We’ve been overjoyed to discover a crime series with Christian themes. Hurrah! They’re not afraid to show that a relationship with the Lord transforms people. It's my second favorite series, next to The Chosen.
The producer and director, Jared O'Flaherty, did a video conference with our students at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp last week, and he talked about how Vindication went from a single short film to a series because the right people saw it at a film festival and encouraged him to keep going. Now they're in pre-production for Season Two!
We re-watched Season One again, and their cliff-hangers kept us up later than we'd planned on more than one occasion. Just as exciting as the masterful plot points are the creative ways they show criminal activities without titillating or showing that crime pays.
Parents, some of the episodes are rated 13+ because of themes.
My friends and colleagues Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson are running an amazing podcast called The Overthinkers.
It's a very thoughtful deep dive on various topics at the intersection of Christian faith and culture.
Below I talk briefly about my favorite episode so far...
I absolutely love their discussions and most of their observations. I have a quibble with two elements:
Joyce and I are very prayerful about the media we consume. You are what you take in when it comes to media choices, and they actually talk about that in their first (I think) episode. But they talk about shows we've avoided. Seek the Lord's peace on everything you take into your spirit.
Holmes and Clarkson close each show with each of them mentioning one creative expression (most have been TV shows, films or books) that they'd like to bless and one they'd like to curse. It's a creative version of the rating system Siskel and Ebert used. For those who don't remember, they gave shows thumbs up or down. It's not intended to be a true curse, but the Lord has been speaking to Joyce and I about the power of words, and curses are powerful. Romans 12:14b says, "...bless and do not curse..."
Those caveats aside, their shows are a great exercise for your gray matter.
I was interviewed on The Gate Radio by my friend George Flores. I let him know that I'd released the scene about Pentecost from my one-man play The Acts, and he invited me to talk about that and several of my other projects as well.
It will was aired at various times between May 29 and June 1 on The Gate Radio. I got permission to post it here for those of you who missed it:
Here are links to some of the things I spoke about:
Since 1991 I've been performing one-man plays in theatres, schools and churches. Since no one's been bringing me into their communities lately due to the pandemic, I felt led to start making some scenes from my plays available for churches to stream for their online services and in their sanctuaries once they start meeting again.
I thought the first one I would make available is the scene describing how the Holy Spirit was given to the Lord's people at Pentecost from my one-man play The Acts, and it's now available for Pentecost Sunday, which is May 31 this year.
We're praying for a similar worldwide revival in the wake of this pandemic, and we hope offering this scene about Pentecost will help spark a hunger for a new work of the Holy Spirit in our day and intensified prayer to that end.
In my one-man play The Acts the main story teller is a fictional character named Nathan who was hired by Saul of Tarsus to spy on the followers of Jesus. Nathan realized that they were telling their stories as if they believed them, and Nathan's faith in the resurrected Jesus Christ began to grow. In this scene, Nathan brings an old codger named Ulrichus off the streets to tell his first hand account of how the Holy Spirit fell on followers of Jesus.
I hope you enjoy the scene, and if you do, please encourage your pastors to download it to play on Pentecost Sunday, May 31, this year. You can send them to www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.
I've now taught and performed in 39 nations, so it's my prayer that this will literally be shown around the world, and I hope some of you will create translation subtitles.
Let's pray that the Holy Spirit moves in a powerful way during these unique times we're experiencing!
To download it to show for a group and to stream it as a part of a service (please do not post it online on its own) we suggest a donation of $20 (www.RichDrama.com/Donate).
Once you've made a donation, click this link. Praying it blesses you and your whole congregation for Pentecost or any Sunday!
If you donate for a group license, send me a note through the form at the bottom of this page, and I'll send you a download link if you need that.
One of my heroes passed away today. Ravi Zacharias was a profound apologist for the Gospel. He was always so gentle, always honored those asking questions, but he was always as sharp as a tack. Having been raised Hindu, his observations of how Christianity compares to other faiths was always insightful. He said:
Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life.
I've posted his videos of his talks at Ivy League universities on this blog several times. You can find them at www.RichDrama.com/Ravi
Whenever I hear people say all religions are the same I think of all the religious practices we've come across on our journeys to six continents and about 40 nations, living in NYC where every nation on earth is represented, and just observing the world:
• In Israel we encountered the Druze. Their male leaders wear baggy pants in case they give birth to the messiah.
• In Singapore there was a Hindu worship practice that was so gruesome it's illegal in India: The practitioners carry a metal home for their god over their heads with hooks digging into their flesh.
• We have a friend, Kara M, who partnered in ministry with a Christian couple in India who adopt the children who are conceived when men "worship" their goddess with temple prostitutes. Hear her story by clicking here.
• Some Hindus worship rats.
• Animists worship everything.
• When I was working on my master's thesis, a gentleman in the drug rehabilitation center, where I was teaching sociodrama, told me that his higher power was Mickey Mouse.
• After performing a piece that addressed witch doctors while we were in Africa we were told many there still go to witch doctors even after becoming Christians.
These religions are obviously not all alike!
So when I saw a Ravi Zacharias talk entitled "How do you know that Christianity is the one true worldview?" I passed it by because I have so many reasons to know that it's true and all other religions are counterfeits. I finally took the 9.5 minutes to watch the video, and I was surprised to discover so many things I hadn't heard before.
If you're a Christian, this will really encourage you.
If you're not a Christian, and you're honestly seeking truth I really encourage you to watch with an open mind.
Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email, visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com to watch.
And Dr. Zacharias addresses a similar question here:
Joyce and I were guest presenters on this morning's Zoom service for Hope Community Church of the Nazarene. I performed "The Potter" from my one-man play Big Fish Little Worm, and Joyce taught on our marriage verse: Jeremiah 29:11. She frames up ways to hope in the Lord during this strange season of pandemic.
Click the arrow below, or if you're receiving this in an email, you can find it at www.Blog.RichDrama.com (May 17).
If you'd like to know more about a relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit www.RichDrama.com/MyPassion.
The producer and director, Jared O'Flaherty, did a video conference with our students at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp last week, and he talked about how Vindication went from a single short film to a series because the right people saw it at a film festival and encouraged him to keep going. Now they're in pre-production for Season Two!
We made three short films at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Subscribe to get the announcements as they're released.
