I’ve mentioned recently that I’m planning a production of Godspell with LVC Creative Arts in the spring…
There have been some questions about the show from friends, from production leaders that I have recruited and from my pastor…
Valid questions and concerns along with non-issues that grow out of a misunderstanding of the show’s actual content… some of the misunderstandings are centered around the 1973 film version of the show and some of them grow out of rumor and innuendo that has little ground in fact but has, nonetheless, persisted in evangelical and traditional Christian circles for nearly 40 years.
About a month ago, I jotted down a few thoughts in the form of a single post with the title, Defending the Godspell, but as the questions have piled up, I decided that it needs a bit more treatment than my typical 500-word format will allow… The single post has grown into a fairly protracted discussion that I have moved from the GodspellColorado website to this one for a number of reasons…
First, this is primarily a discussion between Christ-followers and the GodspellColorado site is primarily used to promote the show to non-believers… We Christians have a reputation in the world at-large for being argumentative and some of the issues with Godspell are polarizing among believers… I would rather have the “family” disagreement apart from the scrutiny of people who would not understand or care about the outcome of the discussion.
Secondly, I want to welcome the input of the community that has grown up around WorshipOnPurpose… The majority of the questions are going to come from a more theological worldview and I’d like to hear the thoughts of other artists and Christian leaders…
So, the first discussion is coming in a day or two… Prepare ye…
NEXT UP: Jesus in a Superman shirt… The controversy that I still don’t understand.
