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The Curtain Call on Christian Pageants : Where Will Christian Dramatic Art Go Next?

Hail Caesar!

The Easter pageant.   The Christmas pageant.  The random youth musical.  More and more Christian pageants and dramatic presentations are finding their way into a back church closet full of plywood sets, drab costumes, and fake trees.  They are probably not coming out of that closet for a while.  Even the big boys of Christian pageantry, like Louisville’s Southeast Christian Church Easter Play, have called it curtains on their annual performance.  The only thing still happening are live, drive-thru nativities at Christmas time, which are far from being called acting.  Standing in the cold is more like it.

The Definition of Manhood

Why curtains on pageants?  I like to believe Mel Gibson had something to do with it.  When The Passion of the Christ released in 2004, all Christian Easter pageants looked like small-scale, comical, badly directed street theater for amateurs.  There is no way a church could ever compete with the intense violence, imagery and story-telling genius of Gibson’s production, even if theologically adrift.

A Roman solider in plastic chest armor (complete with 6-pack abs, mind you) wearing Birkenstock sandals is not going to cut it anymore with an audience who had seen something as graphic as Gibson’s Passion.

Then came The Nativity movie (2006) which actual had lowly, poor, skinny shepherds with missing teeth and scraggly beard and ethnically-diverse wise men wearing proper vestments for middle eastern astrologers.  Herod the Great looked like a real king living in a real time overseeing huge construction projects.

The Christmas pageant at your church with Mary, Joseph and baby-doll Jesus in a manger, while cute and sentimental, looked like something from A Charlie Brown Christmas, with no insult toward Charlie Brown Christmas.  Linus’ speech still captures my heart and attention.

So my question is : Where will Christian dramatic art go next?  Is there a place for drama, theater, and visually-engaging acting in the evangelical church?

Could our direction be sermon-informed, life-situational sketches which exploded in the seeker-sensitive movement?  I really do not see those returning soon. Young pastors and younger attenders (especially those from the reformed persuasion) see these as silly and misguided.  However, comedy is still well received in this delivery style.

Could our direction be children performing biblical scenes in costume in preparation for a particular message or season within the church?  Possibly, but children’s and youth choir are dying faster than visitation programs.  Still children are viewed cute and innocent.  A harsh, unforgiving audience toward adults acting in a pageant are refreshingly hospitable toward children (because that is their kid and grandkid up there on stage).

Could our direction be church-based actors creating short films, which are then shown as transitional pieces in worship?  Highly possible.  The Skit Guys are moving more and more toward thought-provoking, message-instilling shorter pieces which are downloaded and shown to illustrate a particular golden nugget of truth.  For churches to do this, they must have high quality acting, filming, and editing.  There is too much out there online that is well planned and produced to compete with something home grown.

What else is coming?  What else is shaping this particular form of Christian art and expression?  I really don’t see much else on the horizon.  Maybe some of my creatives and Creative Arts Pastors can help me out here.  What are you seeing or using that is making a connection in the dramatic arts?

The Should-Be Motto of All Church Personnel Teams

My thesis:  Luke 6:31 should be the motto, slogan, vision statement and/or basic foundational rule for every church personnel-related issue.  If we would follow Luke 6:31 in our church personnel matters, I believe we would have longer tenures in ministry, happier pastoral staff, and better church administrative relationships.

Luke 6:31 in 3 different translation:  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them (ESV).  And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way (NAS).  Do to others as you would have them do to you (NIV).

Having served in a variety of positions on church staff, some part-time, some full-time, in nearly every position except music, I have been in many personnel committee and leadership meetings (with elders and deacons) where personnel matters arise.  I have seen it all.

If we would mandate Luke 6:31 in our dealing with our church staff members, I believe we would be far better off and far more functional in kingdom business.  Luke 6:31 applies to every aspect of personnel leadership.  Consider a few examples.

Compensate others as you would like to be compensated.  Staff need not be starved nor overly fed.  However, if you believe you and your work deserves a respectable salary, comparable with others in your peer group, based on job performance and expertise, then compensate your church staff likewise.  By low-balling them, you are not teaching them humility and contentment, you are telling them they are not worth that much in the big scheme of things.

Reward others as you would like to be rewarded.   I know, I know, our reward is in Christ and spending eternity with him in heaven.  I could not agree more.  However, if you like being rewarded for a job well done in your field, when you go the extra mile toward a successful project, why not reward your staff with something in kind.  A gift card.  An extra vacation day.  An expanded allowance for clothing, books, or conferences.  A little pat on the back can be a great motivator.

Evaluate others as you would like to be evaluated.  No one likes to be evaluated, but everyone needs it…and should appreciate it if it is done well.  So how do you like to be evaluated in your job?  Consistently.  Fairly.  Accurately.  Sharing both areas of strengths and areas of needed improvement.  Then receiving amply time, resources, and encouragement to enhance those strengths and improve the weaknesses.  Sounds pretty fair right?  Why not extend the same grace to your church staff members.  They will be blessed by your investment in them and will be more effective in their service unto Christ.

Terminate others as you would like to be terminated.  Is there such a thing as a way you want to be terminated?  No job or position is permanently and perpetually safe forever.  The same goes for ministry positions.  Therefore as you would like to be let go, treat your exiting staff in the same fashion.   Whatever you would like to be given, extend those same graces to them such as severance, job placement assistance, moving expenses, or time on the clock to look elsewhere.  Honesty in explaining the situation to the church, not sweeping issues under the rug is also a very important step.  No one wins with deception and lies.

When Jesus gave us the golden rule, I don’t think he anticipated us forgetting it so easily.  Let’s put it back in, especially in our dealings with each other in ministry.