The search takes place at Westchester Chapel, which meets at the Crowne Plaza, 66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 at 11 a.m.
Treasure Seekers this Sunday
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.
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?
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.
The Bible
Our denomination (Church of the Nazarene) is endorsing The Bible Series, which starts on the History Channel this Sunday:
On Sunday, March 3, at 7:00 PM Central/8:00 PM Eastern, the History Channel will begin a 10-hour, five-week miniseries, The Bible. The miniseries, which begins with Genesis and ends with Revelation, will dramatize some of the great stories from the Bible, including the Garden of Eden, Noah and the Flood, the Exodus, and David and Goliath. The series concludes on Easter Sunday, March 31, with the story of the Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ.
Rick Schatz, CEO of pureHOPE, says, “I have seen some of the promotional material and the trailer for this series, and the quality of the production looks to be stunningly wonderful. I believe these programs would encourage Christians across the United States and increase their faith in the Holy Scriptures.”
I encourage you to share this information with the people in your church. Click here to view the trailer.
Sincerely,
Woodie J. Stevens
Director
Sunday School & Discipleship Ministries International
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Megan's Testimony
Megan Tolosa gave me a ride after a deer lept in front of the car I was driving during the filming of the short film Settled. Were it not for the wreck I wouldn't have heard her story. I hope it blesses you.
Purity or Pollution?
Joyce led communion in this morning's service at our church, Westchester Chapel.
Pastor Randy Solomon preaches on Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Opening prayer and closing testimony by today's guest worship leader, Piero Gorriti.
In his testimony Piero mentioned the story of the prodigal son. While we (the Swingles) attended the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival we saw a great short film on that passage. Parents should watch it before deciding whether or not to show their children, since it depicts the life of the prodigal. It would probably merit a PG rating.
The Prodigal from Munn Brothers on Vimeo.
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.
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.
Opening prayer and closing testimony by today's guest worship leader, Piero Gorriti.
In his testimony Piero mentioned the story of the prodigal son. While we (the Swingles) attended the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival we saw a great short film on that passage. Parents should watch it before deciding whether or not to show their children, since it depicts the life of the prodigal. It would probably merit a PG rating.
The Prodigal from Munn Brothers on Vimeo.
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.
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.
Blessed Are Those Who Seek the Truth for They Shall Live the Life
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.
Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.
God's Love Is for Real
This is the audio recording of Rich Swingle's sermon at his grandma, Alice Swingle's funeral.
The service can be viewed in its entirety by clicking here.
This is a playlist of music performed at the service, performed by recording artists.
Here are links to some of the things Rich mentions in the sermon:
Grooveshark is a third party source. If you listen on their website you will encounter advertisements, none of which are vetted or endorsed by the family of Alice Swingle. If there are ads that you find offensive we encourage you to click the "Report Ad" link below the ad.
The service can be viewed in its entirety by clicking here.
This is a playlist of music performed at the service, performed by recording artists.
Here are links to some of the things Rich mentions in the sermon:
Grooveshark is a third party source. If you listen on their website you will encounter advertisements, none of which are vetted or endorsed by the family of Alice Swingle. If there are ads that you find offensive we encourage you to click the "Report Ad" link below the ad.
Day One of the Film Festival
We're at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival having a ball! There are about 2,000 people here that get it: In order to take back society we must take back the entertainment industry. We feel like we're a part of something that is catching some huge momentum.
This is the theatre where Indescribable and Alone Yet Not Alone will be screened this afternoon and evening: IMDb.me/RichSwingle. Tonight we heard Steven Kendrick speak. He told how Courageous, which won the $101,000 Jubilee Prize last year has impacted audiences all over the world. When I was in Manila after the '08 Olympics we attended a church where the police chief is a member. He had the entire force read through The Purpose Driven Life. Now we hear they've all watched Courageous, and 1000 officers have given their lives to the Lord after watching it! Indescribable is up for that prize this year. Praying for worldwide impact for whichever film wins!
Besides Indescribable we've run into people from Alone Yet Not Alone, which screens tomorrow evening in the main theatre and in theatres nationwide on April 6, Beyond the Mask, The Screenwriters, Christmas Grace, and the Vetters, pictured here, from Pawn's Move: IMDb.me/RichSwingle. One of the first people we ran into is Stacey Bradshaw, with whom I'll share some scenes in the upcoming film In His Steps: RichDrama.com/InHisSteps.
Seth plays one of our characters' nine children in Indescribable (RichDrama.com/Indescribable). He encourages his siblings to help my character write the hymn "The Love of God".
Looking forward to more connections today!
This is the theatre where Indescribable and Alone Yet Not Alone will be screened this afternoon and evening: IMDb.me/RichSwingle. Tonight we heard Steven Kendrick speak. He told how Courageous, which won the $101,000 Jubilee Prize last year has impacted audiences all over the world. When I was in Manila after the '08 Olympics we attended a church where the police chief is a member. He had the entire force read through The Purpose Driven Life. Now we hear they've all watched Courageous, and 1000 officers have given their lives to the Lord after watching it! Indescribable is up for that prize this year. Praying for worldwide impact for whichever film wins!Besides Indescribable we've run into people from Alone Yet Not Alone, which screens tomorrow evening in the main theatre and in theatres nationwide on April 6, Beyond the Mask, The Screenwriters, Christmas Grace, and the Vetters, pictured here, from Pawn's Move: IMDb.me/RichSwingle. One of the first people we ran into is Stacey Bradshaw, with whom I'll share some scenes in the upcoming film In His Steps: RichDrama.com/InHisSteps.Seth plays one of our characters' nine children in Indescribable (RichDrama.com/Indescribable). He encourages his siblings to help my character write the hymn "The Love of God".Looking forward to more connections today!
San Antonio and more...
This festival has the largest single grand prize in America for Christian film. Joyce and I play husband and wife in Indescribable, which is up for that $101,000 prize. Also, Alone Yet Not Alone, in which I play a land speculator, will be screened there.
You can watch the awards ceremony streamed live this Saturday starting at 7:30pm Central. Click here for details.
You can watch the awards ceremony streamed live this Saturday starting at 7:30pm Central. Click here for details.
Three other films in which I perform were just released:
In the short film Settled I play Tom, one of the leaders in a post-apocalyptic community, who reluctantly takes in an enemy. It was created in 168 hours as a part of a competition. Each team was given the verse Psalm 68:6, one week to write a script, and one week to film it. You can watch it now by clicking here.
I play Coach Sean Ryan in For the Glory, which tells the true story of Kirk Kuykendall: His dreams of playing basketball in the Olympics were shattered, but when he gave his life to the Lord there was a transformation that opened the possibility of playing soccer in the Olympics. You can order the DVD by clicking here.
Pawn's Move, a film in which I play Sheriff Hansen, one of several characters that help a young couple understand life in the grace of the Lord, was actually released some time ago, but it is now available to watch instantly on Netflix and Amazon. Click here for details.
If you haven't already done so, please click IMDb.me/RichSwingle to help my chances of being cast in more faith-affirming films like these.
In other news, we're three weeks away from casting Twelve Angry Jurors for the MasterWorks Festival theatre program, which will take the play on the road, performing in Bethel Park, PA, and in an Off-Broadway theatre in NYC. If you or someone you know would like to join us, urge them to audition soon. You can see my report from last year's program at RichDrama.com/MWF, where there's a link to information on this year's program or you can go there directly by clicking here.
We'll also have a Long-Form Improv track, which will also take advantage of our faculty's 125 years of combined experience in the professional performing arts world. Click here for more info.
As always, my one-man plays are available for live performance anywhere in the world: RichDrama.com.
As always, my one-man plays are available for live performance anywhere in the world: RichDrama.com.
In His Steps: The Movie
It premiered in Montrose, Colorado, on December 7 and is available on DVD and digital download.
The screenplay is written by Zack Lawrence, who was on the team of Indescribable. He also directed.
This was my sixth film with Rebekah Cook (Alone Yet Not Alone, Indescribable, Screenwriters, Christmas Grace, Beyond the Mask). Also performing in the film is Sam Carr, who is an alumnus of The MasterWorks Festival and will be on our performing arts team in Sochi, Russia, during the Winter Olympics, Stacey Bradshaw, who performed with me in Alone Yet Not Alone and The Screenwriters and on Polycarp, and Tim Kaiser, who performed with me in Christmas Grace.
Being Meek or Grabbing What You Want?
Opening by Pastor Linda Warren. Music and testimony by Chris C. Communion by Rev. Art Alexander, Superintendent of the Metro New York District of the Church of the Nazarene. Closing scripture, I Kings 19:11-12, and prayer 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.
Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.
Pietrina Mauceri
My Mom went home to the Lord Dec. 28th after battling pulmonary fibrosis for some time. She had expressed her desire not to die at Christmas because she did not want her children burdened with that remembrance every year when we should be focused on the joy of our Savior's birth. Although a practicing Catholic for most of her life, she understood in the last years that Jesus was her Savior and she accepted Him. The Lord heard her prayer and after a joyful Christmas with many family, friends and extended family dropping by her bedside...she would ask, "Is Christmas over?" the next day: "What's today's date?" and finally on Dec. 28th she was ready to leave. She had been expressing how she was ready to go home to Jesus and she did not fear. She thanked God for a wonderful life, family and children and said she was not angry for her ailment...saying, we must all die of something...Feel free to leave prayers and condolences for the family below.
Until the end, she was still offering to sew hems on her nurses pants, being a human GPS for everyone needing directions and re-telling family stories from the past, from her childhood years to funny recent events. She reminded us she had started to write her memoirs and left a note with her will for her 3 children. Her life was not perfect, but she touched many deeply. She was sent off with her former choir members singing gloriously at her home church...and I just know she is dancing, singing, designing and sewing new heavenly robes for the Lord's special angels and heavenly hosts!!
Farewell, dear Mother...now the Lord will help us to make our way...without you.
The Greatest Super Hero is Jesus
Westchester Chapel's Treasure Seekers (ages 5-10) meet the third Sunday of every month.
In this webisode Trevor the Treasure Seeker introduces Sharky Man, who joins Pastor Rachel in exploring Revelation 19:11-16 and explaining to the children that the greatest super hero is Jesus, who fights for us in all circumstances.
Join Trevor the Treasure Seeker and his friends once a month as they seek the Greatest Treasure Ever!
Treasure Seekers introduces Sharkyman
Join Trevor the Treasure Seeker and his friends on the third Sunday of every month, and seek the Greatest Treasure Ever in our adventure for children ages 5 to 10.
The adventures take place at Westchester Chapel, which meets at the Crowne Plaza, 66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 at 11 a.m.
This Sunday Sharky Man promises to make an appearance.
The adventures take place at Westchester Chapel, which meets at the Crowne Plaza, 66 Hale Ave., White Plains, NY 10601 at 11 a.m.
This Sunday Sharky Man promises to make an appearance.Salvation in the Air
On Sunday, Joyce and I shared about how we prayed with the former manager of a mega rock band on our flight home from Denver. As we speak Caroline Chehade plays "Ciaccona" (also known by its French name, "Chaconne") by J.S. Bach, from his Partita 2 in D Minor. They story of the musician at L'Enfant Plaza is from the Washington Post.
It's followed by Pastor Jim Warren's sermon: "Choices: Poor in Spirit or Self-Reliant". He introduces the Sermon on the Mount, the Beattitudes and preaches on Matthew 5:3.
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.
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, mentioned in Pastor Jim's sermon, courtesy of NASA.
Actors InC Panel
I had the privilege of speaking on a panel with Mari White (producer, actor) and Faith Reel (Actors, Models and Talent for Christ) at Actors InC (ActorsInChrist.com). Here's the panel in seven episodes, which were released one at a time:
Interview with CFDb
A most AMAZING plane ride
I read the following story, posted by MasterWorks MasterClass instructor Bev Holloway, just after an extraordinary encounter on a plane ride that we might have missed:
“A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people.
The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?” [Posted by Knowledge of Today. Full article in the Washington Post.]
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people.
The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?” [Posted by Knowledge of Today. Full article in the Washington Post.]
Now back to the plane ride: The gentleman sitting next to us told us about his mind-blowing career in the entertainment business. Then he asked us what we did, and when Joyce told him she is a pastor he told us his wife is a Christian, and he loves going to church with her, but he has doubts that creep into his mind.
I mentioned the reality TV show that concludes on Thursday about a former atheist's life as a Catholic: Minor Revisions with Jennifer Fulwiler. Joyce told him about Mark 9:24 (ESV): "I believe; help my unbelief!"
I mentioned the reality TV show that concludes on Thursday about a former atheist's life as a Catholic: Minor Revisions with Jennifer Fulwiler. Joyce told him about Mark 9:24 (ESV): "I believe; help my unbelief!"
He asked if we'd pray with him, so we all three took hands, and prayed on row 36. When we said amen all three of us were crying. Okay, I was sobbing! He said when we prayed he felt something like doubt leave his heart. Then he wanted to pray, and he prayed a beautiful prayer of commitment to the Lord.
We might have hurried past this gorgeous work of Art to get to our books or the movie. Lord, don't let us ever miss a MasterPiece like this!
Our new friend told us that we have to tell this story. So if you'd like to offer a prayer or word of encouragement to him in a comment below, we'll be sure to share it with him. We know he'd be touched.
We might have hurried past this gorgeous work of Art to get to our books or the movie. Lord, don't let us ever miss a MasterPiece like this!
Our new friend told us that we have to tell this story. So if you'd like to offer a prayer or word of encouragement to him in a comment below, we'll be sure to share it with him. We know he'd be touched.
Have a blessed Epiphany
We hope you're having a wonderful celebration of the arrival of the Wise Men. As we close out the Christmas Season, we wanted to send you a report of the Lord's goodness as we experienced it in 2012...
For the first time we brought the MasterWorks theatre program to New York for performances Off-Broadway. You can find a full report at RichDrama.com/MWF.
This year I performed in two films (Christmas Grace and Beyond the Mask), performed, spoke and/or taught in 14 states, plus Toronto, Puerto Rico, Transylvania and London for a total of about 225 appearances. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and support through all of that!
My performance of Beyond the Chariots in Toronto was bookended by Ian Sadler playing the same pieces on the organ as he did in the Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire. To hear "Jerusalem" played as it had in the film, just before I walked out to perform my play about Eric Liddell, one of the main subjects of the film, was a very special moment indeed. Two of the daughters of Eric Liddell also spoke that evening, marking the fourth such performance, starting with Heather Ingham, Eric's middle daughter, speaking after an Off-Broadway performance in 2006. Heather found out I was performing the play at Trafalgar Castle School for girls the following Monday, and she was kind enough to speak there, as well.
The highlight of my time in Toronto was when Heather told me upon my arrival about the story told about her in Our Daily Bread, about how her faith had been "rekindled" through a prayer for her aunt which was instantly answered while they were in China preceding the 2008 Olympics, visiting the key places Eric and Flo Liddell had lived.
Puerto Rico, Transylvania and London were all during the two weeks of the Summer Olympics.
In Puerto Rico I taught with fellow board members of Christians in Theatre Arts at a conference for applied theatre practitioners. In London we had four performances in various parts of the city, and three were within five miles of the Olympic Pavillion. We were surprised that Transylvania was the highlight of the trip. We found ourselves laughing at everything, and it occurred to us that, in a land scarred by persecution, we were bringing healing through our laughter.
By the end of the second week of the Olympics we had reached people from 30 nations and every inhabited continent.
We're finalizing a documentary on how drama ministered to people across cultures and languages during the Olympics. Once that's finished, we'll post the announcement through our emailing: RichDrama.com/Updates.
Catch a sneak preview at CITA.org/PR12.
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| Four of our MasterWorks theatre students on Times Square after opening Off-Broadway. |
This year I performed in two films (Christmas Grace and Beyond the Mask), performed, spoke and/or taught in 14 states, plus Toronto, Puerto Rico, Transylvania and London for a total of about 225 appearances. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and support through all of that!
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| Rich with Ian Sadler, organist for Chariots of Fire. |
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| Rich with Eric Liddell's daughters and their husbands. |
Puerto Rico, Transylvania and London were all during the two weeks of the Summer Olympics.
In Puerto Rico I taught with fellow board members of Christians in Theatre Arts at a conference for applied theatre practitioners. In London we had four performances in various parts of the city, and three were within five miles of the Olympic Pavillion. We were surprised that Transylvania was the highlight of the trip. We found ourselves laughing at everything, and it occurred to us that, in a land scarred by persecution, we were bringing healing through our laughter.
By the end of the second week of the Olympics we had reached people from 30 nations and every inhabited continent.
We're finalizing a documentary on how drama ministered to people across cultures and languages during the Olympics. Once that's finished, we'll post the announcement through our emailing: RichDrama.com/Updates.
Catch a sneak preview at CITA.org/PR12.
Have a blessed 2013. Wherever you are in the world, I'd love to bring one of my one-man plays and/or workshops to your community: RichDrama.com.
 |
| At the Eric Liddell Legacy Breakfast with world-record breaking Olympic gold medalist Madeleine Manning Mimms, with whom I performed during the Beijing Olympics, and Ashley Null, who served as a chaplain during previous Olympics. |
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