|
September 2003 Table of Contents
Special Feature: Drama
Picture This...
By Nan Allen
Jesus is teaching. He's teaching about God's love and forgiveness. He's passionate, articulate.and His listeners just aren't getting it! And so, the Master says, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate'". We recognize this tale as the parable of the prodigal son.
Jesus knew how.and when.to illustrate The Truth! Many times Jesus used stories and common illustrations to make a point. Sometimes he used FISH. Probably He did that when around the Sea of Galilee, a place where people depended on fishing as a livelihood. He used SHEEP as an illustration. Often when He was teaching down near Bethlehem and Jerusalem, He'd try to relate the point to something the people could understand. He also used the illustrations of VINES and VINEYARDS because the people could visualize that common sight and relate it to the point The Great Teacher was trying to make. So, Jesus did know the value of illustrating the Truth; not just telling it.
That's what drama in ministry is all about. In a world so visually oriented, especially in the younger generation, why is it that we still try to teach using a "talking head" and expecting that to sink into the hearts and minds of our congregations? I'm not putting down "proclaiming the Truth" from the pulpit, but I am hoping that worship planners and pastors will see the need to add to it the illustration of Truth.
Years ago, in our home church in Nashville, I was given charge over a drama ministry. Since there had not been one before, I was starting from scratch. In those days, there wasn't a lot of sketches or plays written for the church. Being a published writer already, I started writing sketches for my own group (then called "Pew Prompters") but later I also wrote them a one act play. It was called "Scenes from Love's Caf‚". The following year, I wrote another play, a two-act, called "Dandelion House". (Both of these plays were later published by Lillenas Publishing.) Our church staff helped make the decision that we should begin a tradition of dinner theatre productions as an outreach and an in-reach tool.
As outreach, this would be a way for our own members to invite relatives, friends, and co-workers to enjoy a good meal and a good live production inside our church walls. Since the production ran for three nights, over a weekend, it seemed to be a good way to introduce our church and the Message to the un-churched. Some non-believers, it was noted, are reluctant to attend a traditional Sunday service, but might be willing to attend a dramatic production in a fellowship environment.
It began with a calling and a dream. This year, 2003, marks our tenth year doing dinner theatre productions!
There are some churches, in our city particularly, who produce a secular play or musical each year with the same goal: outreach to un-churched. Although I have no problem with that as a concept, our church's philosophy was to offer productions that also have a Christian message. Our musicals and plays, however, do not have a hard-sell gospel message, mostly because we wanted the language to make sense and be palatable for someone who doesn't know the Lord. Again to "illustrate the Truth" in language the people could understand.
Our first Broadway-style musical was called "The Builder", later retitled "Dream House". It was the story of two newlywed couples. One in the country, one in the city. Each couple had just moved into a brand new house. A cottage for the country couple and a brownstone walk-up for the city couple. Through the months and years of their lives together, little things about their houses.and their homes.began to need repairs, an unmet need/a broken hinge. You get the point. After time, these little issues become big ones and well, the homes and houses are in dire straits. The spiritual message is that God can build and re-build homes, but He has to be allowed inside to do the work.
One of our favorite dinner theatre productions is one we will repeat this year on our 10th anniversary. It's called "State Road 47". We took three of Jesus' parables that happened "along the road". The Parable of the Sower and the Seed. Remember some of the seeds fell along the road and did not take root. The Good Samaritan. A man fell among thieves along the road and was ignored twice by religious leaders. However, a Samaritan found and rescued the injured man. The Prodigal Son returned to his father along the road. Incidentally, in our production, the prodigal has a conversation with the pigs he has to feed to survive.
We take a few liberties with the original story, but it never deviates from the Truth.
We've told the stories of "Solomon,"and Job ("Riches to Rags") in dinner theatre settings.
We explored pride and prejudice using a 1920's setting in a production called "High Cotton".
The time of year these productions occur has changed, too. Two years in a row, we held the annual event at Christmastime. One production was called "The Christmas You Always Dreamed Of". Another, we co-wrote with Custer and Hoose. The musical is called "'Twas the Last Mailing Day Before Christmas." These seasonal productions reached a different audience. Since many people enjoy seeing some sort of Christmas production or concert during the holidays, we were able to reach those people with a spiritual message of the Christmas story.
Last year, the theme was living with life choices and circumstances. The musical was called "Life Is But A Dream". (Picture - Life is but a Dream.jpg)
Some of the by-products of our dinner theatre performances have been those we could see. New faces have appeared at our door, some who were believers who were looking for a church home. New people, adults, teens and children, who love to act and sing have joined our ranks because they wanted to participate in the show.
Many of the rewards of our efforts, however, we may never see on earth. We believe that hearts have been touched and changed because of the plays and musicals, but there are many we do not even hear about. However, a couple of stories make us realize that God is using these productions to bless and further the Kingdom.
A newlywed couple postponed their honeymoon to attend the musical "The Builder". They read about the upcoming musical in the paper and they decided that they wanted to get their marriage off to a strong start and, therefore, thought it was worth the wait to hear and see the Truth about marriage. Although the couple moved away from our area shortly thereafter, they have driven back into our city several times since to attend our dinner theatre.
Perhaps the most moving story is about a man, a guest of one of our members, who grew up in a Jewish home. Apparently, he had been curious about the gospel because his friend had been sharing her testimony with him. After attending one of our productions, State Road 47, he became a Christian partly because, he said, he finally was able to "see" the Truth.
That's why we do it! That's the purpose! Using Jesus' example of illustrating the Truth, we are committed to doing the same through drama in the church.
And He (Jesus) called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18:2-4 NASB
Now, that Guy really knew how to illustrate the Truth!
Back to Top
|
