Resurrection!

This is how we started our service this Easter morning...

Pastor Joyce Swingle preaches on Matthew 14:44-46. Opening Resurrection Egg hunt led by Pastor Randy Solomon. Closing prayer by Pastor Linda Warren.



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.

Here's another expression of the Easter story: Trevor the Treasure Seeker introduces Forrest the Forest Fire Fighter.



The stories are true, courtesy of my father, sister-and-law and Scripture.

Westchester Chapel's Treasure Seekers (ages 5-10) meet the third Sunday of every month. Join Trevor the Treasure Seeker and his friends as they seek the Greatest Treasure Ever!

The search takes place at Westchester Chapel, which meets at the Crowne Plaza, 66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 at 11 a.m.


Grooveshark is a third party source. If you listen on their website you will encounter advertisements, none of which are vetted or endorsed by Westchester Chapel. If there are ads that you find offensive we encourage you to click the "Report Ad" link below the ad.

Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.
 

Forty Lashes Minus One

Pastor Randy Solomon created an unforgettable Good Friday service. We started tasting olives to remember the Garden of Gethsemane (which means "olive press"), saw the fire where Peter denied that he knew the Lord, heard the rooster crow; we even smelled the vinegar when the sponge was put to Jesus' lips as He hung on the cross.

We won't have time to process the whole service before Good Friday ends, so I've uploaded the sound effect that moved me the most: It's the sound of the 39 lashes Jesus received during his flogging.

Romans gave 40 lashes for death by flogging, and one less if death was not intended. They used a cat-of-nine-tails, which had nine separate mini-whips, and on the end of each was tied a bit of bone or metal, which would dig flesh out of the person being flogged. Jack Kelly wrote, "It’s the opinion of the New England Journal of the American Medical Assn. that the flesh of our Lord’s back would have been almost completely torn off, leaving His rib cage exposed, and he would have been in deep shock following His interrogation."

As you listen consider that He took each lash for you, as a part of God's plan for our Salvation.

Sound effect purchased through www.PondFive.com.

The Revelation in White Plains, NY

Rich Swingle will perform The Revelation on April 27 at The Crowne Plaza of White Plains, NY, 7pm. FREE Admission. The Crowne Plaza is at 66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601.

Rich has performed this play Off-Broadway, at national arts conferences in the US and Canada, in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne, Australia. Don't miss the opportunity to see it near you.

This FREE one-person play is accompanied by illustrations by Jim Warren and musical worship interludes by Samhill Road. Refreshments will be served and a love offering taken, but this uplifting event is being offered FREE because we need to remember that God loves us and the world He created. Bring friends, relatives and those who are seeking God to this exciting, encouraging event. You may download other promotional materials at www.WestchesterChapel.org.

The Revelation coming to White Plains, NY

Help us get the word out!

Post a link to our Facebook Event Page on your wall.

Download the poster by Right-clicking on it and selecting "Save Image As..." If you're on a Mac you can do the same thing by hitting the Control button and then clicking on the image.

To download the poster as two half-page images click here. Your browser may start the download process automatically, but if it takes you to a page containing two fliers, follow the process above and select "Save As..."

Joyce is up for another movie

Joyce and I are auditioning for a film in which we'd love to play husband and wife again. Some of you may not know we did that the first time in the film Indescribable, which will be released on DVD April 6!

I'm building an acting website for Joyce, and I'd love to add some quotes about her acting.

If you have a moment, please submit a comment, followed by the way you'd like your name to appear. For instance:

"She's amazing!"

--Rich Swingle

Actor, Director, Acting Coach

New York City

The more areas of expertise the more it will help lend credibility to her work.

If you need a refresher, here's her performance of her one-woman one-act The Shepherd's Daughter performed in The Shepherd's Cave in Bethlehem: 

Please post your quote below...

Thanks so much for your help!

in Christ alone,

Rich

MWF Performances in an Off-Broadway Theatre

The MasterWorks Festival Theatre Program will be performing in an Off-Broadway theatre July 10-13. Mark your calendars and check RichDrama.com/MWFNYC for details.

Palm Sunday thoughts and prayers

There was a technical error that prevented today's sermon from being recorded, but we uploaded Bill H.'s opening comments about Palm Sunday and Pastor Joyce Swingle's prayer and announcements. Pastor Jim Warren also shares some news about the April 27 production of The Revelation.



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.

Pastor Linda Warren preached a sermon titled "Worship the King" on Matthew 20:29-21:11, which precedes and covers the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the event now commemorated with Palm Sunday.

One sad result of the interrupted recording is that you can't hear Pastor Linda share how she felt led to sing Chris Tomlin's rendition of the hymn "Crown Him with Many Crowns" this morning. She had the idea so late in the week that she didn't want to impose it upon Bill and Liz H., who were leading worship today. As you can see in our worship lineup below, the Holy Spirit prompted them to introduce it to Westchester Chapel for the first time.

 Grooveshark is a third party source. If you listen on their website you will encounter advertisements, none of which are vetted or endorsed by Westchester Chapel. If there are ads that you find offensive we encourage you to click the "Report Ad" link below the ad.

 Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

Journey to the Garden in Amman, Jordan.

I'm performing some of my play Journey to the Garden on Maundy Thursday and taking part in an experiential Good Friday service that is going to be unforgettable. 

All are welcome: WestchesterChapel.org.

Devoted to Each Other or to Self?

Pastor Joyce Swingle preaches on Acts 2:42-47 and Romans 12:1-2, starting with the question: "Are you a dog person or a cat person?" Chris Choi opens with prayer. Pastor Linda Warren tells the story of St. Patrick and prays over the sermon.



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.

Our worship lineup...

Grooveshark is a third party source. If you listen on their website you will encounter advertisements, none of which are vetted or endorsed by Westchester Chapel. If there are ads that you find offensive we encourage you to click the "Report Ad" link below the ad. Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

Questions about acting

I just took part in a Google+ discussion about acting, and I thought I'd post my comments here:

I've been working professionally in the performing arts or applied theatre since 1995. Most of that work has been as a stage actor. I've written or developed a dozen one-man plays (RichDrama.com), and to my utter astonishment I've had opportunity to perform them and/or teach acting and public presentation skills in 36 states, five continents and 25 nations. I was cast in my first film in 2010, and since then I've performed in nine films, including two that were featured at SAICFF this year: Papa Lehman in Indescribable and the land speculator in Alone Yet Not Alone (IMDb.me/RichSwingle). 

I'd love for all of you between the ages of 16 and 30 to audition for The MasterWorks Festival Theatre Program. It's a one-month intensive in acting. We'll develop a play in Winona Lake, Indiana, and you'll sit under Christians with more than a combined century of experience as professional actors. We'll perform our play near Pittsburgh, and in an Off-Broadway theatre just off of Times Square, NY.  

Here's my report from last year: RichDrama.com/MWF. 

So here are my answers to the questions posted: 

1. What is the purpose of acting?
I believe this goes back to the purpose of life. We were created to be in relationship with the Lord. Being created in the Creator's image means that we all have creativity within us, and when we invite the Lord into the process it glorifies God. When we tell God's stories, I've found it to be a foretaste of heaven. I respond below about other messaging. 

2. How is it done?
Get trained! 

I remember facing the choice of whether or not to bother with training, and if so, which degree to get. My undergrad degree was in sociology/social work with a Christian Ed minor and I realized years later I was a few credits shy of a theatre minor. Then I spent a year at seminary and ended up getting a masters in theatre at Hunter College, which happened to have the cheapest tuition in the US at the time, and yet I learned from Eric Bentley (a student of CS Lewis), Tina Howe (who has been nominated and won numerous awards and fellowships, including the Tony and Pulitzer), Jonathan Kalb (critic for the NY Times, among others), Jerome Coopersmith (screen writer for the original Hawaii 5-O and An American Christmas Carol).  

My masters thesis was focused on sociodrama, which I learned from Patricia Sternberg who was a student of Jacob Moreno, the inventor of sociodrama, which gave way to role play and informed improv. So I lean toward the use of improv as I prepare for performances. When my wife, Joyce, and I were performing in Indescribable there's a very moving scene where she needed to cry. She's not a trained actor, but we used structured improv to keep ourselves in the moment before the cameras rolled, so when the director yelled, "Action!" Joyce was sobbing, as were all our film children, down to the five-year-old. I've been exposed to a number of other techniques, and I pick and choose what works best for each project, so our approach at MasterWorks is to bring in faculty trained in a variety of techniques.  

Patricia Mauceri, who's been on our faculty since 2005 was in the second acting class at Juilliard and trained with Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Robin Williams and others.  She's gone on to perform on Broadway, in television and film with Johnny Depp, Christopher Plummer, Gene Hackman, James Earl Jones, and many others.

Susan Somerville Brown is from a musical theatre background, trained at Indiana Wesleyan. She's performed in over 40 productions in the Chicago market and on Broadway. 

3. What messages are we trying to send through what we do on the screen?
The actor is subservient to the scriptwriter and the director. That means that we have to be very careful, prayerful, and responsible about the messages we help the producers tell. Of course acting is so much more than the lines, but if you're telling a story that's different than what the director has in mind you probably won't work with him or her again. Do your due diligence by looking at what other projects the producers and directors have done in the past. Read everything available to you, and keep seeking the Lord every step of the way. Look at Creation. The greatest Hollywood epic is tiny in comparison with a mustard seed. The most powerful stories to tell are those that have an impact on the eternity of the audience.

4. etc.
AUDITION FOR MastorWorks TODAY!!!

Treasure Seekers this Sunday

Westchester Chapel's Treasure Seekers (ages 5-10) meet the third Sunday of every month. Join Trevor the Treasure Seeker and his friends as they seek the Greatest Treasure Ever!

The search takes place at Westchester Chapel, which meets at the Crowne Plaza, 66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 at 11 a.m.

Live Audtions

We'll be having live auditions for the MasterWorks Festival, including the theatre program this Saturday in New York City...


For my report on last year's festival, and a link to this year's program visit RichDrama.com/MWF. We'll be closing the month with performances in an Off-Broadway theatre.

Peacemakers or Turning People from God?

Rich Swingle preaches on Mattthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Closing prayer by Pastor Joyce Swingle. Announcements by Pastor Randy Solomon.



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.

Here are some of the articles Rich mentioned:
Shooting in the Dark, New York Times
The Impact of Media Violence on Children and Adolescents, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Teaching Kids to Kill, Christianity Today
Captivated: Finding Freedom in a Media Captive Culture, Philip Telfer
The Gospel Sandals of Peace, Rich Swingle

Here are the ads Rich played during the service:





Grooveshark is a third party source. If you listen on their website you will encounter advertisements, none of which are vetted or endorsed by Westchester Chapel. If there are ads that you find offensive we encourage you to click the "Report Ad" link below the ad. Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.