sarah to prepare some food.

When Abraham got back to the men, God spoke to him.  “Next year, I will give you and Sarah a son.”  Sarah was listening from the tent.  She laughed at what she heard.  (Laugh sticks come up)  Can a woman my age have a baby?  But God said “Is anything too difficult for God?  Next year Sarah will have a son.”  The men got up and headed on their way.

Just as God had promised, Sarah did get pregnant and gave birth to a son.  (Sarah enters with Isaac)  They named him Isaac, meaning laughter, as God had told them to.  And Sarah said “God has given me laughter.  All who hear this will rejoice with me.”