Angel At McDonald's is a provocative drama that is a striking parable about belief in something that seems impossible and the courage to do what God commands. Two young women who are decorating a community center in an underprivileged neighborhood encounter three angry toughs who resent the girls' "kindness." With the gentle insistence of an angel who gives them an unusual assignment, the girls confront their fear and tell the skeptical ghetto kids about Jesus. And despite initial wariness, the message finds a home in some of their hearts.

This play can be presented as part of a worship service or as the entertainment at a church dinner or other gathering. It can be staged as elaborately or as simply as you wish, and lends itself to a readers' theater format. Angel At McDonald's is an excellent discussion starter that is sure to generate many viewpoints about our preconceived ideas of what constitutes "missions." And it connects the occasion of Christ's birth to the birth of new spiritual life. With realistic dialogue and situations, it's perfect for use with teenagers. Linda M. Goens is the Director of Creative Worship Arts at the United Methodist Church of the Saviour in Indianapolis, where she writes and directs drama and clown sketches for worship in addition to choreographing and performing liturgical movement. A graduate of the University of California at Sacramento (B.A.) and Indiana University (M.Ed.), Goens facilitates workshops in spiritual journaling and creative worship. She is the author of The Shepherds (CSS) and Praising God Through the Lively Arts (Abingdon Press).