Sheffield CU: One of the Highlights of 2018!

Uncover Mark: a brilliant start

So Christian Unions are being encouraged to put on their own productions of the Mark Drama, to help CU members to ask their friends to read Mark’s Gospel with them. At the beginning of December I directed for a joint team from the two main CUs in Sheffield: this was the first Mark Drama as part of Uncover Mark. Charlie, a first-time director, was directing with me.

And it was stunning.

I travelled up to Sheffield with high hopes, but all my expectations were surpassed. Alex, who was playing Jesus, had done a brilliant job learning the lines: he was fluent and spoke these amazing words of Jesus with authority.

And the whole team threw themselves into the whole thing. I think that very early on in the first rehearsal they were experiencing the power of the Gospel, which is obviously very motivating. It was brilliant to see it all taking shape.

On the Monday and Tuesday evenings they produced two very strong performances. There were around 130 there on Monday, and perhaps 85 on Tuesday, with lots of visitors both times. And they were gripped, so much so that when we got to the last section, with the last supper, Gethsemane, the arrest, the trials and the cross, the audience was still and the silence was intense.

This Sheffield Mark Drama was one of the major highlights of 2018 for me: I am astonished at how the Lord was at work, both in the rehearsals and in the performances. I thank God for these two CUs, for the Mark Drama team, and for the power of the gospel story.

And for the miracles he is doing in students’ hearts.

Mark Drama in Reading

This was a massive highlight for me.

I was directing for Kennet Valley Free Church. The team age-range went from 16 up to 70 (I’m guessing here, so I may be offending some of my readers!): the challenge for me was that we had no one between the ages of 22 and 34.

But they were brilliant: loads of focus and commitment. And Charlie, who was playing Jesus and who had never seen Mark Drama, was superb: he had learnt the Jesus words incredibly well and spoke them out so you could feel the authority in them, and he was very quick at every point of the rehearsals to get what I was looking for.

And Section Six, which includes Gethsemane, the arrest, the trials and the crucifixion, was astonishingly powerful. I was moved in the rehearsals as well as in both performances.

As were many who came to experience the Mark Drama themselves.

Please thank God with me for the power of the Gospel. And let’s pray for fruit that will make eternity different!

Looking for volunteers!

In August there will be 3 Mark Drama performances at UCCF’s FORUM here in England. It will be directed by Andrew Page and will be rehearsed in Southampton and then the team will travel to FORUM in Oswestry.

Here is where you can help. Are you a student interested in going to FORUM? Are you a student and could help us by being in the Mark Drama team? If you are interested do let us know! And feel free to pass this on to others who you think might be! This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in something that is powerful to be a part of and show it to students from across the U.K.!

Some details:

  • August 25 – Southampton – afternoon rehearsal
  • August 26 – Southampton – afternoon rehearsal
  • August 27- Southampton- all day rehearsal
  • August 28 – travel to FORUM in Oswestry
  • August 29, 30, 31- performances

Mark Drama in Oxford: wondrous

The Oxford Pastorate work among postgraduate students.

Every Mark Drama I am involved in is powerful. There is so much power in this story.

But this production was wondrous.

The team worked so hard in rehearsals and were very quick to see what I was looking for as I directed. And Jon, who was playing Jesus, knew the words incredibly well: it makes such a difference when the Jesus actor is able to speak these astonishing words fluently.

The whole drama gripped the audience at our performances. But Section Six’s Gethsemane and crucifixion scenes were extraordinarily powerful.

So thank you if you prayed for this production. Please pray for fruit in people’s lives which will make eternity different.

And pray for the director too: I feel like I’m 64!