I have been writing gospel scripts for over 30 years. I’ve written more plays or short sketches than I can remember. Occasional my friends remind me of a sketch or play that I wrote and performed years and years ago, which I completely forgot about. I guess it’s good whenever someone remembers anything I did more than a year ago.
Writing a “good” gospel play is similar in ways to writing a secular play, but there are distinct and significant differences. First, a good story is a good story whether it’s a secular story or a story with a spiritual message. The same applies to good acting. I’m extremely disappointed when people present a mediocre play simply because it’s a “church” play. We should give God our absolute best! We, as Christian dramatics, must ask ourselves; would we settle for a lower quality production if we were getting paid by a secular theater company? Of course not!
Here’s where gospel writing deviates from secular writing; gospel plays must stay true to the Word of God. Okay, I know, you thought I would say something profound, but that simple truth is harder to do than you think. First, you must “know” the Bible and rightly divide the word of truth. I have to be sure that I will communicate and present a story that will not misinterpret or misrepresent the word of God. Okay, here’s an example, a character does something terrible but eventually stops. That’s good; God wants the character to repent. However, the story should include some negative consequence as a result of the character’s actions. Now the impact doesn’t need to be dramatic; maybe it’s just a loss of trust that must be re-earned, or the pain this action caused someone. I don’t want the audience to believe that people can sin without consequences. God is forgiving, but He is also just.
The funny thing about my “call” by God to write gospel plays is that…I’m not fond of writing. English was my absolute worst subject in school. I received As and Bs in every subject except English. So I hope I haven’t made too many grammatical errors in this blog. Forgive me if I have. I’ve come to realize the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 in a real way. In these verses of scripture, Paul begs God to remove a “thorn in his flesh”, something that was severely bothering Paul. However, God does not do what Paul asked but responds, “My grace is sufficient, for my power works best in your weakness.” I realize that I’m not qualified to honor God as a playwright. I’m slightly dyslexic, which causes me to see words in reverse order. I’ve never received training in theater, nor have I taken a course in script writing. Maybe God called me to this ministry because I would have to depend wholly on him to do it. So, I agree with the Apostle Paul when he says, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may work through me…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
I praise God for the anointing He has placed on my life. God’s blessing is not just for me. I know God can and will do great things in your life too. Don’t worry about your limitations or weakness. The saying is true, “God doesn’t always call those who are equipped, but He always equips those whom He calls”.