2000 years ago, on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles went out into the streets to proclaim the Kerygma, the Good News, to the people. There were 3000 people who responded to Peter’s preaching (Acts 2:41).
Wow! The day of Pentecost is incredibly important to Christians because it’s the start of the church, but most Christians don’t celebrate Pentecost or even know about its significance.
Cross & Light is here to change that…
Cross & Light is very different than most Passion Plays or musicals like Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar. Besides being a theologically approved, proclamation of the Gospels that “sticks to the reverential source material like skin on bone,” we don’t end the show with Jesus’ death. Our finale takes place on the day of Pentecost.
During the finale of every performance, the man who plays the role of “Peter” proclaims the Good News to thousands of audience members, and their lives are literally transformed before our eyes.
Every show is a miracle waiting to happen!
But let’s back up for a minute and answer the question: “What is the Kerygma?”
The Kerygma refers to the initial and essential proclamation of the gospel message. The word appears nine times in the New Testament: once in Matthew (12:41), once in Mark (16:20), once in Luke (11:32), and six times in the letters of St. Paul (Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 1:21, 2:4, 15:14; 2 Tim. 4:17; and Titus 1:3). To put it simply, the Kerygma is the very heart of the gospel, the core message of the Christian faith that all believers are call to proclaim. (CatholicAnswers.com.)
Cross & Light is an authentic proclamation of the Good News for the 21st Century. It is powerful evangelism and modern musical theater combined into an immersive faith experience that emotionally engages people into the story of who Jesus is, what He did for us, and how He calls us to live! The people in the pews are no longer audience members; they become participants in the greatest love story of all time!
For those of us who have experienced Cross & Light, the presence of the Holy Spirit is especially intense in the last moments of the show.
After the standing ovation, the man who plays the role of “Jesus” asks the audience to sit for one last song. While the cast is singing, the audience is asked to make a decision: to repent and accept the love of God offered to us in Jesus Christ. This call is by far the most powerful moment in the show for everyone involved . . . including our cast and crew! You can literally feel the movement of the Holy Spirit like a wave over the people. And then you hear people crying from every part of the church.
Words fall short of describing this moment of grace.
After the cast leaves the altar area, an announcement is made encouraging people to go to confession. The doors of the confessionals fly open and the lines are incredible!
Research Results Consistent With Our Observations
Our Customer Experience Research Study in 2015 reported that 89% of people were emotionally moved during the event.
This number is critical because people who are emotionally moved tend to act!
That is why we make a point of asking people to make a decision, to repent and accept the love of God offered to us in Jesus Christ. This “ask” is a vital part of the kerygma.
Peter didn’t say to the people on the day of Pentecost, “Now that I’ve told you about Jesus, go home and think about it!”
No. He asked people to make a decision!
And we continue that tradition after every performance.
Prayer And Reconciliation After The Event
In addition to providing confession after the show, we also ask all Host Churches to provide trained prayer teams to be available after the show to pray with people and connect them with the life of the church and the community. We cannot stress the importance of this moment enough!
NOTE: We ask every Host Church to provide a minimum of two priests after each performance.