Pilgrim's Progress

We saw a fantastic production of Pilgrim's Progress last week put on by The Glory Shop. I was proud of Alexis Duperree and Nealson Munn, who were my students at the Salvation Army Conservatory where I teach and direct most summers. Of course Nealson was playing guitar, so I had nothing to do with that, but I was still proud!



The story is a powerful look at how every path but Jesus leads to death, and even once you choose Him there are trials at every turn.



The script is written by my colleague, Tom Key. He stuck with the 17th century language, but he added a brilliant modem interlude, performed by Alexis.



It was creatively staged by Christopher Monroe, and had possibly the most inventive use of black boxes and PVC pipe I've ever seen! He also got Tom's permission to cast Pilgrim as a woman, well played by Juilliard graduate Kristine Chandler. It heightened the power of the character's choice to leave an unbelieving family behind, fulfilling Luke 14:26: 'Jesus said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."' It also, in essence, combined the story with the second part in which Pilgrim's wife, Christiana, and their sons make the journey.



Another favorite element for me was the casting of the three angels. Each of their lines was spoken together in English, and then repeated in the actor's native tongue: Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese. It was a foretaste of Heaven!



I have a very soft spot in my heart for this story, because it was one of the first I helped tell on a New York stage. In the early '90's I was an intern at The Lamb's Church, which had two Off-Broadway theatres. Twins Kurt and Keith Landaas were considering a production of their rock opera Pilgrim's Progress, and I happened to be the one showing them around the theatre. I mentioned to them that I'd love to audition, so they said, "Go for it." So I sang "Do You Hear the People Sing" from Les Misérables a'cappella right there in the balcony. It parlayed into my Off-Broadway debut, and we also performed it in New Jersey and Staten Island. It was a modern adaptation, and I played one of the darker characters. I found out later I was really intimidating some of the cast with faux piercings and borrowed motorcycle boots. LOL!



Watching Tom's script proved to me that Bunyan's allegory doesn't need a modern twist to make it relevant. It addresses many of the same issues we're still dealing with today.



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A Clear Leading tells the story of Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, who spoke against slavery a century before our Civil War.

Fellowship and Wonders

Joyce and I teamed up this morning at Westchester Chapel.

I open the service with miracle stories from the road, including the story of how the best man at our wedding found healing, as told in his book Waiting for My Fingers. Joyce teaches on Matthew 21:18-22. Here's the full article she mentions from the New York Times: "The Jihadi Who Turned to Jesus." Dr. Linda Warren prays over the sermon and announces that Facing Darkness, a documentary on a Samaritan's Purse doctor who contracted ebola while working with victims of the deadly disease in Africa, will be in theaters nationwide on March 30 and April 10. It will also be playing in New Rochelle. See the trailer below.



Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service:







This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.







If you want to more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.



Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

Mission Underground

I got to serve as a consultant on this charming film in which children play adults. It's by the makers of A Matter of Perspective, and they've done a fantastic job!



It's available at www.ChristianCinema.com.

Southern Oregon

Though I've lived in New York City since 1993 I grew up in the Rogue Valley, so I try to get back here as often as I can. Often I perform or screen a film I helped make when I'm here. Hope you'll sign up and that we can connect soon!

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Asking Jesus about Forgiveness

Joyce teaches on Matthew 18:21-35. Dr. Linda Warren opens the service in prayer.



Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service:







Here's the imagery Joyce used toward the end...







This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.



If you want to more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.



Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story by booking Beyond the Chariots.

Living Word

I play a science teacher, who flunks the main character because she put God in her science paper. At the moment we were filming that scene a young man burst into the classroom and told us there was plenty of scientific evidence that God exists. I immediately broke character and explained that my character was the antagonist, and that between takes I was explaining how flimsy quasi-science is which tries to refute the existence of God, and we were praying for those under the delusion that there is no God. Seconds later I was wishing I'd stayed in character and said, "Well, young man, why don't you explain it to the class!"

I also got to serve as acting coach, and it was such great fun! So much so that I added "Coaching for Film" to my Workshops page.



We filmed in Bismarck, ND, which was my 50th state to visit.



I could have checked it off the list years ago! I was performing in Moorhead, MN, and I drove past the bridge to Fargo. I passed it by thinking I'd already been to ND. I got back to NYC and looked at a map on my wall: South Dakota! It was South Dakota! But I got to work with some wonderful folks, saw miracle after miracle, and it probably wouldn't have happened if I'd crossed that bridge all those years ago! So glad now that I didn't!



You can watch it here:







Watch the world premiere of "Living Word." Chad Burns​, director of Beyond the Mask​, spoke at the event, and they include a video of my comments from behind the scenes.



Nicol Films is doing some great work. Be sure to follow them on Facebook. They're talking about using me in another project, which I look forward to doing!

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I Dreamed I Was Free tells the story of Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, who spoke against slavery a century before our Civil War.

The Case for Christ documentary

We just watched the documentary The Case for Christ with interviews with Lee Strobel and scholars who helped him gather evidence that Jesus Christ lived, was crucified, resurrected and changed the world.



Lee was an award-winning legal journalist for the Chicago Tribune. When his wife became a Christian he used his skills as an investigative journalist to disprove Christianity. After a two year journey he sat down with a legal pad and wrote down evidence for and against in separate columns. He said when he looked at the avalanche of evidence that the major claims of Christianity were true he realized it would take more faith to believe it didn't happen.

Looking forward to the major motion picture coming out in April.

Registration is now open for the 2017 Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.