In Eckleburg's Eyes - 9/29/2008, Part 2

I and my class attended Ebenezer United Methodist Church on Sunday morning. We participated in the Heritage worship service. This allowed me to see my old friends LJP and Ann Robins (APR, the church’s pastor). Some of you may remember that this church was the site of the worst sermon I ever preached. Yes, it was worse than the one I delivered while passing a kidney stone!

I attended to see the Word Players perform the play “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Jericho” in the worship service. I told the director, Jeni Lamm Weber, that I am becoming sort of a groupie of her troupe. The service followed a traditional order with the play taking the place of a sermon. I do not believe I have ever seen that done previously.

The play was fabulous. It was written by Tom Long. This would be Tom S. Long, not Candler School of Theology’s Bandy Professor of Preaching Thomas G. Long, who is one of the nation’s finest preachers. The play was the winner of the 1983 Episcopal Drama Foundation National Drama Contest.

The play featured a director and four person drama troupe rehearsing the parable commonly referred to as the “Good Samaritan.” (Luke 10:25-37) [The play takes its name from the fact that the victim in Jesus’ story is on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. (Luke 10:30)] The story is retold serval times as one actress repeatedly stops the show, demanding character roles that require progressively less of her. This leads to a succession of different versions in which the troubled actor plays different parts: the victim, the priest who passes by, and finally a robber. In each case she is confronted and challenged by the Biblical message and the character of Jesus who staggers the woman’s attempts to make the story comfortable. These re-enactments build to the ultimate reality that the woman can either accept Jesus' payment for her sins on the cross, or she has may face the penalty herself. The play runs approximately forty minutes.

The cast included Alysha Cantrell (as the troubled actress) and Christiane Frith, whom I had seen in the WordPlayers’ last production, The Secret Garden on July 24th. (For my review of that performace, click here.) Making his WordPlayers’ debut was my old church friend Rollin Prince (RTP). He was terrific as were all involved.

The show began on September 14th and runs through Nov. 23rd. If you get an opportunity to view it, I highly recommend it. It provides great insight into the text and the process the actress goes trhough mirrors the task the preacher engages in while reading the text. If also reminds the reader to find herself in the parable.

After the performance, WAM and I went to the Copper Cellar for their Sunday brunch. It costs $15.99 but is the best meal in town. Actually, counting tax, gratuity and an inexplicable service charge it was far more expensive than that. This may explain why so few people actually go there on Sunday afternoons. Despite the high cost,we had a great time. For WAM’s typical brilliant and entertaining insights, read the WAM Quote of the Day.