Reflections on the Luke Drama
by Jonathan Finch, Producer of the Luke Drama in Gawler, South Australia
The Luke Drama was an unforgettable experience. It involved 18 amateur actors and two Gospel Drama directors from Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia. There were six different church fellowships represented and we formed a cohesive team over six days to present the Good News of Jesus Christ to the town of Gawler, South Australia.
To see the characters from stories come alive was eye-opening and uplifting. Some characters literally came to life, like the dead son at Nain, springing up from the ground when Jesus spoke to him. Other characters were given a new lease on life, like the demon-possessed man, and the crippled woman who were raised up by Jesus in the synagogue. Our audiences witnessed Zaccheus being set free from the grip of money and guilt in his own home. We saw the disciple Peter being restored from a place of failure to being a leader in the early church. The culmination was the unjust arrest and horrific crucifixion of Jesus, followed by the resurrection.
It was an incredible experience for the cast to connect as brothers and sisters in Christ and to confidently share God’s life-giving Word with others. To see our young people (and old) grow in confidence and allow God’s words to flow through us was nothing but the Holy Spirit working through each and every one of us.
Thank you to everyone who was part of the Drama – from organising food to setting up locations for rehearsals and the performances, producing the artwork and printing for flyers, posters and programs, providing accommodation and transport for the directors, playing a role or directing the Drama, or being in the audience. It made all the late nights, long days, repetition of lines (and anxiety over forgetting everything) worthwhile.
We know that there were people in the audience who were confronted with what Jesus had done for them and some of these engaged in spiritual conversations afterwards. We pray that God’s Word will take root in their lives and produce fruit in due course. Now that the Drama is finished, we are glad to declare with the angels, ‘Glory to God in the highest!’ (Luke 2:14).
Being part of this Drama, I learned that telling a story impacts the teller just as much as the audience. It has really revived my spiritual relationship with God.
Participant in The Matthew Drama
The theatre-in-the-round was a new experience for me. I became involved in the active Bible story going on right around me.
Audience member, The John Drama in Bendigo
I’m now far more confident in God’s Word being the everlasting truth.
Audience member, The John Drama in Darwin
I think the thing that impacted me the most was seeing Jesus’s words come to life.
Participant in The John Drama
Thanks for your patience...