Written by Matt Tullos

This readers theatre script can be used in worship to communicate the concept of God using small and insignificant things and people to perform God-sized tasks.

Glenn: Tender Heart Ministry proudly presents Jonah and the worm

Karla: Jonah and the worm? You mean whale.

Glenn: No Worm.

Karla: Worm? Why not whale?

Glenn: We’ve got to think outside the box here. Plus if you want to have real Kingdom impact, you’ve got to dig deep and you’re bound to run into a worm or two.

Karla: Cute.

Glenn: Seriously-anybody can do the story of Jonah and the Whale. It takes real chutzpah to dramatize the story of Jonah and the Worm. Plus I think you’d probably prefer me being a worm than you being a whale.

Karla: You’ve got a point there.

Glenn: We all remember the story of Jonah


 Karla /Voice of God: Jonah, I need you to take a trip.



Glenn as Jonah: A trip! I love trips! Hopping on a camel into the wild, blue yonder! Sleeping under the stars! Climbing mountains! Cruising on sail boats! I’m on my way, Lord.


Karla /Voice of God: I need you to go to Nineveh!


Karla: Jonah then fiercely objected.

Glenn as Jonah: Anywhere but Ninevah!

Karla: Jonah whined, and went in the opposite direction.

Glenn: Then you have the little side-note about the storm sent by God, being thrown over the side of the boat, the storm calming and being swallowed by a great fish, praying in the fish for three days and nights. Just your basic exposition needed for the real miracle of Jonah. Thus Jonah and the worm.

Karla: You’re serious.

Glenn: Just my take on the whole story….

Karla: After that Jonah cried

Glenn: Repent!!!

Karla: And the whole town of Ninevah repented. Jonah the whining prophet proclaimed:

Glenn: (Said in a very melodramatic whiney voice) “LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

Karla: God asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?”


Glenn: So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city.

Karla: There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.

Glenn: And the LORD God grew a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

Karla: But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm.

Glenn: God prepared a worm

Karla: God prepared a worm

Glenn: To chew up the plant.

Karla: A Huge shade-giving plant.

Glenn: Large enough to shade a man.

Karla: And God prepared a worm.

Glenn: Not 500 worms

Karla: Not 10 worms

Glenn: Not 2 worms.

Karla: God prepared a singular

Glenn: Solitary worm.

Karla: One worm.

Glenn: Big plant.

Karla: One

Glenn: Small

Karla: Insignificant

Glenn: Ordinary

Both: Worm

Glenn: Big plant.

Karla: Can you hear God speak to the worm.

Glenn: (looking into his palm, whispering as if to a tiny pet) Go get it. Eat that plant up.

Glenn: The worm looks up.

Karla: Waaaay up.

Glenn: And the worm begins to chew.

Both: And the big plant fell.

Glenn: The big plant fell and the worm made impact.

Karla: Not as big as a whale. It was worm food super-sized.

Glenn: I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!

Karla: You ate it, Worm.

Glenn: (break character) Watch it, Karla.

Karla: Ity-bity worm

Glenn: Big shade plant.

Karla: Beloved disciple,

Glenn: What is the plant that stands before you today?

Karla: A rebel child?

Glenn: A dying church?

Karla: A transitional community?

Glenn: A helpless victim?

Karla: An aetheist neighbor.

Glenn: A discouraged leader?

Karla: A fear?

Glenn: A need?

Karla: A pain?

Glenn: God prepared a worm.

Karla: And God will prepare us as we go.

Glenn: Ity-bity You

Karla: Huge World.

Both: Kingdom Impact.

Glenn: This is GOD's Message,

Karla: the God who made earth,

Glenn: made it livable and lasting,

Karla: known everywhere as GOD

Glenn: "Call to me and I will answer you.

Karla: I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things

Glenn: that you could never figure out on your own.'

Karla: Therefore

Both: Listen…