Drama of The Gospel: The Use of the Theatrical Arts in Worship
At its core, The Gospel is a story. It has acts, heroes, villains, a climax, and a resolution. There is a natural drama to Christ’s ministry unfolding, working toward His destiny, others standing in His way, and Christ triumphing over all to complete His mission. We see this replicated in every story ever told. Jesus knew the power of narrative as we see He taught primarily through parables. So why do we ignore one of the most influential forms of communication? What if we incorporated the art of storytelling through dramatic reenactment into our church culture?
There are three main forms this can take when presenting a story to the congregation: monologue, short scene, or a full-scale production. A monologue is the most familiar theatrical form to the average church-goer. They see this week in and week out from their pastor who gets in front of the congregation and recites a prepared piece of writing, almost exclusively used for instruction. But this can be an effective tool for relaying themes or ideas in a fresh way. While this is typically performed as a full-scale production, the stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters is a series of monologues in which a high-ranking official working for Lucifer plots how to divert the attention of a single person, so that they can claim him over God. These monologues are packed full of thought-provoking material which sparks the audience to consider how they choose the path different from God in their own life. I’ve been fortunate enough to see this performed and it is an exceptionally useful tool for communicating truth in a fresh format. Monologue could also encourage writing from some members of your congregation. If someone happens to be talented in that area, a monologue could be written and executed on a specific topic that is in line with what the pastor is teaching on during that time period. This could also be helpful for smaller churches who may not have as many volunteers to execute something on a larger scale.
If you have a few more talented folks, then perhaps you could perform short scenes or smaller full productions. Back in the day, our church would perform small scenes, or skits, in which characters would enact a scene bringing to light a theme or event that is relevant. This can be an effective tool that can be performed before, during, or after a sermon to help highlight parts of the pastor’s sermon. This can be collaborated on by the pastor and the performers to help ensure that it not only relates to the message, but that it sounds believable and communicates the message effectively. Small-scale productions could also be performed outside of the normal Sunday morning. These could either be original productions or performed based on existing material. This also brings in the opportunity for more people. Not only could actors participate, but someone who is gifted in stage production, technical theater (lights, sound, visual media), or design could also contribute their talents.
Large-scale productions are the best opportunities for the most people to be involved, but are also the most expensive and time intensive. These should all be executed using existing material, unless you’re feeling extra brave! These types of productions will not typically correlate with a specific sermon series or theme but could be used as a form of outreach and to gather people together to accomplish a common task. By encouraging participation across the whole church, new friendships will form, and your church will grow closer together. When these productions are performed, they will encourage attendance from those who may not necessarily attend your church or any church. This form would act as community theatre and could include participants who may not go to your church. What a great way to reach those in need of Christ.
These are a few ideas on how to execute or start a theatre arts ministry in your church. Some of these forms can be used primarily in supplement to the message of your pastor, but others can be for entertainment and outreach. Most importantly, collaborate with your pastor on how to start one. Whatever you do, do under the authority of your leadership and work towards your goals. Theatre is a fantastic art form that can encourage participation, develop talents in others, and entertain and challenge your congregation to think outside of the box, all while enjoying great art and thanking God for the talents He’s given us.
