Suppose you found a want ad in the newspaper from someone who wanted a family to spend Thanksgiving (or Christmas) dinner with. Would you be willing to open your home, your family, your holiday to a stranger? Would God want you to? What was the stranger thinking when placing the ad? Can people overcome their past?

This three-scene sketch asks those questions. Scene 1 portrays a family that has seen the ad, discussing what the person who placed the ad might be like and whether they should invite him to dinner. The mother is suspicious, the teenage/pre-teen daughter thinks it is obviously God's will to invite the person, the teenage/pre-teen son thinks the person must be a loser, and the dad just wants to make the right decision. Scene 2 introduces the guest as he delivers a turkey a few days before the dinner. He proves to be somewhat of a loser, as the son suspected, but a person who has learned from his mistakes. Scene 3 shows the guest and the family at the holiday meal as they try to figure out what they have learned from this experience.

This thought-provoking sketch includes alternate dialog to customize it for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. It can be presented either in one service or spread across three weeks.

Related scriptures: Ephesians 2:10 Genesis 12:1 Hebrews 13:2 Isaiah 58:10 Matthew 1:18-25 Psalm 30:5