Using Drama in Worship
At first thought, many people quickly assume that drama and worship are two separate entities. One exists within the poignant moments of a Last Supper scene at Easter time, the other within a fifteen-minute window between the welcoming announcements and the offering. While both involve music to some respect, pageants are set to carefully orchestrated songs, worship is almost always accompanied by any array of instruments, and that's where the similarities end. Drama is meant to entertain. Worship is designed to minister. Correct? If you answered yes, then I know a whole bevy of drama directors who would love to throw the book at you right about now.
Yes, drama does entertain. It reaches beyond the conventional parameters of preaching a message to actually acting out the Gospel in a unique way that can shed new light on age-old dilemmas. For instance, take the commission Christ left with us in Mark 16. How many sermons have we heard on the subject? We know that Christ called us to witness to the lost, but we just don't always know what that entails. Let's say your pastor is preaching on this text, and you want to bring a live illustration to your congregation. You could use the script entitled, "Can I Get a Witness?" written by Troy Schmidt, which is a hilarious take on the different, quite absurd ways a person may literally go about witnessing (and eventually losing a person forever). It offers, within six minutes, the do's and don’ts of leading a person to Christ. A short sermon of sorts, but one that leaves plenty of room for your pastor to introduce his teaching for that day. With the proper tools offered by Drama Ministry and a solid drama director, you can take your congregation into a new realm of worship with drama.
If your church is not currently using drama as part of your worship service, you could be missing out on a valuable ministry tool. A well-planned and carefully rehearsed drama or comedy can evoke a timely message that serves as a catalyst to reach a large segment of your congregation that not even the most popular of worship choruses may penetrate. We all worship differently. Think outside the box about ways that you could expand your worship focus. Discuss with your pastor his openness to allowing something new during your services. Start small but think huge. Learning how to intertwine drama and worship could be the greatest merger your church has ever undertaken.