Have you ever been in a play, musical or – dare I ask- a film?

In this picture my wife Rochelle is on the far right. It’s from a musical called HMS Pinafore that Lynden Christian High School put on in 1995. My father-in-law was in the pit as some may recognize just below my wife’s picture. She and I were in plays and musicals every year in high school. We prayed before each performance as a cast and crew. Those were marvelous times! But why pray beforehand? Is this a spiritual exercise or simply a secular activity devoid of God?

We are probably more influenced by theatre, especially movies, than by Scripture or Church in western culture. So it’s important to consider the place of theatre in the life of faith. As stated last week, Jesus’ use of parables points to a type of theatre in his Messianic ministry. He even could have acted out parts of his stories as a monologue for his listeners. He couldn’t have been a Jewish Rabbi without at least using hand motions to make his points! And he certainly left room for us to do so by telling such engaging stories.

Throughout history the Passion of Jesus has been acted out by thousands of His followers as a means of expressing God’s great design in redemption. The theme of wellness, agitation, salvation (though a “savior”), and restoration of wellness is basic to all well-loved stories from time memorial. Some stories emphasize different parts of this Creation, Fall, Redemption monomyth, such as those that emphasize man’s fallen state, like Hamlet (play) or Magnolia (movie). But all the most popular ones follow this mono-myth. Think of any Shakespeare play, classic opera, or movies like Superman or Star Wars. That’s because these stories reflect the ultimate story and we all know this intuitively.

The importance of an audience cannot be understated. Even if a person preforms for themselves, as the Pharisee does in Jesus’ Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14), it is still a performance. Actors often practice alone, using themselves as the audience, frequently with a mirror to show themselves the effectiveness of their body language. This too is theatre and no less so. The use of theatre in preaching is grossly understated and unacknowledged. Good preaching can and must involve the use of theatrical elements. Often a story is told, speech is manipulated, songs sung, body language intensified, and always an audience is present to behold it.

The use of a stage is broadly defined as a platform from which to perform. The mirror or living room for an audience of one is transformed in the imagination’s eye into another world. The platform of the pulpit, an actual stage, or any place that can be transformed by the imagination’s eye into another reality will suffice. It is the place the audience is held captive to see. It has boundaries, which the mind’s eye keeps firmly throughout the time allotted. It is the frame and canvas of the theatrical painter.

To perform upon a stage is then the primary and basic element of theatre. It is intentional. It is for the benefit of the audience. It is not just to be, or to live. It is to do so that others and/or self can behold the action. Here the great doctrines of Election and Grace keep the faithful from using reality as a stage to perform in. To perform is the work of one who must earn favor, must gain agreement, must teach a lesson, must produce a pleasant and beneficial result. It is not a mere outflow of gratitude. It is merited favor. It is a means of influencing another, even manipulating if deemed necessary by the actor or writer, fortunately or unfortunately. The actor is imitating someone or something with a certain end in mind. Namely, to win over the audience. Again, this is rebuked by Jesus if done as a means of looking good or lying in real life. But it has a marvelous place in communication when all parties involved are aware of its presence and welcome it. That is theatre.

(More next week and then a play called “A Table for Three” as an example.)