J
jim1130
Guest
Last night, as part of a season-series, I attended the musical production of “The Rock and the Rabbi” in Oklahoma City. Anyone else see it? I was truly offended by what I perceived as subtle, but blatant, omission of significant passages of scripture that supports Catholic doctrine. In a sense, I found the production anti-Catholic in its presentation. It presented itself as a story of the relationship between Jesus and St. Peter, but the overall weakness of the story line and the sappy musical songs and accompaniment made it nothing more than a lengthy fundamentalist sermon.
How so?
In the opening scene, the narrator, who also doubled as St. Peter (although there was another St. Peter who did the singing), said that when St. Andrew took Simon to see Christ for the first time that Christ said to Simon “You are now named Peter, the Rock,” and walked away without saying anything else. The narrator discussed the confusion of being renamed without an explanation. When did THAT happen in Scripture, that Christ changed Simon’s name to Peter then walked away without another word?
Later, the narrator discusses the name change again, but this time elaborated a little more saying “Your name is Rock and upon this rock I will build my church,” but stops short of adding the important “keys of heaven” and “bounded and loosed” verses.
During the Last Supper, the narrator states that Jesus held up the bread and said “Do this in remembrance of me.” No mention of “this is my body.” For the cup, the narrator said was “This is the cup of the new covenant.” No mention of “this is my blood.” Two significant moments of the last supper, yet completely ignored.
Naturally, there was absolutely no reference in the production to John 6.
In Christ’s agony in the garden, Christ asks God to “take the cup away,” but no explanation or mention of why “cup” is referenced at all. As I understand, the ritual of the Passover required drinking four times, but during the Last Supper there were only three with the fourth representative of Christ’s sacrifice.
On the resurrection, when Mary reported Jesus was not in the tomb, the narrator states that St. Peter and St. John ran to the tomb and that St. Peter entered and then St. John entered. For me, the symbolism that St. John arrived to the tomb first, but, out of respect and deference to St. Peter’s rank among the Apostles, waited for and allowed St. Peter to enter first, thereby indicating St. Peter’s rank among the Apostles.
Later, when Christ appeared in the room with the Apostles, the narrator said that “Christ breathed upon them and told them to go forth” without mentioning the forgiveness of sins verses.
By then, I was so disgusted with the pious and sanctimonious flavor of this “professional” production (?) I could not wait for it to end so that I could leave. It made sick to see people stand and applaud at the end of the show. How did they buy into it? Well, for starters, in Oklahoma most of the people are Baptists and Fundamentalists so the message presented reinforced their interpretations. Fortunately, it was only a 90-minute show without an intermission so its interminable duration was not lengthened by a break.
It also offended me that St. Peter was presented and characterized as a bumbling and pathetic clown, fool, and imbecile with absolutely no backbone. The narrator over emphasized St. Peter’s weaknesses (what really stood out was the heavy emphasis on the verses when Christ said to St. Peter “Get behind me, Satan; you are thinking not as of God, but as of man” and as a babbling incoherent Apostle when he suggested tents be erected during the Transfiguration).
Afterwards, I wanted to speak to someone about this presentation, but what would have been the purpose? This was nothing more than an evangelical misrepresentation with subtle digs against Catholicism because not only of the glaring omissions of significant New Testament verses that would have reinforced Catholicism, but the portrayal of St. Peter as so week and indecisive it hinted that St. Peter was not a person to emulate or lead Christ’s Church on earth.
How so?
In the opening scene, the narrator, who also doubled as St. Peter (although there was another St. Peter who did the singing), said that when St. Andrew took Simon to see Christ for the first time that Christ said to Simon “You are now named Peter, the Rock,” and walked away without saying anything else. The narrator discussed the confusion of being renamed without an explanation. When did THAT happen in Scripture, that Christ changed Simon’s name to Peter then walked away without another word?
Later, the narrator discusses the name change again, but this time elaborated a little more saying “Your name is Rock and upon this rock I will build my church,” but stops short of adding the important “keys of heaven” and “bounded and loosed” verses.
During the Last Supper, the narrator states that Jesus held up the bread and said “Do this in remembrance of me.” No mention of “this is my body.” For the cup, the narrator said was “This is the cup of the new covenant.” No mention of “this is my blood.” Two significant moments of the last supper, yet completely ignored.
Naturally, there was absolutely no reference in the production to John 6.
In Christ’s agony in the garden, Christ asks God to “take the cup away,” but no explanation or mention of why “cup” is referenced at all. As I understand, the ritual of the Passover required drinking four times, but during the Last Supper there were only three with the fourth representative of Christ’s sacrifice.
On the resurrection, when Mary reported Jesus was not in the tomb, the narrator states that St. Peter and St. John ran to the tomb and that St. Peter entered and then St. John entered. For me, the symbolism that St. John arrived to the tomb first, but, out of respect and deference to St. Peter’s rank among the Apostles, waited for and allowed St. Peter to enter first, thereby indicating St. Peter’s rank among the Apostles.
Later, when Christ appeared in the room with the Apostles, the narrator said that “Christ breathed upon them and told them to go forth” without mentioning the forgiveness of sins verses.
By then, I was so disgusted with the pious and sanctimonious flavor of this “professional” production (?) I could not wait for it to end so that I could leave. It made sick to see people stand and applaud at the end of the show. How did they buy into it? Well, for starters, in Oklahoma most of the people are Baptists and Fundamentalists so the message presented reinforced their interpretations. Fortunately, it was only a 90-minute show without an intermission so its interminable duration was not lengthened by a break.
It also offended me that St. Peter was presented and characterized as a bumbling and pathetic clown, fool, and imbecile with absolutely no backbone. The narrator over emphasized St. Peter’s weaknesses (what really stood out was the heavy emphasis on the verses when Christ said to St. Peter “Get behind me, Satan; you are thinking not as of God, but as of man” and as a babbling incoherent Apostle when he suggested tents be erected during the Transfiguration).
Afterwards, I wanted to speak to someone about this presentation, but what would have been the purpose? This was nothing more than an evangelical misrepresentation with subtle digs against Catholicism because not only of the glaring omissions of significant New Testament verses that would have reinforced Catholicism, but the portrayal of St. Peter as so week and indecisive it hinted that St. Peter was not a person to emulate or lead Christ’s Church on earth.