The Fulton Street Revival

On this day in 1857 Jeremiah Lamphier held his first lunch-time prayer meeting in Lower Manhattan. Within six months there were 10,000 meeting daily to pray during their lunch hour in Manhattan and by 1859 there were about a million people across the country praying together over lunch. 

Yesterday I played Jeremiah Lamphier in a short film for the Redigging the Wells of Revival conference being held on Azusa Street, the epicenter of a 1903 revival that birthed our denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, among many others. 

The short film was the idea of Silas Titus of Wall Street Prayer, who interviews Lamphier in the film.

You can see our short film as a part of the Redigging the Wells of Revival event, which included videos from many locations where revivals broke out. it's over nine hours of footage. 

You can also watch ours alone below:

To watch it in your home we suggest a donation of $2 (www.RichDrama.com/Donate)

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/or your whole congregation! To show in churches, look for the download button below the video on this page.

Rather than sharing the link above, please send others to www.RichDrama.com/FultonStreetRevival.

This sculpture of Jeremiah Lamphier was on the sidewalk

outside the American Bible Society until they moved to 

Philadelphia. It's now in the lobby of King's College.

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I released “Pentecost: Beyond the Imagination,” a scene from my one-man play, The Acts, at www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.

Hope in Resurrection for Today

One of the fires sweeping the West Coast destroyed Talent, Oregon, where I attended junior high, and Phoenix, Oregon, where I attended elementary and high school. I know several classmates and family members who lost their homes, and their loss has been so heavy on my heart and in my prayers. One night I woke with a deep prayer burden and saw some of the imagery of the smoke and flames and heard the worship song, "Psalm 46 (Lord of Hosts)." I started putting together a worship video with those images as a prayer exercise in the wee hours of the night. Then Melanie Solomon taught on the story of Lazarus for Westchester Chapel from John 11, and I decided to pair the video with Melanie's teaching. 

I pray that video and message of hope and resurrection will bless those who lost their homes, and give prayer direction for all who need hope in these weighty days. 

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

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

If you feel led to contribute to those who have lost their homes, there are links to give directly to those families at www.RichDrama.com/SouthernOregonFire.

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I released “Pentecost: Beyond the Imagination,” a scene from my one-man play, The Acts, at www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.

Five Bells for 9/11 for 2020

Five Bells for 9/11 Earlier this week, a wildfire ripped through Talent and Phoenix, Oregon, where our family has lived since my great grandparents moved there in a covered wagon. The fire passed between our family's farm and Phoenix High School, and it's only a ten-minute drive between them. I praise the Lord my parents are fine, except that they're without power or running water. Fire came close to several of our friends but their property was spared. I was grieved, however, to discover that two of my friends lost everything, and we're praying for the thousands like them. This tragedy inspired us to share my one-man play Five Bells for 9/11 throughout this weekend. We're praying that sharing this play now is a good way to honor our first responders on September 11, 2001, when our nation was attacked by terrorists, and we also want it to honor our first responders who are fighting to protect our citizens today.  The play tells the stories of three people who were directly impacted: Bruce Van Hine, a fire fighter for Squad 41; Lana Ho Shing, a mutual funds specialist for Morgan Stanley, and Father Brian Jordan, a Franciscan priest at the Church of St. Francis. I wrote this piece in such a way as to leave the audience with new, healing memories linked to those that still wound some of us. Ann Van Hine, the wife of Bruce, the firefighter in the play, said, "We shouldn't be coping, we should be hoping." You'll see her speak after the play. It is my deepest desire that this play will bring hope and healing. Click the image below to watch. Performed in NYC just before the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Feel free to forward this email or share this link on social media: www.RichDrama.com/FiveBells2020.  The recording of the performance will be available through Sunday night, September 13.   The song, "I Will Respond," was written for the play by Dom Crincoli.

Donate to the international ministry of Rich and Joyce Swingle Photos from Five Bells for 9/11 courtesy of Ken Bizzigotti of Times Herald-Register.

John Wesley's first sermon after his heart was strangely warmed

This Sunday Joyce and I will be bringing John Wesley to life during Westchester Chapel's Zoom service. 

My friend Roger Nelson portrayed Wesley hundreds of times all over the world with the one-man play The Man from Aldersgate. It all started when Paul Moore, the pastor of The Lamb's Church of the Nazarene, told Roger he'd seen him in a vision portraying John Wesley. Roger asked, "Does he play for the Mets?"

Wesley was a preacher in England in the 1700s who became the founder of the Methodist Church, from which our denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, sprang. He started his ministry in the Church of England, but when he went as a missionary to America his ship encountered a storm. He was afraid of dying but noticed some Moravians who were not. He realized that he had gone to America to save the natives but he was not saved himself. On May 24, 1738, Wesley’s heart was “strangely warmed” at a meeting on Aldersgate Street when he put his trust in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and not his own works.


Joyce will go back in time to June 18, 1738, when Wesley preached his first sermon after his Aldersgate experience, and Rich will portray Wesley giving that sermon.

If you're interested in joining our Zoom service, let us know through the form at the very bottom of this page, and we'll email you the login info.

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I released “Pentecost: Beyond the Imagination,” a scene from my one-man play, The Acts, at www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.

Lamplighter Guild Audio Dramas Are Online

I had the privilege of directing the Voice Acting track at this year's Lamplighter Guild. Students in the writing track, directed by Dan Schwabauer (left), wrote three audio dramas and seven commercials. Music was composed by John Campbell as he walked his students through the process. The Sound Design students created our sound effects, under the direction of Allen Hurley.  

Here are the audio dramas and commercials: Lamplighter Guild Audio Productions.

Instead of future Guilds, Lamplighter Ministries is opening the Lamplighter College of the Arts, Business, and Biblical Theology.

I'm really pleased with the great work our students accomplished during that amazing week. 

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Sign up for the announcement that registration is open for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

Hope Alert

Our second of three short films our students created at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp has been released. It's a fun commercial parody...

 

Keep scrolling down at www.RichDrama.com/RockyMountainChristianFilmmakersCamp for our first short film, "Interrogation." 

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Sign up to be notified when registration opens for next year's Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

Cancel No One

For Westchester Chapel this morning Joyce taught on Acts 11: 1-18, which enhances Acts 10, which I taught on last week. She continues the discussion of Peter's vision and the opening up of the mission to the Gentiles. She mentions a shocking story we heard firsthand from Tony Loeffler, who has partnered with us on many occasions in the US and Cuba.

Pastor Randy Solomon opens with prayer.  

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 know more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation. 

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I released “Pentecost: Beyond the Imagination,” a scene from my one-man play, The Acts, at www.RichDrama.com/Pentecost.