Theater In The Modern Church

One of the art forms I believe that can have a positive impact in the arts, is theater. For many years theater has been a global art that was available to everyone, of all social classes and social and all parts of the world. Theater ranging from Shakespeare, to operas created for royal families, to today’s broadway shows in New York. Theater is global and has transcended time and culture. I believe as we head into the Christmas season. Having a theatrical production which can depict the story of Jesus, would cause audiences and visitors to see the story of Jesus come alive before their very eyes. A few years ago on a trip with CBU’s male chorale, I remember we went to go see a production of Moses at the sight & sound theater in Branson, Missouri. The Motto of Sight & sound is “Experience the Bible’s most epic stories as they come to life on a panoramic stage!” It was just that. I remember as Moses called on the Lord to open up the water so they could cross, the aisles that were filled with that looked like an image of water disappeared and they were able to cross. The production was so incredible that every aisle and part of the stage had an actor or something happening. It caught your attention and you wanted to see more, also the way the production was presented it brought the story to life, right in front of your very eyes. As we draw closer to Christmas I can only image what it would look like to present the Hope of Christmas as a production for our congregations and for those families that only step into a church for Easter and Christmas. When I think of production and theater inside of a church the verse that comes to mind is Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. While having theatrical productions in the Bible isn’t mentioned, neither is having a band that uses backing tracks. But what we are called to do is make a joyful noise and spread the good news of Jesus. I have always been a fan of storytelling and have always used times like Easter and Christmas to start a message out by telling a story. Sometimes it has been the pastor or someone with a great voice recording a voice over of a passage or of the theme we are portraying and having an image that has to do with the topic being displayed on the LED screens. I find having one image that rotates can cause people to focus on what is in front of them, and on the story that is being told. In this case, we will use theater to give a message of hope. For the Christmas story I would break it down into sections, we would give the story first of the promised messiah and then enact what that might have looked like. Then we would go to when Mary was told by the Angel that she would be giving birth to the savior of the world, Jesus. Then I would go back and read a passage of the angels singing glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to all men. To close out the Christmas story I would have a passage reading about the three wise men giving gifts to Jesus and glorifying him on earth, I would talk about how a God that is so Holy would come down and turn into flesh and be in the presence of those who were not worthy of him. I would give the story of how Jesus is the hope of all, and how we can choose today to glorify him and follow him and allow him to give us a new life in him.

We have to choose to be creative and go outside the norm of just having musical worship and a message, and think of creative ways to engage people in a meaningful way.