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.