Performances and workshops in almost 40 nations, about 30 films... Invite the Swingles to inspire your audience! Mobile users, our index is on the line below...
I got to perform in San Diego in a new audio drama that brings Scripture to life with a focus on God's plan of redemption. It's from the makers of the Jonathan Park Audio Adventures!
It's so well conceived and written! I was thrilled to be a part of it, and I was performing with some seriously great actors! The sound design by Luke Guenot is extraordinary, too. It's just a fantastic project all the way around.
Ham and Jebuluah in "New World"
Three workers in "High Hopes"
Puth and Captain in "White Lies"
Eliezer, Kedorlaomer and Lot's herdsman in "Decisions, Decisions"
Israelite Officer in "I've Been Thinking"
Eliezer in "Three Visitors"
Businessman, Angel 1, and Hamus in "Fire and Brimstone"
Eliezer in "Heir Apparent" and "Sacrifice"
Eliezer and Isaac in "Bride for Isaac"
Isaac in "Passages"
Isaac and Older Isaac in "Playing Favorites"
Older Isaac in "Cleaning House"
It was really fun for me to play Eliezer and Isaac, especially when they were in the same scene! But probably my favorite scene was when I got to pull together the moment when language is confused at the Tower of Babel! I came up with phrases in languages I've studied over the years that express confusion in some way and distributed them among us actors. It was such fun!
Kimba Henderson came by
the studio to talk about her
script in an interview.
Kimba Henderson came by the studio one day to talk about her script in an interview. She has developed an outstanding script that brilliantly fills in the gaps for readers unfamiliar with the cultures to which Scripture was written. She added something to the Noah story I really love: She heightens the urgency for Noah and his family to tell their neighbors of the impending judgement. She also does a masterful job of making the stories feel as if they're happening in the context of today's mixed up world. Prior to finalizing the script, The Adventum was thoroughly reviewed, edited and vetted by trusted, highly qualified, Biblically-based, evangelical pastors and Christian leaders.
John Fornof at the helm.
John Fornof directed us in this "movie for the ears," and it's always a joy to work on his projects. He knows just how to bring a scene to life! There were so many times that he helped us add things that enhanced the great script. He also directed me in The Dragon and the Raven in London and The Giant Killer through Lamplighter Theatre. Later in the summer he directed a short film at the Lamplighter Guild, and he pulled me in as casting director. One night on The Adventum he said that one of his rules is to have fun, and we were certainly obedient!
My friend Garry Nation is in the cast. We had a blast playing Abram/Abraham and Isaac together! Friends David Sanborn, who I've been working with since 2001 in Singapore, and Nato Jacobson, who shares six credits with me, performed their roles remotely. I was bummed to discover they wouldn't be in the booth, but their contributions are top notch!
I was thrilled to reconnect with Nicole Franco, who performed a chilling reenactment of Lot's wife turning to salt, and that was just in the studio! When completed with sound effects it's just outstanding! We ran in the same circles in NYC 20 years ago.
I also got to reconnect with Stephanie Mielke, when she arrived with her brother Bryce who played Teen Isaac, one of my character's younger self. Bryce did a fantastic job! Stephanie was a student of mine at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Bryce knew about the auditions for this project because I send casting calls out to my students.
Mark Rache conceived and produced this wonderful project. He's on the right, and here's a better shot of our director, John Fornof:
This morning I got to open the service at Westchester Chapel by praying over those affected by the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Pastor Jim Warren preaches from Ps. 119: 9-16 on "The Word Guards" as part of The Word is Marching On series. He explains how the Word helps guard our purity by helping us maintain consistency upon the path the Lord sets out for us. Pastor Jim cites 2 Peter 2:12 and Galatians 5: 16-26 as examples of the wrong path and the Lord's path. Following the message, Pastor Jim and Pastor Linda Warren lead the congregation in taking the Lord's Supper, using Luke 22: 14-20 as the text.
Pastor Linda prays over the message and later leads in prayer over the offering. Rebekah W. explains this year's Operation Christmas Child initiative and Board Member Eva P. explains this year's missionary giving, which will be to the Jesus Film Project.
Pastor Jim mentioned how we really have to have God's Word living inside of us. We can't just pull it off a shelf when disaster strikes. It reminded me of a great story our friend Torry Martin tells in his book, Of Moose and Men...
Pastor Jim also mentioned Tony Loeffler's testimony which you can see here:
Tony was recently interviewed on The Gate Radio, and you can see when that will be aired by clicking here. There you can also listen to Rich Swingle's interview with Tony when they "happened" to be performing at the same church in Cuba on the same day!
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 friend George Flores interviewed our friend Tony Loeffler on THE GATE this morning.
Earlier I posted the rebroadcast times of the interview, but the times were all pushed back one week because Phil Keaggy has a concert in NYC on November 4: http://www.PhilKeaggy.com/tour/
I got to meet Phil in Honduras on a Compassion artists retreat (www.RichDrama.com/Compassion). I was seriously impressed by his talent and humility.
Those will be Phil's interviews starting 10/28 and Tony starting 11/4. All times in the Eastern Time Zone.
CLICK THIS LINK TO TUNE IN: www.TheGateRadio.org We were planning to perform in a church in Cuba, and the pastor told us there would be a musician there that morning who knew who we were, but the pastor couldn’t remember the musician’s name. It was Tony! We’ve known him since the mid-90’s.
After a three-hour service the people were dismissed, but they just kept dancing and singing and praising the Lord. Tony leaned over to me and said, “This is happening all over Cuba.”
This morning Joyce taught on Isaiah 40:6-8, challenging us to rely on the Word written thousands of years ago to speak directly into our lives today. In a crazy, rocky, wacky world, you can stand on the Word. She mentions the liberation of Pastor Brunson from a Turkish prison. You can read more about that here: Pastor Andrew Brunson Free! She also mentions the home that withstood Hurricane Michael, and you can see it standing in the midst of desolation below...
Here are the Psalms Joyce prays over our congregation:
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.
I'm descended from a brother of Ulrich Zwingli, the Swiss reformer and contemporary of Martin Luther. While we were in Switzerland we did some sleuthing...
Jonathan Graham, NYC President
of Mastermedia, interviews
Dr. Michael Guillen.
This morning I got to listen to three-time Emmy award winner, Dr. Michael Guillen, speak to members of Mastermedia. He opened by sharing his testimony of studying at Cornell University as an atheist and hearing Carl Sagan teach about what life is. Dr. Guillen found the answer unsatisfying, and he searched a variety of spiritual answers that didn't line up with what he was learning about science. A Valentine's Day card slipped under his door led to a reading of the Bible with the "best looking girl on campus" and an understanding that science and the Bible are confirming each other's world views. He later wrote Amazing Truths: How Science and the Bible Agree. He told us the more science progresses the more clear that this is the case. He says the things we disagree about are really minor, and the more science develops the more they will confirm each other. "Truth doesn't cancel out Truth," he said.
He spent the bulk of his time with us talking about his new book, The End of Life as We Know It: Ominous News From the Frontiers of Science. He believes the new advances in science will bring a pall over the land worse than the invention of the nuclear bomb: "This stuff just takes it an exponential step further." He ended on a high note: The Christian voice is essential as scientists are, even now, using their reason to lead them to create interspecial chimeras and the like. He believes for us not to fall into oblivion, a Golden Age of Christianity must be on the rise. He closed with, "We can provide hope to a scared world."
After getting his Ph.D. in physics, mathematics and astronomy from Cornell University, Dr. Guillen went on to teach at Harvard and became the ABC News Science Editor, and through that post he appeared regularly on Good Morning America, 20/20, Nightline and World News Tonight. Here's a more complete bio: Michael Guillen: Emmy Award Winner and Bestselling Author.
I performed "Sheepish" during the awards ceremony.
I'm up for the Divine Inspiration Award for Best Comedic Performance for my portrayal of God in "All God's Children," and I contributed to five others. Details below, or if you're reading this in an email you may need to visit www.Facebook.com/RichDrama (10/10).
I served as acting coach on two of the nominated films, and one of the directors, Gwendelynn Martindale, was a student at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Sign up for the announcement that we're taking registrations for next summer.
Sign up to get the announcement for the 2019 Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. 
Posts
