A school wide assembly yesterday proved entertaining for the St. John Lutheran students and staff. The Good News Players visiting from Minnesota made a stop at St. John on their road trip through Florida. The Good News Players started 20 years ago when Dr. Jeffrey Burkart, a professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, began writing Christian dramas for children. There were about 14 different plays in the theater in Minnesota for 10 years before the show began to travel. Each year, nine students are selected for the Good News Players along with their director, Dr. Burkart. Their goal is to bring people to Christ through their creative modern twists on biblical stories.
When the Good News Players came to St. John, they acted out seven very creative and well written bible dramas. Don’t Get Burned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was the first play that caught everyone’s attention. This was about the biblical characters Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s defiance against the king because they would not bow down to him. They knew God is the only One they should worship. This depiction also included wonderful singing and dancing. Follow That Star was the next play about the exciting journey of the three wise men going to visit baby Jesus. It showed the birth of Jesus with each actor playing a different role, whether they were the manger, the wise men, or even baby Jesus. The next play done was the Healing of the Ten Lepers about the time when Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to him to thank him. This was to show that we should be thankful to Jesus for dying on the cross for us. It also had a wonderful singing part where each leper told their story of their life after being cured. Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders was the fifth play acted out. This was about the parable Jesus told to show that we, as Christians, should build our foundation on the rock (Jesus) and not on the sand (worldly things). David and Goliath was the sixth play acted out for St. John today; it was about how David, a young Israelite, beat Goliath, a giant, with something as simple as a slingshot. David beat Goliath because of his massive faith in God. The seventh, and final, drama that was done was loved by the children of St. John, who found the donkey talking hilarious. The Good Samaritan was a drama about the story that Jesus told of the Good Samaritan who helped a dying Jew whom he found on the side of the road. This was to show that we, as Christians, should “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Each play was unique and different, and a great way to spread God's word.
The Good News Players are now touring all over Florida. They started in Orlando, and are going from the east coast of Florida to the west coast of Florida and finally back to Orlando, where they will fly back to their college in Minnesota. When asking what the teams favorite part of doing this, they answered collectively, “seeing the looks on the kid’s faces, spreading the gospel, and traveling.” St. John was extremely happy to have the Good News Players and everyone loved the creative show.
