You can perform at Carnegie Hall!

This morning Joyce and I joined New York Media Initiative for breakfast with Keith and Kristyn Getty. What a joy to hear their passion for the Lord and for honoring the many biblical mandates to sing unto the Lord. Keith said it doesn't matter how well you sing, just so long as you honor the Lord's commands to sing praises to His name. During the Q/A someone asked them where they get their inspiration for writing songs. He said it's a lot of hard work. Hymnals used to only select songs the publishers thought would still be sung 25 years into the future, and that's what they strive to do. She added that Keith is a collaborator, and is quick to draw others into the process of taking their hymns to the next level.

My question during Q/A was what they've picked for next year's global hymn sing. Last year I put together a short film of Olympic champion, Eric Liddell, reflecting on how he led the crowd at Waverly Station in singing "Jesus Shall Reign" before he left fame and fortune behind to serve China as a track coach, science teacher and missionary. I tell the rest of his Chariots of Fire story in my one-man play about Liddell, Beyond the Chariots. I was glad that, after their talk, I got to tell Keith and Kristyn about the short film and give them the link (www.RichDrama.com/EricLiddellHymnSing). Keith is a huge Eric Liddell fan, and that may be why he chose "Jesus Shall Reign," since he immediately acknowledged that he knew about Eric leading the crowd in that great hymn.

The Gettys are performing at Carnegie Hall tomorrow night (12/13), and they'll be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the writing of "Silent Night" by having Phil Keaggy (who you can see in my Compassion video) play it on guitar. It was the first hymn ever played on a guitar, because the church's pipe organ broke down. They'll be inviting the audience to sing along, which is how you can perform at Carnegie Hall. Hope you can join us!

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See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story in Beyond the Chariots. Watch it online and book a live performance.

Lessons About Grace

Since 2001 I've been a Freedom Finder for Graceworks. In this MAX talk our founder, Carol Doscher, shares how she got the name and founded the firm...

If you're getting this as an email you can watch the video at www.Blog.RichDrama.com.

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Registration is about to open for the 2019 Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Be sure to get the announcement.

Advent 1 -- The Word Became Flesh

This morning I got to open our service at Westchester Chapel. Pastor Jim Warren preaches on John 1:1-14, one of my very favorite passages, pointing out the unique nature of this opening to the fourth Gospel. He mentions human attempts to altar life. You can hear more examples at Dr. Michael Guillen's talk at Mastermedia. He was ABC News Science Editor, and through that post he appeared regularly on Good Morning America, 20/20, Nightline and World News Tonight.

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service:

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See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story in Beyond the Chariots. Watch it online and book a live performance.

Milk and Oranges

Here's our short student film from the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp in 2017...



"Milk and Oranges" is based on a true story told by Nathan Ashton, who shares seven film credits with me.

This marked Joyce's directorial debut:

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We're getting close to opening registration for next summer's Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Sign up for the announcement: www.RichDrama.com/Updates.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

I use Psalm 105:1-3 as an order of worship. To thank the Lord our community takes part in Enacted Praise. Joyce opens and prays Psalm 126 over the community.

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service and videos:



Here are our enacted praises:

Rich mentions some things he rediscovered about the original Thanksgiving in this short film, made by Heirloom Audio, which produced an audio drama Rich performed in.



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.

If you want to more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.

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We're getting close to opening registration for the 2019 Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Don't miss the announcement!

The Word Reveals

This morning I got to pray over Joyce's teaching at Westchester Chapel. She teaches on Psalm 119: 65-72. The world makes sense when you see how the Lord deals with us through his Word! Are you listening to the world or to the Word? Pastor Joyce refers to her husband Rich Swingle's play I Dreamed I Was Free.

Dr. Linda Warren opens, Rich prays over the sermon, Rebekah W. introduces our craft for our Operation Christmas Child boxes, and Thomson M. prays over the boxes.

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service:



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.

Since we've been in the Book of Psalms so much during this sermon series, we thought this might be a good time to share this video from The Bible Project...

We packed our boxes for Operation Christmas Child today, and we watched this moving story about how a box impacted a life...
Posted by Westchester Chapel on Sunday, November 18, 2018

If you want to more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.

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I Dreamed I Was Free tells the story of Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, who spoke against slavery a century before the Civil War in America.

Return on Investment

Students of the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp study training videos before arriving, so once they're there we can jump straight into making a short film. This year's project was just posted, and you can see it below, or if you're reading this in an email, visit www.RichDrama.com/ReturnOnInvestment.

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The dates have been set for the 2019 Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Mark your calendars for June 23-29, and sign up to get the announcement that registration is open.

Jonathan Edwards and Great Awakenings

I recently did a workshop in Albuquerque, NM, (my 43rd state in which I've performed and/or taught). Afterward people told me how encouraged they were by things I said in the Q/A following the workshop about how the Lord is moving in NYC. I mentioned that Tony Cairnes of the Values Research Institute told a gathering that in the wake of 9/11 there was so much church growth that there have been more churches per capita than since the 1940s. I told them about the the work of Christian Union on the campuses of all eight Ivy League universities. They were curious why more people don't know about it, so I thought I'd post the following draft I started in March...

Every year since 2007 I've had the opportunity and privilege of teaching a workshop at Princeton University. This year I was told by a friend in my discipleship group that the cemetery was not to be missed. So I trudged through the snow to President's Row, where I found, among many luminaries, the tombstone that drew me most: Jonathan Edwards. He was the third president of Princeton, though he was only in office a few months before a smallpox epidemic swept the town. Being a man of science as well as what some consider to be the greatest theologian in American history, he was inoculated against the disease. Unfortunately, in 1758 the inoculation went awry, and his body was ravaged by the disease, killing him in his prime.

I knew of Jonathan Edwards not because he presided over Princeton (a surprise to me), but because he was at the heart of the Great Awakening of the 1740s. There have been a number of Great Awakenings in the US. These were periods in which there were extensive revivals pulling our nation back to the God in Whom we trust.

It was interesting to me to stand at Edwards' tomb on what feels like the eve of our next Great Awakening. The largest student body group on the Princeton campus is the Christian Union. The last I knew they had over 400 students there and a presence on all eight Ivy League campuses. When I spoke on a panel at their Congress on Faith and Action, hosted by Harvard, it blew me away to see about five hundred students from all eight campuses worshiping the Lord with all of their might, not only in their vibrant praise songs, but also in their life commitments to use their prestigious degrees to serve the Kingdom of God around the world.

Now Christian Union is moving beyond the ivy covered walls into the nation at large, challenging all to join the Great Experiment. Joyce and I were a part of it in the fall and it brought our spiritual lives new vitality. [Note from the present: We've been a part of all three Great Experiments they've hosted, and there are more to come: www.DayAndNight.org.]

There are five commitments in the Great Experiment:

1. Spending 30 minutes every morning reading the Bible and praying, and also spending time in the evening doing the same (Luke 18:1-8).

2. Consciously repenting every day of all known sin and putting away everything that may hinder our devotion to Christ (Hebrews 12:1, 2).

3. Seeking God in the morning for the thing the Holy Spirit most desires for us to do that day, writing it down and following up that day (Psalm 143:10).

4. Looking to share Christ every day and speaking about Christ publicly (Acts 1:8).

5. (For those participating in groups) Meeting once a week for encouragement and accountability (in-person, skype, or conference call), and staying in touch during the week through whatever works best, e.g. group text, email, etc. (Hebrews 10:24-27).

We experienced such amazing stories of the Lord's guidance through this process, and through the group gatherings heard that the Lord was at work in mighty ways in other lives as well. Sign up for the next Great Experiment at www.DayAndNight.org.

These commitments were employed by Jeannine Brabon, a student at Asbury College, in 1969 with a handful of friends. Then each of those students invited a handful of friends to participate in a new group, and then the whole campus was invited to sign up, and about 200 did. Then one day those students shared in chapel what the Lord was doing in their lives, and it went for eight days straight, 24 hours a day. The presence of the Lord was so thick that no one wanted to leave!

With the brightest students in the land leading the way at Princeton and all of the Ivy League colleges and beyond taking part in these commitments, who knows how soon it will be before the next Great Awakening will sweep our land. We certainly need it. Let's pray for it day and night!

You can see footage from the chapel during the second day of revival as well as a talk from the Asbury president at the time, Dr. Dennis Kinlaw here (if you're receiving this in an email visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com):



Here's Jeannine Brabon's account of what happened at the Asbury Revival of 1970, speaking on Asbury's campus shortly after they had a fresh revival in 2006 (if you're receiving this in in an email visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com):

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Sign up for the announcement that registration is open for next summer's Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

The Adventum, Volume 1

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.

And, it's available now: TheAdventum.com.

Here are the roles I played:

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:

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Sign up to get the announcement for the 2019 Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

The Word Guards

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.

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service:



Here are the photos Pastor Jim mentions in his opening:



Here's a film Rich Swingle helped create with the students of the Lamplighter Guild for Creative Disciplines, which shows the two paths Pastor Jim mentions:



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.

If you want to more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.

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I play a lead in Providence, which you can bring to your area.

Friend Interviews Friend

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.

So here are the interview time slots:

Sunday 8:40AM
Monday 9:40PM
Tuesday 1:40PM
Wednesday 8:40AM
Thursday 9:40PM
Saturday 7:40AM

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.”  

Here's an interview I did with Tony that day, December 11, 2016. Click the arrow below, or if you're receiving this in an email visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com (10/22).



Find out more about Tony's incredible worldwide ministry at www.TheSolidRock.org.

Here's more about our trip to Cuba: www.RichDrama.com/Cuba.

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See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story in Beyond the Chariots. Watch it online and book a live performance.

The Word Endures

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:

Psalm 2
Psalm 16
Psalm 18
Psalm 20 (for Pastors Jim and Linda Warren and our government leadership)
Psalms 56-60
Psalm 91
Psalm 126
Psalm 133

Pastor Jim Warren opens the service and addresses coveting.

Click the arrow below, or if you're reading this in an email you can click this link, to play the service:



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.



If you want to more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ visit www.WestchesterChapel.org/Salvation.

Photo courtesy of NicolettiPhoto.com.

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See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story in Beyond the Chariots. Watch it online and book a live performance.

Searching for Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland

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...

If you're receiving this via email, visit www.Blog.RichDrama.com to watch the video.



Click here for photos we took in Zürich, St. Gallen and Wildhaus, Switzerland.

For more stories from this eight-nation trip, click EuroTour2018.

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A Clear Leading tells the story of Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, who spoke against slavery a century before our Civil War.

Dr. Michael Guillen's Talk at Mastermedia

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.

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A Clear Leading tells the story of Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, who spoke against slavery a century before our Civil War.

Science and God

Our friend Eric Metaxas shows that expanding technology reduces the plausibility that the universe could have existed without a Creator.




Eric allowed us to use his testimony when we were performing in Sochi during the 2014 Olympics: Eric Metaxas' Story of the Fish. We had it translated to several languages on www.WhoistheFish.com.

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See the rest of Olympic champion Eric Liddell's Chariots of Fire story in Beyond the Chariots. Watch it online and book a live performance.

Hollywood Divine International Film Festival

I'm at the Hollywood Divine International Film Festival near Harrisburg, PA. If you can't make it, you can actually start watching films before we do! Most of them are available online through October 17.

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). 

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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.