Good news . . . bad news

Posted on October 5, 2015 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

I have some really good news and some (sort of) bad news.

The good news is that I have seen the play “Amazing Grace” and it is very much worth seeing. It is playing now at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City.

The play is a musical which tells the story of John Newton, the writer of the hymn Amazing Grace.

I am not a drama critic, nor am I frequent attender of Broadway plays. But from my limited exposure to such, I think that Amazing Grace is well done. The acting, music, sets and staging are all top notch.

The bad news is that the play is closing on October 25th. Why? That is an interesting question.

I have been told that when it played in Connecticut, it was a success. When it played in Chicago, it was also a success. For some reason, New Yorkers have not taken to seeing the play in sufficient numbers to allow the production to continue in that city (I’m not making a judgment of New Yorkers here, I’m just trying to state the facts).

The play presents the Gospel in the beauty of changed lives and presents the power of God to influence culture in a positive way. Unlike some other Christian media endeavors, it does not do so in a heavy handed way. The story itself is a demonstration of the Gospel lived out. The Gospel message flows from the story.

My understanding is that the producers will take the play on the road, which is good news for the cities in which it will be produced. So, if it comes anywhere near where you live, I heartily encourage you to see it.

So, if New York is an option for you to get to, I strongly urge you to see the play before it closes. If it is not, then watch to see if it comes to a city near you. You will not be disappointed if you go.

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

On the need for the intercession of saints

An article in the Huffington Post regarding the elevation of Marianne Cope prompted an examination of the need to pray to saints. What are we saying about the character of God when we teach that it is necessary to ask the saints to intercede on our behalf?

Blending In or Sticking Out: What Should Christians Do?

This is a guest post by Adam Durnham. If you are curious about publishing a guest post, please review the guest post guidelines. Then contact me if you can work within those guidelines and would like to submit a post. As Christians, we are called to fish for men. This means going out of our […]

Counterfeits and the real thing

The fact that evil deeds have been done by those who claim allegiance to Christ is a criticism that is sometimes raised against Christianity. In thinking about a response to this critique, it dawned on me that anything of value is likely to be counterfeited. The presence of the counterfeit is a backhanded compliment and speaks to the value of the original.

Mr. Miyagi’s Little Trees

It starts with seeking God in the deep places and growing down. The upward growth will happen almost on its own. We need to seek deeper roots in our own lives, in small clusters of believers who want more, and little by little in the way we think and talk and value things as entire congregations and as the global Church.

Up or down – Elevation or False Humility

The Apostle Paul enjoins us to think others more important than ourselves. We can either elevate others or practice false humility.

On dealing with the chaos

There are days when the dysfunction and brokenness of the world can be overwhelming. Gardens grow weeds, governments migrate toward tyranny and rejection of the moral law seems to be the order of the day. In thinking about this today, a song lyric started running through my head . . .

Share

About Mark McIntyre