IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS ARCHIVE APRIL 2000

The Holy Weekend

For the first time, DIM’s participation in the Holy Weekend events at Normandy Christian Church will extend beyond involvement in the Good Friday Service.

While Worship Drama has become widely utilized in progressive congregations in recent years, and while DIM has been active at Normandy for over five years, the sketch approach to drama will be making its formal debut this Easter Sunday.

Informal and promotional skits have been utilized before, of course; so what makes Worship Drama unique? The difference is that Worship Drama seeks to present a visual illustration that is incorporated into the sermon. This requires significant advance involvement of a drama team with the preacher and the worship team, to choose the team, develop the concept, write a script, and meld the performance into the sermon.

Based on reports from churches where Worship Drama is regularly utilized, and on our own initial effort, this is all more difficult than it sounds! Please pray for the effort this week as Mike and Laura Brunk prepare The Ship is Sinking, written by Mike and Greg Wright, for this Easter Sunday.

Also on the ticket for the Good Friday service at Normandy is a series of monologues titled Witnesses of the Crucifixion. The monologues are based on the eyewitness Scriptural accounts, and were prepared and written by Mike Brunk, Laura Brunk, Patty Cram, George Rosok and Greg Wright. The stories presented are that of the Apostle John, Judas, Pilate, the Centurion and Mary Magdelene. Lyla Moreland joins in the presentation.

Join DIM for a worshipful, reverent Good Friday service that will include a foot washing ceremony and sharing in the Lord’s Supper.

Chi Rho Writing Plans Set

The script for The Power Unleashed will be written April 28-30. If you would like to be involved, or are interested in other writing opportunities with DIM, please contact Greg Wright at 206-241-6149.

Alumni Report

You will remember James Wilhoit’s performance as Thomas More in DIM’s production of A Man for All Seasons. He is currently appearing on stage at the Auburn Avenue Dinner Theatre’s production of the Huckleberry Finn story, Big River. The production runs through May 20 with performances Friday and Saturday nights, with Saturday matinees. Reservations and information can be obtained at 253-833-5678.

The drama team that Marybeth Moreland (King to Knight’s Pawn) works with at Seatac Baptist Academy took first place at the recent state competition, and is raising funds for their trip to nationals. If you would like to know how to help, contact her mother, Lyla, at 253-630-9822. More information will appear in the next DIM newsletter.

The son of Matt Meaney (seen most recently as Beno in the Chi Rho revival) will be baptized as part of the Easter Vigil, 9 PM , April 22 at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle .

Incorporating the Holy Spirit In Bibliodrama

The following essay was contributed by Ron Pereira, a student at Puget Sound Christian College, and member of Northwest Church of Christ. The term “Bibliodrama” is understood to mean a studied, dramatic interpretation of a Biblical text or texts, the purpose of which is illumination of the text and enlightenment of the soul. Bibliodrama may or may not imply public performance.

The Holy Spirit that God has given to us can be an effective help in the pursuit of Bibliodrama, if we will allow Him to work in all aspects of our lives. In order to be effective in a ministry using Bibliodrama, we must not deprecate the role that the Holy Spirit should be allowed to play in our play.

In the book Body and Bible, Walter Wink speaks on the role of movement in Bibliodrama: “We are not merely examining the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, but opening up our bodies, quite literally, to become the temples of the Holy Spirit within us.”

As Christians, we have access to the Holy Spirit living in us. In this way, the Holy Spirit is not unlike the prompter in the onstage shell in old theatres; when a line was forgotten, or direction needed, the prompter was there to add to and sometimes save the performance — not only for the audience, but the performer also.

In 1 Timothy 1:14, Paul reminds Timothy the Holy Spirit lives in us. Since this is the case, the Holy Spirit is with us at all times, waiting to be appropriated by us in a correct manner. He is the greatest resource we have in the play of Bibliodrama.

Since the Holy Spirit is the inspirer and ultimately the writer of scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), Who better to help us interpret scripture than the author? When a play is performed, a movie filmed, or poetry recited, the author can (but is often not allowed to) have invaluable input and insight into the characters he or she has written. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:11,

“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

Making a conscious effort to include the Holy Spirit into Bibliodrama is not only absolutely necessary for the instruction and edification of the player, but can be an invaluable tool but the viewer as well. The Holy Spirit is essential if an audience (and especially the unbeliever) is to be moved and illuminated in regard to the point of the story. Without the Holy Spirit’s power to convict men of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8-11), a person might just as well expect Biblical edification and exhortation from a performance of Cats or A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

This is not to say that the Holy Spirit is some kind of substitute for old-fashioned hard work, but if He is not included, the work is for naught. How-to books like Steve Pederson’s Drama Ministry should always be read with an eye toward making sure we remember the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. We need to consciously apply the guiding of the Holy Spirit to any systematic directions such books might provide.

For example, how much more would the Bibliodrama gain from asking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in assembling a drama team (the model of Jesus Christ and the choosing of the Apostles)? Or seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction when writing the drama?

On the other extreme, theoretical practitioners such as those represented in Bjorn Krondorfer’s Body and Bible tend toward the “think too much, do too little” category, and as such could benefit from a bit more of the Holy Spirit’s prompting to do something with their faith (James 2:18).

Regardless of which extreme towards which the practice of Bibliodrama might tend — either the extremely practical or the avant garde — without a doubt it must include the work and role of the Holy Spirit if it is to be all that God would want it to be.