With so much sadness in the world, it is often hard to find hope

Many first-century Jews found it hard to hope. In this presentation, Stephen invites you into a synagogue worship service in Antioch of Pisidia, a Roman City in Asia. This community’s ancestors had a long history of suffering, and they were finding it hard to trust in God’s promises of salvation and deliverance under Roman rule. To make matters worse, they had heard that hope was rising through two men in Jerusalem, John and Jesus, but that Jesus had been crucified. As a visitor named Paul speaks to those gathered in Antioch, however, hope begins to stir again.

Your congregation will experience a synagogue service of prayers, readings from the Law, and two Psalms, with Stephen taking on different characters for each. The performance culminates in Paul’s powerful presentation of the gospel of Jesus, who fulfills all the passages that were heard in the service, and who is the surprising, risen hope that they--and we--have been waiting for.  

Through this immersive and imaginative experience, your congregation can encounter Paul’s gospel presentation found in Acts 13 and experience with power how the first-century Jews in that synagogue may have received the gospel of Jesus. As you see parallels between the experiences of the original audience and your own lives, Paul’s words will expose your unfulfilled longings and hopes and challenge you with the scandalous and astonishing resurrection of Jesus. Everything is changing now.

Performer: Stephen Trafton
Runtime: 20 mins.