'JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR'... AND HIS STARRY-EYED BRIDE! - HOW THE STAGE SHOW REFLECTS THE CHURCH OF TODAY!

A few days ago, my wife and I went to see the big touring production of Rice-Webber's 'Jesus Christ Superstar' at the New Theatre in Cardiff, having been given tickets as a Christmas present. 

Whilst it was of course highly questionable as to how the Person and ministry of Jesus was being portrayed, I was at least pleased to see that - unlike the film version, which ended at the Crucifixion - the show did actually feature the Resurrection. But something was niggling away at me as I was watching the performance, and it was not particularly the issue of how correctly or erroneously the subject matter itself was being interpreted. It was something else. Something I was being shown. About the Faith. Something profoundly important and having considerable contemporary relevance...

And then it dawned on me what it was: it was the sheer, basic fact that what I was witnessing was a STAGED PRODUCTION. 

Let me elaborate...

'Jesus Christ Superstar' is a carefully constructed piece of musical theatre. It is a lavish production, a performance for an audience, a spectacle and an entertainment. Song and dance, orchestration and choreography, acting and action, sound and lighting and a set and props; lead roles, supporting cast and a chorus... A SHOW!

It can indeed provide an emotional experience, it can indeed impact upon our senses, but it's not REALITY. It's just an escapist, entertaining evening out. It's BASED on the reality of Jesus and His glorious Gospel, but it's NOT the real Jesus and it's NOT the authentic Gospel. It's essentially all about ENJOYMENT and having a good time. It's just a SHOW, a STAGED PRODUCTION, that merely uses a convincing painted backcloth of reality to create a grand ILLUSION for an admiring audience. It's theatre. Successful theatre. But it's only THEATRE!

AND THIS IS WHAT THE PROFESSING CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST HAS SO VERY LARGELY ALSO BECOME!  IT CAN INDEED PROVIDE AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE, IT CAN INDEED IMPACT UPON OUR SENSES, BUT IT'S NOT REALITY. IT'S JUST AN ESCAPIST, ENTERTAINING EVENING OUT. IT'S BASED ON THE REALITY OF JESUS AND HIS GLORIOUS GOSPEL, BUT IT'S NOT THE REAL JESUS AND IT'S NOT THE AUTHENTIC GOSPEL. IT'S ESSENTIALLY ALL ABOUT ENJOYMENT AND HAVING A GOOD TIME. IT'S JUST A SHOW, A STAGED PRODUCTION, THAT MERELY USES A CONVINCING "PAINTED BACKCLOTH" OF REALITY TO CREATE A GRAND ILLUSION FOR AN ADMIRING CONGREGATION. IT'S THEATRE. "SUCCESSFUL" THEATRE. BUT IT'S ONLY THEATRE!

These days, countless churches have so much more in common with 21st. century Broadway and the West End, than with the 1st. century honest-to-goodness, down-to-earth and righteous practice of the Faith. They love their auditoriums, their stages, their impressive lighting rigs and multi-channel sound mixers, their loud-and-proud "worship" bands, their state-of-the-art projection machines, their whole carefully-constructed, seeker-friendly, entertaining, "culturally relevant" SPECTACLES... where the Word of God has essentially been superseded by a man-written script, designed to deliver the desired glitz and glamour: an "experience." They have their leads with their star-billing, their supporting cast, their chorus and their audience: the starry-eyed Bride with the ready and rapturous applause.

But it's only a show. It's only theatre. And when the curtains close and the house lights go up, the performance is over for another night of the run.

IT WAS NEVER THE REAL THING. IT WAS ONLY EVER MAKE-BELIEVE...

"... and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?"

(Jeremiah 5:31)

Should this be the sign on YOUR church?