Christian Performing Artists

Book Review: 'Finding the Groove' by Robert Gelinas

2009-11-10T08:35:00.004-05:00

By Jerry Starks
“Finding the Groove” by Robert Gelinas (Zondervan, 2009) is a deep and multi-faceted exploration of the Christian life and jazz. The subtitle entices you with another clue about where Gelinas is heading: “composing a jazz-shaped faith.”

This intrigued me on two levels, because I had assumed that jazz wasn’t really composed– it was more improvised. That also seems to be many people’s style of life– improvisation more than planning. As I read further, I became very engrossed in his thoughtful observations about jazz and Christianity.

Gelinas is not a musician; he is a pastor and a jazz theologian. He explains that jazz is bigger than just music: it can be an entire lifestyle (not just the improvisational aspect), and a very Christian lifestyle at that. “Christian” not just by putting different labels on things but by using patterns and behaviors developed in jazz music when we interact with God and with our fellow humans. Even the history and development of jazz should ring with familiarity in Christian ears. Jazz was developed by African-Americans: people not free living in a free land—just as we were all born slaves of sin living in a fallen world. Yet even in the midst of deep segregation, jazz became a meeting ground where races could actually enjoy the same thing at the same time in the same place—just as in Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor slave.

Three cornerstones of jazz form a framework for Gelinas’ exploration. They are syncopation, improvisation, and call-and-response. He explains how each works in jazz music, then gives examples of how they can work outside of music, often giving examples from Scripture.

This would have been encouraging and enlightening by itself, but Gelinas keeps on going. He discusses jazz greats in many areas of life, such as John Coltrane, a saxophonist, Langston Hughes, a poet, Ralph Ellison, a novelist, Martin Luther King, Jr., a preacher. Each of them was influenced by jazz, and each made significant contributions to America. The depth and scope of Gelinas’ understanding of jazz and American culture is deeply satisfying.

Chapter headings include “Creative Tension,” “Life in Concert,” “Finding Your Voice,” and “Developing Your Ear.” All of them have a musical basis, but all of them go far beyond that art form the just like jazz cannot be restricted to a concert hall: it gets into all of life. In the same way, insists Gelinas, the love of Jesus should break out of our familiar constructs and pulse with life, causing others to stop and listen. One way of doing that is to compose and live a jazz-shaped faith.

You can purchase this book here.

Jerry Starks is associate director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and has numerous acting and directing credits in both secular and Christian productions. He resides in Essex Junction, VT where he is active in the arts ministry at his church.

Book Notes: God's Cycle of Music by Mark Paulson

2009-11-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

There are many ways to look at God’s amazing relationship with humans: people with different talents, interests, and backgrounds see different aspects of God more clearly. It enriches us when we try to see from another person’s perspective. “God’s Cycle of Music: A Musician’s Explanation of God’s Purpose and Meaning for Our Lives” (Hope Publishing House, 2009) is a look at God’s redemption from the viewpoint of Mark Paulson, a professional pianist and piano teacher in New Jersey..

Some of Paulson’s analogies are expected: it’s almost automatic to cast God as the Composer of the music of life. Yet several of his analogies delightfully caught me off guard. I had never thought of the Holy Spirit as a Conductor, or Jesus as an Agent. In a compact style, Paulson brings up images for several aspects of the Christian experience; then allows us to expand and develop those images, creating our own variations on .the theme. For example, he suggests comparing spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting to practicing scales and etudes. He spins off a list of nine disciplines, gives a paragraph or two on each one for a starter, then encourages your imagination to expand and apply the idea.

Occasionally an analogy gets weak and seems overshadowed by more familiar, non-musical expressions. Any metaphor can only be stretched so far before breaks down, but before that point the metaphor enriches and expands the mind and the heart that considers it. “God’s Cycle of Music” is well worth reading and then building upon. You can purchase the book here.
-- Jerry Starks

Redeemer's November Gathering for Actors Set

2009-11-10T08:19:00.003-05:00

Actors can gather for the monthly meeting at Redeemer Prsbyterian in New York 7pm Monday, Nov. 30 at Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 8th Ave. (at 36th Street), Studio 17A

Bring a monologue, scene, audition piece, or work in progress to workshop or show. No judgment! Come enjoy fellowship and fun with other actors as we explore the meaning of our work. Dinner is provided.

RSVP to actors@redeemer.com. Questions? Contact Kenyon Adams at kenyon@redeemer.com or (212) 808-4460 x1344.

The Kiss That Worships

2009-11-03T08:40:00.004-05:00

This week we bring you a guest blog post on worship from Jerry D. Scott, senior pastor of Washington Assembly of God Church in Washington, NJ. Read more of Pastor Scott's messages on his blog, "Coffeebreak with the Word" at http://jerryscott.blogspot.com.

The Kiss That Worships
By Jerry D. Scott
A Christian for my entire life, I have attended a lot of church services! Some have included worship, many have not! Sometimes the obvious focus is to entertain the audience, with a circus-like atmosphere of performing acts. Sometimes the service is more like a family reunion, the focus being on meeting the people who are present. Sometimes I’m puzzled why anyone shows up since the whole thing is pointless, wandering through a ritual that goes nowhere. And, sometimes worship really happens. The people gathered are purposefully focused on the Person and Presence of Almighty God, challenged by His Word, and left in awe. Now, that’s church!

This Fall, I am leading a Bible Study group through the book of the Revelation. Chapters 4 and 5 are John’s vision of the Throne Room. While the language is sometimes strange to my mind, the overall message is about worship. While meditating on those chapters, I have found myself in tears repeatedly – partially from awe, partially from longing for a more consistently authentic worship in my life. Read an excerpt.

"The Lamb (Jesus Christ) stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. … And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb." (Revelation 5:6-9, 13-16, NLT)

Modern worship is frequently evaluated only by the experience of the worshipper.

• Was the band good?
• Did they sing songs I liked?
• Did I feel ‘blessed’?
• Were warm and fuzzy emotions stirred?

Those are all fine things, but they are not what worship is about. Authentic worship must have an upward focus. It focused on offering to Jesus the same adoration that is shown to Him in heaven! Imagine the Elders of that scene getting up from their faces and high-fiving one another saying, “I feel so blessed right now!” No way. They were not even thinking of themselves. They desired only to pour out their love to the Lamb, to give Him praise because He is worthy!

Worship is about creating awareness, but not self awareness. It is always about being more aware of God’s Presence, and as we are awed by Him, increasingly submitted to His will. If worship does not do that, it is misfocused at best, a profanity at worst! Jesus taught, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24, NIV) The word that is translated as ‘worship’ is “proskuneo.” {pros•koo•neh•o} which means “to kiss the hand in token of reverence.” (Strong’s)

Disciple, have you leaned forward in worship to kiss the hand of God?
Have you taken your eyes off yourself, your circumstances, your needs to come to Him, just to offer up the adoration of your worship?
Remember, worship is first an attitude, then an action. An unsubmitted, self-willed Christian will not ‘worship in spirit and truth’ even though she may sing the right words and go through the motions of ‘worship.’ The heart must bow first, the will be submitted, and then worship will become worthy of its focus.

Lord, teach us to be worshippers, not just singers.
Bend our wills to Yours, draw our minds and hearts to You.
Our days are frequently a mad rush during which we forget
You and Your majesty, consumed by the things of ‘now.’
Forgive us for loving our lives so much that we fail to ‘kiss Your hand.’

Now, Lord, I join with all Creation to say:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!”

_________________

To bow and to kiss,
To pour forth our love,
The perfume of our adoration.
To wash with our tears
The feet that were bruised,
To bless and to serve and to gaze on.

To bow and to kiss,
To pour forth our love,
The perfume of our adoration.
To press to our lips,
The hands that were pierced,
To bless and to serve and to gaze on.

To bow and to kiss,
To pour forth our love,
The perfume of our adoration.
To reach up and touch,
The brow that was torn,
To bless and to serve and to gaze on.

Jesus, my Savior!
My life and my love!
You are my treasure,
My gift from above!

To Bow And To Kiss
© 2002 Life Unto Life Music
Andrea C. Hunter
Jeremy Michael Riddle

CCLI License No. 810055

Socrates in the City, Max McLean, Episcopal Actors News

2009-10-27T08:25:00.009-04:00

Socrates in the City
Owen Gingerich, professor emeritus of astronomy and of the history of science at Harvard University and senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory will speak on the the topic "Dare a Scientist Believe in Design?" at the next meeting of Socrates in the City.

The event, hosted by Eric Metaxas, will be held 7 pm at The Union Club, 69th Street and Park Avenue. A Wine & Cheese Reception will be held from 6:30-7 pm and Professor Gingerich will sign copies of his books at 8:30 pm.

Registration is required. Cost is $35 before Nov. 6, then prices increase. The club requires appropriate attire for attendees, including jacket and tie for men.

In addition, There will be an hors d'oeuvres and wine VIP Reception with Gingerich from 6:15 pm until 6:55 pm. Attendance at this reception (and which includes the event immediately following) costs $75 before Nov.6 when the price increases. A Socrates in the City Patron's Dinner with Gingerich and other special guests immediately following the event (approx. 9 pm) is open to any persons making a tax-deductible donation of $500 or more. Seating is very limited
For more information and to register, click here.

Max McLean won the Jeff Equity Award for "Best Solo Performance" for his Chicago production of Mark's Gospel. For more information visit http://www.fpatheatre.com/mark

Episcopal Actors' Guild
"Drag in Your Costume" Halloween party 7 pm Thursday, Oct. 29 at Guild Hall, The Little Church, 1 E. 29th St. (5th/Madison), NYC.

Donations benefit EAG's Emergency Aid & Relief Program. Wine & Refreshments Will Be Served. RSVP: matt@actorsguild.org / 212-685-2927.

Get Discounted Broadway Tickets, Support Christian Arts

2009-10-27T08:03:00.006-04:00

You can enjoy a Broadway show and support our ministry in Christian arts at the same time.

Through Givenik, Masterwork Productions receives a percentage of the sale every time you purchase a discounted ticket to a Broadway or Off-Broadway show.

Special discounts to the following shows are available. Click here:
Avenue Q
Burn the Floor
Chicago
Fela!
Finan's Rainbow
Fuerza Bruta
Gazillion Bubble Show
Hair
In the Heights
Love, Loss and What I Wore
Mama Mia
Mary Poppins
Memphis
My First Time
Oleanna
Ragtime
Rock of Ages
Shrek
Superior Donuts
The Lion King
The Marvelouos Wonderettes
Phantom of the Opera
Toxic Avenger
Vigil

Also, friends of Masterworks get a special discounted rate on tickets for Altar Boys. Click here.

Worship from Psalm 42

2009-10-20T09:58:00.003-04:00

A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek;
I want to drink God,
deep draughts of God.
I'm thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, "Will I ever make it—
arrive and drink in God's presence?"
I'm on a diet of tears—
tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
people knock at my door,
Pestering,
"Where is this God of yours?"

These are the things I go over and over,
emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
right out in front,
Leading them all,
eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
celebrating, all of us, God's feast!

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I'll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He's my God.

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God's prayer.

Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
"Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
harassed by enemies?"
They're out for the kill, these
tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
"Where is this God of yours?"

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I'll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He's my God.
(THE MESSAGE)

I Was Lost in the Woods, but Now Am Found

2009-10-13T05:43:00.010-04:00

By Lauren Yarger
I recently got to revisit the spot where I met the Lord on heavily wooded Deer Isle, Maine where I had been a camp counselor more than 30 years ago. My purpose in going to Les Chalet Francais, as the camp was called, was to teach girls age 5 to 12 French and tennis, but I left with a different and life-changing one: to serve God.

It's hard to explain how a hostile, anti-God, anti-religion, Jesus-was-just-a-hoax believing person can change into a follower of Christ. You sort of have to be there, and if you're in any of the categories I just described, you won't believe it's possible until you are there yourself. It did happen, just not over night. Meeting God at that camp was the result of many months of study (mostly with the intention of disproving his existence) and a major battle of the will (not wills, because God never forces us to believe). I was fighting with myself, unwilling to give up control. Until I finally admitted that maybe I didn't know absolutely everything thing there was to know in the world, and perhaps -- and this was the hardest part --that it was possible I could be wrong about a few things, I really wasn't ready, or able, to see God standing right in front of me.

It's amazing what isolation can do, though. Overwhelmed by the endless solitude and more trees than I ever had seen in my life (I was from the city) I was unable to hide behind the routines and problems of a daily life that kept me so busy they didn't allow me to stop and hear God's voice. Instead, I found myself quite alone one day there at the camp, and quite miserable. I took a good, hard, long look at my life and didn't like what I saw. I realized, reluctantly, that what God offered, through the death of Christ on the cross was what I needed. Suddenly I wasn't alone. God was with me and because I asked him to guide my life, he never has left me since.

Recently I had an opportunity to vacation a couple of hours away and I determined to revisit, for the first time, the place of my spiritual birth. Where better to conduct a mid-life crisis review of my life?

Finding the place would be no easy task, however, as the camp had been sold and divided into residential lots many years ago. The local Chamber of Commerce reported that a number of private homes had been built on the property and other sources said that none of the buildings except a storage shack still stood. So I set off with my map of the area and a prayer for direction. I hadn't driven while I was at the camp, so no landmarks or roads would seem familiar to me.

After arriving at what I thought was a main road that would wind around the camp site, I was greeted by a fork in some pretty deep woods. Taking my best guess, I headed left and soon realized I was driving into someone's private road which dead-ended in front of me. I started to turn around, but when I looked left, I recognized the view. It was the same as it had been all those years ago, except for a few newer trees between me and the bay which stretched out at the bottom of the hill.

I doubted myself for a minute, though, because to see this view, I would have to be just about where the main building for the camp was, and my car was next to an older building that couldn't have been erected after the camp was sold and, after all, a bunch of trees overlooking a bay can look the same from many different vantage points to a city girl. Just then a car pulled up and the property owner politely inquired what I was doing there. I apologized for my Google map, which had promised a through street, but which instead had landed me in her drive, and explained that I was looking for the French camp.

I had found it, she informed me. The main lodge had been converted into a storage barn with an apartment, which is why I didn't recognize it, and a little further down the road, another camp building, the dance studio, had been converted into a residence. As this gracious woman continued to give me some history about the place, we discovered we had been instructors at the camp the same summer. We both only had been there that one summer. Now what are the odds, do you think, that a woman who had been there only at the time when I had met God happened to buy this property and also just happened to be driving home at the exact moment I had arrived to revisit the site? Some 30 years ago, I believed in coincidence and chance. Today I saw an answered prayer and God's handiwork.

My friend invited me to walk around and take photos. As God and I stood in one place, I could see the exact spot where we had met, just a little to our right. Much had changed since that day when I'd gone into the woods alone, but some things never do. I still have to battle with wanting to be in control and it's still hard to admit that I might not be right about everything, but at least now, when I leave behind daily routines and problems to contemplate what I should do with my life, my heavenly father walks into the woods with me.

State Fairs Offer a Taste of the Simple Life We Seem to Have Forgotten (as well as of some strange foods....)

2009-10-05T19:37:00.011-04:00

If life seems a bit too hectic and full of technology, high finance and cut-throat competition, take a trip back in time by attending your state fair. I recently enjoyed a day at The Big E, which serves all five New England States, and while I'm sure it can't compare with the champions in the genre like Iowa's State Fair, the setting for Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical State Fair and my long anticipated destination next August, the Big E has a charm of its own.

The fair is held at the exposition grounds near Springfield, MA, where a number of permanent structures, including colonial buildings for each of the New England states and an ice hockey rink, host various exhibits. I helped out in the arts and crafts area, where it was my duty to make sure no one touched or dumped deep-fried Oreos, corn dogs, smoothies, funnel cakes or any of the other staples of fair food on the exquisite quilts and other knitted and crocheted crafts on display.

As onlookers oohed and aahed over the crafts, I thought what a joy it is that we still have someplace where people can enjoy the simple things. The quilts don't play music, show videos, wear seductive adornments or worry about being politically correct. They are the beautiful culmination of many hours of God-given talent applied with love.

For me, the trip down memory lane seemed complete with a stop at the only cooking competition at this fair (next year in Iowa, I won't be able to take in all of the food contests because there are just so many, but I really want to win a blue ribbon for pickles). Where better than a state fair to sit back and enjoy folks of all ages, mother-daughter and father-son cooking teams as they create recipes that include sponsor Hidden Valley Ranch in the name and where a pizza takes the grand prize?

"Let's hear it for Mary and her lasagna," the MC said, leading the applause. And I clapped heartily.

A stroll down the avenue took me to a miniature circus museum, a sculpture of cows grazing made out of 600 pounds of butter (at Iowa, I'll see the life-sized butter cow sculpture), the actual car used in the James Bond flick "The Man with the Golden Gun" and the Shinson Band Organ (pictured above) featuring hundreds of handcrafted pipes including a 22-note Glockenspiel. And truth be told, at one point, I could have gone to my left and paid $1 to see the world's tiniest pony, or to my right and paid $1 to see the world's largest horse. Fun doesn't get simpler than this.

Banners in the state buildings delighted me as well. Connecticut's boasted it was home of the "original chocolate-covered bacon," a claim I hardly think anyone would challenge, and for that matter, are there impostor chocolate-covered bacons pretending to be the original? I've lived in Connecticut for nine years now and have never had this delicacy offered to me. In the Vermont building, a state where we lived for 11 years prior to moving here, a banner told me that "what happens in Vermont stays in Vermont," but that nothing ever happens. I laughed out loud at that one.

In the Rhode Island building I ran into Barbara Lesko, whom I had interviewed when she lived in a lighthouse at Nayatt Point in Barrington, RI where we lived for eight years before moving to Vermont (if we live long enough, we might end up residing in each of the New England states.) She'd written a book about her experience and we chatted and shared how we missed living in Barrington (it's really one of the most beautiful places).

All in all, a pleasant, sweet afternoon. It's good to stop in the middle of the rush and seek out these opportunities. After all, when we are still, we can know he is God.
-- Lauren Yarger

Torry Martin Featured Actor on Christian-Movie.com

2009-10-01T13:44:00.005-04:00

Our own Torry Martin (seen here among the splendor of his custom designed super-hero office) is this month's featured actor on Christian-Movie.com. Read the article here.
To book him for a performance or workshop, visit http://masterworkproductions.homestead.com/torry.html

Book Review: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

2009-09-29T22:42:00.004-04:00

Lessons Learned from an Edited Life
By Lauren Yarger
Donald Miller isn’t an easy man to get to know. In fact, he doesn’t seem to know himself all that well, which is the premise for his latest book, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life" (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

Miller, who catapulted to fame with his best selling “Blue Like Jazz,” found his life had stalled. He was avoiding his publisher and deadlines while pondering the meaning of life when two filmmakers, Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson (“The Second Chance”) contacted Miller about adapting “Blue Like Jazz” into a movie.

The three begin to transform the “Don” of the book into a more film-friendly and easier-to-know character, and in the process, Miller discovers that his life is really, rather boring on the surface. He tries to create scenes for the character by remembering significant moments, and finds he has forgotten a lot and events that he does remember don’t lend themselves to great cinematography. He starts living new stories to create a character, including attempting a reconciliation with the father whom he barely remembers, and ends up writing a new life story.

What seems at first ramblings by a guy who is having trouble finding something worthwhile about his life to report to a God portrayed as impersonal and not inclined to let humans in on what their life’s purpose is anyway, shifts and becomes a rather thoughtful collection of insights into what’s important and how we can shape our lies into better stories.

I particularly enjoyed the format of the book, which follows Miller’s attempts to structure his life like a screenplay. Exposition is followed by chapters breaking down the overall premise driving any story plot: a character who wants something and who overcomes conflict to get it. Being a writer, I could relate to this approach to life and the format made Miller’s experiences and stories far more interesting.

In fiction, characters often take on a life of their own and write a story quite different from the one the author sets out to pen. So it is with life, Miller discovers, as characters write their own stories, despite what God, the author, might have had in mind.

“I told God no again, but he came back to me and asked me if I really believed he could write a better story – and if I did, why didn’t I trust him.”

It’s this kind of deep philosophical thought mixed with dry humor that propels “A Million Miles.” Despite an underlying sadness you can’t help feel comes from the author’s belief that he doesn’t know God as well personally as he’d like to or should, the book is a thoughtful exploration of developing a meaningful life.

You can download some sample chapters here. For more information or to purchase the book, click here.

News in Christian Arts

2009-09-29T07:40:00.012-04:00

Variety Show Benefits Actors in Need

The Episcopal Actors' Guild offers the next installment of its popular variety show Yo Pro this Thursday featuring singing from three very talented artists, dances from three unique troupes and performance by two actors. And as always, get ready for the comedic stylings of Karen and Matt!

Oct. 1, 2009
Guild Hall, 1 E. 29th St., NYC
Happy hour at 6 pm, first act at 7.
The $10 suggested donation benefits the actors in need fund.

Featuring:
Rebecca Hicks - Singer (Opera)
Annemarie Rosano - Singer
Dane Aska III - Monologue
Jenny Efremova - Dancer
Mari Meade Montoya - Dancer
Vangeline - Dancer (Butoh)
and many more...

Refreshments will be served. Space is limited. RSVP to 212-685-2927, or matt@actorsguild.org.

Earlybird Deadline Nears for CLASS Christian Writing Conference

Save $50 with a registration for the CLASS Christian Writers Conference by Oct. 15.

The conference (formerly Glorieta) will be held Nov. 4-8 at The Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM and will include a time of spiritual strengthening, professional equipping and fellowship, with keynotes from Alex Kendrick ("Facing the Giants," and "Fireproof") and James Bryan Smith ("Renovare," "The Good," and "Beautiful God").

Workshop leaders include Bucky Rosenbaum, Jerome Daley, DiAnn Mills, Kathy Carlton Willis, Jesse Florea, Terri Blackstock, Len Goss.

To register visit http://www.classeminars.org/ or call 702-882-0638.

Screwtape Tour Doing Well
The Screwtape Letters, presented by Fellowship for the Performing Arts and starring Max McLean as Screwtape, is sold out in San Francisco and is selling well on a national tour following performances in New York and Chicago. Dates and cities include:
Phoenix Oct 30 - Nov 1
Louisville, KY Nov 6 - 7
Ft. Lauderdale, FL Nov 14 - 15
Chattanooga, TN Nov 21 - 22
Washington, DC Dec 16 - Jan 3

For more information, visit http://www.screwtapeonstage.com/.

NOTE THE BRUCE WILKINSON LIVE BROADCAST HAS BEEN POSTPONED
Q & A with Bruce Wilkinson
Join WaterBrook Multnomah publishers for a live broadcast with Bruce Wilkinson, author of "You Were Born for This" read the review here).

DATE: Monday, October 5th, 2009
TIME: 7 pm EST
DESCRIPTION: Part 1/3 - Watch as Bruce explains what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need. Then ask your questions and receive answers from Bruce live through the online chat room on www.Livestream.com/WaterBrookMultnomah.

Additional live broadcasts from the top Christian authors on a variety of subjects also are planned. For the schedule, visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/livestream.

Greetings from Maine

2009-09-21T21:01:00.005-04:00

Greetings from the land of lobsters. This week I'm in Edgecomb, Maine, writing and enjoying a little break. On Wednesday, I'll be heading back to the site of a the former camp where I met God for the first time more than 30 years ago and gave my life to him.

I haven't been back to the area since, so I'm looking forward to reflecting and remembering. I've changed a lot in those three decades, and God no longer is a stranger. I'll blog about it next week when I get back.

Meanwhile, scroll down and read about Randy Alcorn's latest book: "If God is Good," hot off the presses.

-- Lauren Yarger

Book Note: 'If God is Good' by Randy Alcorn

2009-09-21T20:53:00.001-04:00

Faith in the Midst of Sufferings and Evil
Summary from the publisher (Multnomah Books, September 2009): Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.

In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?

These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

Author Bio:
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

For more information or to purchase the book, visit http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421326.

Book Review: 'You Were Born for This' by Bruce Wilkinson

2009-09-17T16:44:00.008-04:00

Exciting, Practical Advice for Partnering with God on Miracles
By Lauren Yarger
Bruce Wilkinson describes his newest book “You Were Born for This” (WaterBrook Multnomah, 2009) as his former best seller, “The Prayer of Jabez” “to the miracle power.” While a few passages might bring to mind the prosperity message in “Jabez,” this work, written with David Kopp, who also partnered with Wilkinson on “Jabez,” stands on its own as an exciting, inspiring and practical challenge to Christians.

In “You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles,” Wilkinson takes on the topic of miracles and reveals our somewhat limited thoughts about how they can and do take place and what our part in them might be.

“We live in an era that seems to have reduced much of Christian life to two expectations: what God can do for us, and what we can do for God. But every page of this book has been intended to demonstrate to you a third and profoundly more thrilling expectation: what God can do through us for others.”

Through seven “keys” Wilkinson unlocks obstacles to practical everyday steps for learning how to identify opportunities where God wants to use us to work in the lives of others,

The author uses numerous stories of people who were helped by others who were willing to be of service. There are amazing stories of the author running late for an appointment, having plans changed suddenly or even having an urge for ice cream that turn out to be part of God’s plan, rather than normal circumstances of which we might not even take note.

Most exceptional is Wilkinson’s retelling of receiving spiritual “nudges” while addressing a group of men at a retreat. He singles out a man, puts him on the spot and asks what’s going wrong in his life. The man at first denies any problem and Wilkinson, doubtin himself, returns to the platform to continue his talk where he again receives supernatural urging to go back to the man and confront him again. As you might have guessed, there was a problem and the outcome of Wilkinson’s obedient persistence and the response of the men at the retreat will blow you away.

Just when you’re thinking, “Gosh, it would be fun to hang out with this guy,” you realize that he wants to unleash the same miracle partnering power in you.

It really is an absorbing read and absolutely inspiring. Personally, Wilkinson helped clear up a point I have been struggling with for many years now: just how much control do people, especially those unwilling to answer God’s urging to give of their time, money or other resources for his works, have in preventing God from accomplishing his task. Frankly, I’ve never heard any preaching on the subject, but Wilkinson offers some great insight into biblical passages that address the issue head on:

“The amount of our faith – and actions we take as a result – can either limit or release God to act in a miracle situation.”

If that seems at odds with your vision of an omnipotent God, I’d urge you to read the book. You might just be surprised.

Wilkinson’s use of miraculous stories from the bible, as well as from his personal life, sheds new light on some familiar passages and gives new perspective. You’ll never look at Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch quite the same way again.

Along with instruction for how to be open to God’s plan, Wilkinson offers some practical advice for remaining neutral and non-judgmental while a miracle is taking place and for making sure to give God the credit when it does.

“You were Born for This” will give you a new sense of purpose and a way to pursue it immediately. It all comes down to this:

“We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

SPECIAL OFFER: We have a copy of this book for give away. To enter for a chance to win, email masterworkproductions@yahoo.com with “BORN FOR THIS GIVEAWAY” in the subject line by 8pm Monday, Sept. 21, 2009. In the email, include your name, mailing address and telephone number. A winner will be selected Monday, Sept. 21 at 9pm with the winner's name posted on this blog.

Download the first chapter of the book here . You can share your own stories of miracles here.
For a video link, click here . For more information or to purchase the book, click here.

Blessed by the Broadway Blessing

2009-09-15T12:34:00.014-04:00

Retta Blaney and Lynn Redgrave

Asking Blessings on the Broadway Season
What a lovely service we enjoyed at last night's 13th annual Broadway Blessing at St. John the Divine cathedral in New York. Masterwork Productions, Inc. was one of the sponsors.

The ecumenical celebration of the new theater season featured thoughts from actress Lynn Redgrave, songs by Broadway's Jean Valjean J. Mark McVey, Carol Hall and Patrice Djerejian accompanied by performers from Project Dance. Casey Groves (below left) gave an excerpt from his one-man performance as Father Damian, the Catholic priest who ministered to lepers, and the Broadway Blessing choir performed medleys of show tunes. Bruce Neswick, director of music at the cathedral, played the organ.
Rabbi Jill Hausman of the Actors' Temple, The Rev. Canon Thomas Miller, canon for liturgy and the arts at the cathedral, and The Rev. Mittles DeChamplain of St. Clements Episcopal Church officiated at the service, offering prayers, thoughts and a special candlelighting which Miller said represented the light that shines out from and on those in the Broadway community. Karen Lehman, (left) Executive Director of the Episcopal Actors' Guild, read psalm 98. Mark McVey and Christopher Smith

McVey sang a beautiful song from Christopher Smith's Broadway bound musical Amazing Grace. Redgrave's reflections on surviving breast cancer were very moving. She thanks God for being here for another performance every time she stands in the wings, she said, because God and her faith are an important part of her survival. She concluded with a heartfelt reading of Psalm 23. The event is produced by founder Retta Blaney.
-- Lauren Yarger

Retta Blaney, Karen Lehman and Masterwork Productions
Executive Director Lauren Yarger

Book Review: Lights, Action, Lily!

2009-09-15T09:46:00.003-04:00

A Fun Look at Pre-Teen Drama
By Jerry Starks
Middle school: cliques, social rivalry, and the beginnings of romantic interest. Into this bubbling pot, add a drama activity and you’ve got… “Lights, Action, Lily!” (Zonderkidz 2002). Author Nancy Rue captures many of the issues of pre-teen joy and sorrow in this fun story.

The book opens with the school children lining up for their class pictures. Shad, Lily’s personal nemesis, grins at Lily and she scowls at him just as the camera takes her picture. Not a good start to the day.

Bickering in the hallway between Lily and Shad is interrupted by Mrs. Reinhold, the English teacher, who asks Lily to meet her at lunch time. At lunch time, instead of detention Lily is offered the chance to be in a drama competition with a group of other students. They are to do some scenes from Shakespeare, and Lily is thrilled.

When the group meets for the first time, Lily finds all the students are seventh graders, and the only other sixth grader is Shad. Believing he must be there by mistake, she’s shocked that Mrs. Reinhold actually invited him. Horror is added to horror when it turns out that she and Shad are to do a scene from “The Taming of the Shrew” together. She’s appalled, but becomes determined to show him up as a fool.

As the story continues, Lily develops a grudging respect for Shad as an actor, and actually begins to enjoy their scene. Meanwhile, Ashley, who is Shad’s girlfriend, is threatening death and destruction to Lily for coming between her and Shad. Ashley eventually stages a scene of her own where she frames Shad and nearly gets him suspended and therefore unable to participate in the drama competition.

The seventh-grade members of the Shakespeare Club are annoyed at having to put up with the two younger kids. When nobody else came up with a theme to hold all the scenes together, Lily’s idea was glumly accepted and covertly ridiculed.

Against all odds, Shad learns his lines and is magnificent, Lily enjoys working with Shad, and everything looks successful. Then two days before the competition, Lily gets sick, and the doctor says there’s no possibility of her participating in the competition. A tiny bit of comfort is that her friend, Kresha, has been helping her learn lines and is familiar enough with the script that she can stand in for Lily. Even through her dismay, Lily is genuinely happy for Kresha, and happy for Shad being able to compete after all.
Sick and miserable at missing the competition, Lily is startled when the whole drama team comes to her house to celebrate their victory.

Ms. Rue’s characters felt very real to me. She did a good job of portraying pre-teen angst and gently introducing Biblical morality and behavior into the story. In a very deft twist of plot, when Lily sees the picture taken at the beginning of the story, she’s at a place where she recognizes how unattractive she is when she scowls, and decides she needs to change her outlook and behavior. Other positive messages include not being intimidated by bullies, being willing to change your opinion of someone, and the value of friendship. I thought the ending scene when all the members of the Shakespeare Club show enthusiastic approval of Lily and gratitude for her ideas… well, that was the most unrealistic part of the story for me. Success doesn’t always change people from being disdainful to being appreciative. That being said, “Lights, Action, Lily!” is still a good read for young readers.

Buy this book, or other in the Lily series here http://www.christianbook.com/lily-lights-action-nancy-rue/9780310702498/pd/02496?item_code=WW&netp_id=266848&event=ESRCN&view=covers#curr

Jerry Starks is associate director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and has numerous acting and directing credits in both secular and Christian productions. He resides in Essex Junction, VT where he is active in the arts ministry at his church.

Bells Peal Peace Near Site of 911 Ground Zero

2009-09-10T21:03:00.005-04:00

By Lauren Yarger
Eight years ago on this date, I didn’t know if it would ever be possible to feel peaceful, or in fact, to feel anything again, after the terrorist attacks that leveled the World Trade Center. Personally, it was the beginning of a long walk through an emotional and spiritual desert in which the Lord was my only oasis (read how God walked with me through the dry years in an article published by ByDesign Ministries by clicking here.)

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero, now the site of bustling construction as redevelopment and a memorial are going up. Just around the corner stands historic Trinity Episcopal Church, (you may know it from the movie “National Treasure”) a lovely building with beautiful stained glass windows that stood when the towers came down. It also boasts a new donation of 12 change bells (read the story here) . Last Saturday, members of The North American Guild of Change Ringers had gathered at the church for its annual meeting and at noon, the baffles in the tower were opened. A burst of unfettered joy resounded all through the area.

Sitting on a bench in the adjacent cemetery which holds the resting places of those dead for centuries, with many tombstones so worn with time that they are illegible, I felt a peace I never would have imagined possible in 2001. That day, the world changed. We united, recovered and moved on, but we’ll never again be able to live a day without knowing that everything can change in the blink of an eye.

Except for God, that is, and this thought is what brought such peace last Saturday. The bells pealed and seemed to tone “He is here; yes, he is here!” and the tragic events of September 2001, for the first time, seemed a long time ago.

A burst of applause greeted the first touch. It was like a little slice of heaven, where all that is good and all that is right joins together in harmonious song to shout with joy to the Almighty.

The bells will ring again in a special memorial Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 from 8 to 8:45 am.

Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

2009-09-08T10:46:00.003-04:00

Simple Answers to Living Without Fear

By Lauren Yarger
“Fearless” by Max Lucado, a timely essay on the complicate process of overcoming life’s many fears, offers good advice, catchy turns of phrase and hope-filled stories and can be summarized in one easy lesson: trust God. That lesson, true and sound as it might be, could ring a little hollow for believers in the throes of severe struggle, or for non believers hoping to find solutions in the book (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

In typical Lucado style, the minister of writing and preaching for Oak Hill Church in San Antonio, TX offers lots of practical advice. There are action plans for controlling fears we encounter. I particularly liked the eight-step and easy-to-remember approach to dealing with worry (each step begins with letters that spell out the acronym PEACEFUL). In addition, Lucado gives good advice about praying for our children, focusing on what God has accomplished, trusting God to use evil for good and remembering that the Holy Spirit walks with us through any trial.

He gives many “Lucadoisms,” those “ah ha” moments that become fuel for status updates on social networking sites like:
• “Nothing can foster courage like a clear grasp of grace. And nothing fosters fear like an ignorance of mercy.”
• “Questions can make hermits of us, driving us into hiding.”
• “Fear feels dreadful. It sucks the life out of the soul, curls us into an embryonic state, and drains us dry of contentment.”
• “Whether or not storms come we cannot choose. But where we stare during a storm, that we can.” (incidentally, I felt that thought could have been edited into better structure)

He tells hopeful stories of faith born out of fear, like the conversion of Alexander Solzhenitsyn or Lucado’s own experiences as he faced heart surgery, but the bottom line always is the same: just have faith.

Arguably, he's right, but practically, this advice won't always bring the comfort intended. When struggling with the fears Lucado highlights like financial ruin, disappointing God, violence, death, insignificance and the unknown, sometimes knowing that we should just trust God is easier than doing it, even if that's what we want to do. Is it helpful to tell the parent sitting at the bedside of a dying child to just "trust God?" It’s like telling an atheist who struggles with the idea of God to “just believe.” Yes, that solution will fix the problem, but does that advice really meet him in the midst of fear and help him know how to do that?

Believers unable to apply the advice to their situations, or unable to view them “from an eternal perspective” might end up feeling like failures, like their inability to just fix everything with some simple theology or scripture means that their faith isn’t strong enough. I suspect also that some non-believers who pick up the book looking for solutions might discard it early on since most of its advice is based in faith or scripture. On page 18, assuming that nonbelievers must be among his readers, Lucado writes “Have you accepted the forgiveness of Christ? If not, do so.” Again, easier said than done.

The simple lessons don’t dismiss the helpful advice which can be found in the book, however, and readers who act on the advice will be able to find comfort and solutions. After all, as Lucado points out, we have only to turn on the television newscast to find something new to fear and actively putting it in perspective is proactive. Particularly helpful is a discussion guide at the end of the book with questions to help readers and small groups examine the fears detailed in each chapter and take practical steps to alleviate then

You can purchase the book here . You can share your own stories here and watch a trailer for the book here.

This is Our Labor -- Of Love!

2009-09-05T22:34:00.013-04:00

Masterwork Productions, Inc., a Christian organization reaching out through the performing arts. (For my full bio, scroll to the bottom of the posts on this page.)

Masterworks produces shows, presents, supports and represents Christian performers for bookings and provides training through conferences and customized workshops for church drama and worship teams.
Our artists:
TORRY MARTIN (author of comedy sketches and "Adventures in Odyssey," award winning actor and screenwriter. Performances, workshops, conference tracks.

MARTHA BOLTON (Emmy-nominated writer for Bob Hope, Kathy Troccoli and others as well as being Brio magazine's "Cafeteria Lady"). Bookings and training through conferences and customized workshops for church drama and worship teams.

ERICA LANE, talented singer, song writer, worship leader. She's featured on the reality TV program "Inspired Ambition." Her music video "One Song" has just been released. Book her special Christmas tour now!

TRACIE CARLOS, worship leader and speaker

with a heart for the artist

and for women.

Workshops and retreats.

BILL COOPER, talented musician, vocalist, writer and worship leader. Former lead singer for the band Jumping Ugly, Bill can lead worship at your church and conduct workshops to take your artists to the next level.

We also have two high quality dinner theater scripts available for production at churches: Getaway to Chipaway featuring original music and a message, perfect for a church outreach or youth group event and The Seasons of Friendship, four sketches following the friendship of two women with options for adding your own music or other elements, perfect for a women's outreach event or retreat.

Our reviews of Broadway and NY theater are the only source for a professional review combined with added Christian perspective. Read them at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/

Visit our our home page at http://www.masterworkproductions.org/ or contact us at masterworkproductions@yahoo.com.

24 Hour Film Project Welcomes Actors

2009-09-03T12:17:00.003-04:00

The Filmmakers Group at Redeemer Presbyterian in New York invites all actors to learn more about their upcoming 24-Hour Film Project.

An informational meeting will be held 7 pm Saturday, Sept. 5 in the Redeemer offices, 1359 Broadway (at 36th Street). Actors will join a team of filmmakers and will collaborate to create a short film in 24 hours!

Dinner will be provided. RSVP to filmmakers@redeemer.com. If you can't make the meeting, you still can participate. Check back here after Sept. 10 for more information.

'Passion of the Christ' Renews Passion for Christ

2009-09-01T09:19:00.006-04:00

I just watched the movie "The Passion of the Christ." Yes, it takes me a while, sometimes (the movie was released in 2003), but for some reason, I just never got around to seeing the film that rocked the box office when church folks crammed theaters in a rush to see a Christian film made by a huge Hollywood star (Mel Gibson).

Maybe because it was a film being embraced by the church I was reluctant to see it. Honestly "Christian" films that the church gets excited about usually aren't films that interest me, and I'm a big fan of Franco Zefferelli's "Jesus of Nazareth," so I didn't feel a big need to see 'The Passion."
I'm glad I finally watched it, though. It has given me greater insight into what the Savior endured -- on my behalf. This film probably is the most realistic of any in its depiction of the brutality of the ordeal of the cross. We tend to gloss over the account of Christ being beaten without fully realizing the kind of abuse he received. I can't fully comprehend enduring the scourging with whips and flesh-ripping barbs, then having to carry a heavy cross.

I was struck by the incessant lashes while Christ was carrying the cross. "Enough, already," I wanted to yell. What's the point of whipping someone who already has been scourged almost to the point of death? The answer is shown artfully as Satan observes the action from among the crowd. Yes, that's really what it's all about. Evil influencing us to rebel against and think we're stronger than, better than, smarter than the one who can save us. Every time I sin, it's like adding a lash to Christ's suffering.

We gloss over the fact that soldiers stuck a crown of thorns on his head and mocked Christ as the king of the Jews. I used to think of that as a sort of costume piece part of the story until one day when I was gardening and reached to pull some weeds. I accidentally brushed my head into a rose bush. Let me tell you, those thorns hurt -- really hurt beyond lots of other pain I have endured -- and I only had them stuck in one small part of my head for the few seconds it took before I could extracate myself. I can't begin to imagine the suffering it caused when a crown of thorns was pushed into the flesh of my already beaten Lord. Every time I sin and refuse to repent, it's like forcing that crown on Jesus head.

Witnessing all this in the graphic detail of "The Passion" gave me a renewed sense of awe for a God who loves us so much he would sacrifice his own son to save the souls of the very people unjustly causing his pain. It boggles the mind. It puts things in perspective. It makes me want to serve him every minute of every day.

"He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." (Romans 5: 6-8 The MESSAGE).

--Lauren Yarger

Book Review: Hometown Favorite by Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold

2009-08-25T09:37:00.007-04:00

A Little Hard to Believe, Maybe, but Enjoyable
By Terry Robins
Dewayne Jobe is a small-town football star who rises above his background to become one of America's finest and most popular players in the NFL in "Hometown Favorite" by Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold (Revell, September 2008). His glory is short-lived when family circumstances take control of his life and turn it into a nightmare. Top that off with a sudden onset of physical disaster, and the downward spiral is complete.

Readers who aren't huge football fans and knowledgeable of its terminology and jargon might be tempted to give up trying to slog through description after description of play by plays, but if you can persevere and get to the meat of the story it becomes more gripping.

Jobe's story is one of tenacious faith not only in God, but in the human spirit as well. He holds onto this faith through seemingly insurmountable odds, and with the help and support of a surprising friend, pulls himself out of the pit that becomes his life.

There are times in this story of hard luck and sad circumstances that it becomes a little difficult to believe that all the people who surround Jobe are instantaneously certain of his guilt. They never give him the benefit of the doubt, even when they are all aware that there is an evil element living within their family circle who is much more capable of the horrible deeds that transpire. The credulity of the story is also weakened by the total, unrelenting loss and disaster that strikes him all at once. It just seems that in the effort to create this picture of utter hopelessness the writer goes one step too far.

Readers looking for a pretty easy read and who can stand the horrific events that lead this character on his faith-testing journey will enjoy finding out the fate of Dewayne Jobe, however. By the way, anyone notice the similarity of this story line to the story of another guy named Job?
Find more information or buy the book here.

Terry Robins is a retired middle school teacher and serves at her church in the Kansas City area running its drama ministry and cafe and resource center. She has three daughters and four grand children.

Join in Asking a Blessing Over Broadway

2009-08-25T09:23:00.006-04:00

Lynn Redgrave, J. Mark McVey, Carol Hall (pictured at right), Project Dance, The Broadway Blessing Choir and other distinguished guests will be among the performing artists at this year's celebration to ask God's blessing on the new Broadway Season.

Masterwork Productions, Inc. is a sponsor of this year event on Monday, Sept. 14 at 7:00 pm in the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.

In its 13th year, Broadway Blessing, an interfaith service, was founded by author and theater critic Retta Blaney, Broadway Blessing was conceived as a service of song and story designed to seek God's grace on the new theatre season.

This year’s event will include theatre reflections by actress Redgrave, Broadway veteran McVey singing “A Chance for Me” from the musical Amazing Grace: The True Story, singer/songwriter Hall performing “My Circle Of Friends” from her award-winning new CD
HALLWAYS: The Songs of Carol Hall and Project Dance, whose director Cheryl Cutlip recently was named one of Masterwork Productions "The Lights Are Bright on Broadway" award recipients.

The Broadway Blessing Choir under the direction of Bruce Neswick, director of music at the cathedral, will perform a number of Broadway hits followed by a “sing-a-long”.

The Very Rev. Dr. James A. Kowalski, dean, and The Rev. Thomas Miller, canon for liturgy & arts, from the Cathedral, will be joined by Rabbi Jill Hausman of Congregation Ezrath Israel / The Actors' Temple and The Rev. Mitties DeChamplain of St. Clement's Episcopal Church as participants in the 75-minute program.

Past participants have included Marian Seldes, Marcia Gay Harden, Frances Sternhagen, Boyd Gaines, Edward Herrmann, Anna Manahan, KT Sullivan, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Tituss Burgess, Kathleen Chalfant, Billy Porter, Elizabeth Swados, Ken Prymus, Three Mo’ Tenors and Broadway Inspirational Voices.

Mr. Herrmann had this to say about it before making his second Broadway Blessing appearance: “It’s reassuring to know there are so many people out there you know that believe in God and want to take that part of their life and dedicate it to the theatre because theatre is a very spiritual endeavor. They come from every conceivable denomination, which I kind of like. It’s like a study in architecture of all these different buildings. They come from all kinds of disciplines and it’s just great to be among them. It’s an annual event, like with spring comes the first buds, now it’s fall and we’re here to bless our endeavors for the rest of the year and maybe some luck will come out of it, whether that’s internal or external.”

Broadway Blessing is free and open to people of all ages; reservations are not needed. For more information please visit http://www.stjohndivine.org/.

Broadway Blessing is made possible by the generous support of Masterwork Productions Inc., The Church of the Transfiguration (The Little Church Around the Corner), Creative Gifts Foundation, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) and other wonderful friends of the theater.

Episcopal Actors' Guild Plans Cruise, Other Events

2009-08-25T08:53:00.007-04:00

Join Episcopal Actors' Guild members for lunch, prizes, music and dancing on a one-of-a-kind cruise around the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and NY Harbor Saturday, Oct. 17.
Proceeds from the event will help fund the non-denominational group's Emergency Aid & Relif Program which helps performers in need.
The boat departs from Chelsea Pier 61 at noon (boarding begins at 11:30) and returns at 2.

A limited number of tickets are available by calling 212-685-2927 during business hours or by mailing a check to Episcopal Actors' Guild, 1 E. 29th St., New York, NY 10016.

A portion of the $70 ticket price is a tax deductible contribution to the Guild.

Upcoming Events (also benefiting the Emergency Aid & Relief Program :

"Carry On"
A Night with Jim Dale
Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7 pm
Guild Hal1 E. 29th St.

Get ready for hilarity, hijinks, and more as Academy Award Nominee and Grammy Award Winner Jim Dale presents an evening celebrating the legacy of the "Carry On" films. Using a special multi-media presentation, long-time "Carry On" actor Jim Dale (who doubles as the narrator for the Harry Potter audio books) will give his audience a front-row seat into the British comic institution that was "Carry On."

YO PRO VARIETY SHOW
Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7pm
Guild Hall, 1 E. 29th St.

The show that always features "something for everyone" is back for another season of magical singers, hilarious comics, graceful dancers, and more!
Hosted by Guild Hall Resident Comedians Karen & Matt

$10 Suggested Donation
Wine and Refreshments Will be Served
To RSVP for these events, call 212-685-2927 or email matt@actorsguild.org