Hartselle church melds past, present in sacrament

The Lord’s Supper took an unusual turn recently at West Hartselle Baptist Church, Hartselle, in Morgan Baptist Association. Special guests from the first century sat at a table at the front of the sanctuary and partook of the Passover meal as the congregation mirrored their actions. 
  
The Living Lord’s Supper featured church members acting out the biblical account of Jesus’ last supper with His apostles prior to His arrest and crucifixion. 
  
Over the years, some Alabama Baptist churches have used this unusual Lord’s Supper preparation to connect visually the taking of the bread and cup with their origins to underscore the sacrament’s meaning for church members.
  
Drama director Nora Smith said the idea came from a sermon preached by Pastor Jack Redfearn.
  
“He preached on Jesus’ prayer at Passover, and it just grabbed my heart,” she said. “The prayer was not just for the ones who were there but also for the ones who were to come later. That’s you and me.”
  
Brannon Hollingsworth approached playing the role of Jesus prayerfully.
  
“I thought about the relationship aspect. When you walk with men, you form a bond,” Hollingsworth said. “These men were His friends. He loved them and Jesus knew what they were facing.” 
  
In the play, Jesus had the only speaking parts, with lines put together straight from the Gospels, primarily from Luke’s and John’s accounts. 
  
At the first rehearsal, Smith suggested that all of the actors read through the accounts of the last supper in the Gospels.
  
Hollingsworth said he realized he needed to read the Scriptures more carefully so he reread all four Gospels. 
  
The Lord’s Supper for the congregation was integrated into the play. 
  
After Jesus blessed the bread, the action onstage froze momentarily for the pastor to bless the bread. 
  
The choir sang while the bread was passed out to the congregation and Jesus went to each apostle and gave him bread to eat. A similar format accompanied the cup.
 
What did the cast hope to accomplish?
  
According to Hollingsworth, “Our prayer was for whatever God wanted to happen. We hoped someone would take away some knowledge, some new perception or a desire to serve God.” (TAB)