Tonight's rehearsal for Christmas: A Twitter Reenactment

Here's an excerpt from tonight's rehearsal for our Thursday night performance of Christmas: A Twitter Reenactment.  Read from the bottom up:
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Go. To. Bed. @
 Melchior 
God was the Spirit hovering over the deep, and if we follow that star I believe we will discover God's very Son, come to earth. 
 Melchior 
You can't get more ancient than that! God said, "Let us make mankind in OUR image." God was the Father of all life. 
 Melchior 
Can't sleep. Thinking about what @ said. WAIT! God isn't lonely! The Hebrew scriptures say, "In the beginning..." 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
The Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the world, given to us by the gods. Not just one lonely god who spoke only to Abraham. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
But don't think you're going to convince me that the Hebrews know more than our ancestors. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
As you say, my friend. It is good to call this night complete and join poor tired Balthazar in his slumber. 
 Melchior 
I'll tell you in the morning. 
 Melchior 
Sleep on that @. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Well, there aren't any scepters in the skies, my friend, @
 Caspar Gondofarr 
But serious, @ why should the writings of a band of nomads from the West have any bearing on our lives? 
 Melchior 
Oh! I forgot to finish the blessing! This is one of them: "A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel."
 Melchior 
It is getting late. Perhaps we should join Balthezar in a snooze.
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Too late. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Oh, gods, here we go again. Next he'll be quoting the Torah or the Kethuvim 
 Melchior 
...mouth with blessings.
 Melchior 
This is one of them: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near -- a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out...
 Melchior 
Judea! I knew it! Moses tells how Baalam was called from our land to curse the Hebrew people, but the God of Israel would only fill his...
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Well, @, it's ah, to the West of us. If I have the coordinates right, somewhere around, eh, Judea. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Your ancestor maybe, @.
 Caspar Gondofarr 
@, I have discovered a new star - located to the west of us. A star that appears to not move with the earth. 
 Melchior 
Balthezar is sawing enough logs for us to keep this fire blazing for hours. 
 Melchior 
You go first. Please. Since you have called us together. 
 Melchior 
My favorite tells how our ancestor Abraham cut a covenant with the King of Heaven. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Do Tell? Please @, are we going to discuss this Hebrew nonsense again? I have a great discovery to share with you. 
 Melchior 
There are hundreds of prophesies foretelling a coming Messiah.
 Melchior 
Caspar, I've discovered something in the Hebrew writings.
 Caspar Gondofarr 
I believe that I have pinpointed the origin of this new star - which will only encourage @ with his Hebrew nonsense.
 Melchior 
Caspar, I have something to tell you.
 Caspar Gondofarr 
I really wish Balthazar would wake up. He is much help in mediating between myself and @ 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
It always comes down to science vs religion - although with @, they seem to be synonymous. 
 Melchior 
But now I've found something...
 Melchior 
Worshipping rats, trees, wind... that was just, well, chasing the wind.
 Melchior 
That other group carried huge metal houses by hooks that dug into their flesh. Uch!
 Caspar Gondofarr 
I have no idea why he keeps insisting that their stories of Yahweh and our Vendengan studies are related. 
 Melchior 
There was that time I was asked to stand on one foot for 24 hours. That did nothing for me.
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Perhaps I will just discuss it tonight with @, although he will probably start ranting about the Hebrews again
 Melchior 
I tried so many different religions! Maybe all my dead-ends convinced them religion wasn't worth pursuing.
 Melchior 
If only I could convince them that there is more to the world than what you can see or touch. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
And now Balthazar is dozing off anyways. And we wonder why some think us stodgy and boring. 
 Melchior 
He and Caspar are so dear. I'm glad Caspar has brought us together once again.
 Melchior 
Balthezar makes the best fires.
 Caspar Gondofarr 
I want to tell @ and Balthazar, but I am unsure as to how they will react. Gods know we've not always seen eye to eye 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Or perhaps it is the conflagration of two or more stars shining brighter than I have seen before. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
A new celestial being has appeared in the sky over the Western world. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
I thought I knew everything there was to study about the night sky, but once again the gods laugh at my ignorance. 
 Caspar Gondofarr 
Ah, Balthazar has the fire roaring. Time to relax and unwind with my two good friends. 

Thomas Tornado Tinglehoop and the Three Christmas Clues

In 2003 our pastor, Jim Warren, and I wrote a kids' book which he illustrated: Thomas Tornado Tinglehoop and the Three Christmas Clues.  Though the book is out of print, I'm going to bring it back to life by performing the story with the illustrations splashed on the screen behind me.

Christmas Eve Service
Westchester Chapel
5:30-7pm


Listen to a brief sample of Thomas Tornado Tinglehoop and the Three Christmas Clues.



We loved it! The kids go around saying the name of that pie,
and have read and looked at it over and over. Stephen especially
liked how you did all the voices. We will continue to enjoy it,
many thanks.
--Karen Hill

MWF alum directed the dramatic elements of Wonder

Joyce and I got to see a Christmas concert Saturday night with monologues of a shepherd dealing with who he was in the scheme of life and in light of, well, Light.





My Twitter Rehearsal

Here's an excerpt from tonight's rehearsal for our Thursday night performance of Christmas: A Twitter Reenactment.  Read from the bottom up:


JosephEarthDad9:38pm via Web
That inn looks like a possibility...
VirginMaryJesus9:38pm via Web
@JosephEarthDad - Please stop tweeting, dear. Ask the owner of a home. Oh, another contraction! #catr
JosephEarthDad9:37pm via Web
And now that we know, who our child is, how can it be that we're being left out in the cold?
JosephEarthDad9:37pm via Web
But he was real nice. Scared me to death, actually.
JosephEarthDad9:37pm via Web
My angel was called Clarence.
JosephEarthDad9:36pm via Web
Well, not THE angel. Gabriel himself visited Mary: the same angel that announced the coming Messiah to Daniel.
VirginMaryJesus9:36pm via Web
@JosephEarthDad - I think I need to stop traveling. NOW. The labor pay - pain, pains... #catr
JosephEarthDad9:36pm via Web
And then the angel visited me!
JosephEarthDad9:35pm via Web
But I did wonder how she could betray me. How something like that could happen when we were so close!
JosephEarthDad9:35pm via Web
I NEVER considered having her stoned.
JosephEarthDad9:34pm via Web
I love her so much.
JosephEarthDad9:34pm via Web
I certainly didn't want her stoned to death!
JosephEarthDad9:33pm via Web
I was going to arrange a quiet divorce.
JosephEarthDad9:33pm via Web
I was looking suspiciously at every friend we both knew!
JosephEarthDad9:33pm via Web
That was a bit much for me to hear. Know what I mean?
VirginMaryJesus9:33pm via Web
(humming - Silent Night)....#catr
JosephEarthDad9:32pm via Web
She said this angel told her she was chosen by God to deliver his child.
JosephEarthDad9:32pm via Web
I had quite a time with the news when I first heard about it.
JosephEarthDad9:32pm via Web
@zach_the_priest We both knew this pregnancy was from the Lord. Well, Mary knew before I did.



Overwhelming positive response

After screening A Christmas Snow at our church, Westchester Chapel, there were so many positive comments. One woman said she thought it would just be a sweet little Christmas film, but didn't expect it to be so powerful. Another woman went through the cast list saying she identified with so many of the characters for very specific reasons. But the one that really blew me away was a man who shared that his wife asked him to leave, and after he honored her request and moved out, she told their daughters that he had abandoned them. He's giving copies of A Christmas Snow to both of his girls and--as the film inspires--hopes to reconcile with them this Christmas.

These are my closing remarks after the screening...

This mini-message is available for download on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast.  Search for "Rich and Joyce Swingle" in the iTunes Store, or click here.

Pawn's Move Trailer

Pawn's Move, in which I play Sheriff Hanson, has just posted their first trailer...

Merry Noelle

I just received the following note and artwork from the daughter of some long-time friends. I was so encouraged by it, especially since Noelle hasn't seen me perform in years!

Cut for a cause


I had a mini-MasterWorks reunion at Rockefeller Plaza with Patricia Mauceri and Kayla Winston, cut her hair to donate it for wigs for Cancer patients who have lost their hair, in honor of her father who is fighting against it now.

The Shepherd King

Posted to the blog of our church, Westchester Chapel...

Pastor Joyce Swingle launches the Coming King sermon series, preaching on Isaiah 40:9-11.

Closing comments by Bill Huisman, closing prayer by Pastor Jim Warren.

This sermon is available for download on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.

Our church's sermon's are now going to be on iTunes

I finally figured out how to put our church's sermon's on iTunes. To find Joyce's sermons and those by other members of our pastoral team click here or search for Westchester Chapel in the iTunes Store. While you're there, sign up for the podcast, which you can do by dragging the following chicklet into iTunes.
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The Trial

Joyce and I loved The Trial. It was cast by Beverly Holloway, who used scenes from the film to coach our MasterWorks students for on-camera auditions, so it was great to see those scenes fully produced.