Middle School Musical Answers Deep Spiritual Questions

By: Jennifer Pedraza
Participating in the Fine Arts may look different for students this school year, but the show must go on! With new, innovative safeguards in place, Calvary Christian Academy’s Middle School Theatre students have been hard at work preparing a live musical for you and your family to enjoy. Mark your calendars for February 5-6 — Godspell JR is coming to CCA to share Jesus’ message of redemption, compassion, and love!

What if Jesus came to us face-to-face today? How would we respond to His call? What effect will His teaching and sacrifice have on our lives, our actions, and our world?

You’re invited to ponder these questions with me in a dazzling theatrical representation of the book of Matthew coming soon to the CCA Theatre.

When charged to select a musical that could be performed during a pandemic for my Middle School students, I quickly sensed that Godspell JR was the perfect choice. I love that the Gospel can be told through this musical in a fresh, new way that is both theatrical and heartfelt at the same time. The show’s theme of discipleship is also a great choice for us at Calvary Christian Academy, where our mission is to Make Disciples.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age. –Matthew 28:19-20

Around the globe, Godspell has been produced with every imaginable theme: circus, vaudeville, hippie, or even graffiti-ridden back-alley aesthetics. Regardless of the visual representation, the heart of the story revolves around Jesus’ teachings brought to life and the eternal impact He made in the lives of His disciples, both individually and collectively.

We have chosen a school setting for the Gospel story to unfold, as if Jesus has walked into our modern-day context with the same salvation message of his first coming. Our scene opens in an abandoned drama classroom where all of the various “types” of people you meet around a school find themselves drawn to Jesus. They discover costumes and props in this dusty old classroom and the space begins to transform and take on new life. The students, now disciples or followers of Jesus, help Him act out a variety of parables and lessons in imaginative ways, all while strengthening or testing their own faith.
I know that this production has caused me to ponder how closely I am following the Master in my daily walk with the Lord. My hope is that all who see and participate in this musical are equally reflective.
Are we more like the soloist of “Day by Day” in praying to follow Him more nearly, or are we falling into the trappings of Judas in pulling away from Jesus? Are we embracing the call to be a “Light of the World?” Or are we like the goats who choose to follow their own ways? Of course, when we stray, we are reminded to look at the parable of the Prodigal Son who got the second chance to return to his father.

On behalf of my cast and crew, I would like to invite you and your family to witness Jesus’ message of redemption, compassion, and love come vibrantly to life February 5-6, 2021 in the CCA Theatre. Click here to purchase tickets.

This show is open to the public, so be sure to invite family members and friends! In an effort to love and protect each other well, social distancing will be observed in the Theatre, and face coverings must be worn by guests at all times.

Thank you for supporting the Fine Arts and Christian education! May you be richly blessed.

 
Jennifer Pedraza has served as a middle school Theatre teacher at CCA for the last seven years. She is married and has a daughter named Noemi who attends CCA. Jennifer enjoys coffee, singing, and photography.
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