Broadway Blessing 2010

James Barbour, left, following the service.

By Lauren Yarger, guest blogger

Broadway performers and theater lovers came together Monday night for the 14th annual Broadway Blessing service held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.

Broadway actors James Barbour, Charles West and Anthony Newfield were among those performing during the interfaith service which also celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Fantasticks. Tom Jones, who wrote the book and lyrics for the show, and who directed and has starred in the acclaimed revival playing Off-Broadway at the Snapple Theater Center, attended the service (the show was one of our picks to see this summer.)

Officiating were the Rev. Canon Thomas Miller, canon for liturgy and the arts at St. John, the Right Rev. Andrew St. John, rector of the Church of the Transfiguration, and Rabbi Jill Hausman of The Actors' Temple, who also performed "A Simple Song" from Leonard Bernstein's Mass.

Actress Catherine Russell gave a reading, Project Dance, recipient of the 2009 "The Lights Are Bright on Broadway" award presented by Masterwork Productions, performed to "His Eye is on the Sparrow." The Broadway Blessing Choir and Bruce Neswick, cathedral organist, offered a number of tunes including medleys from The Fantasticks. West, who has appeared in the 50th anniversary production of the show, sang "Try to Remember."

Newfield performed a scene from To Kill a Mockingbird, and Barbour, accompanied by Jeremy Roberts, sang "The Measure of a Man" from Frank Wildhorn's musical Rudolf. In addition, composer Carol Hall performed a song she had written, inspired in part by speaker Lynn Redgrave's stirring message form last year's Broadway Blessing and to whom this year's service was dedicated.

The evening is produced under the direction of religion and theater writer Retta Blaney (center, above). Her blog, "Life Upon the Sacred Stage," can be found here.

Participants mingle at a post-service reception.

Getting acquainted

Lauren Yarger captured this nice photo of Rabbi Jill Hausman of The Actors' Temple and actor Merwin Goldsmith at a reception following Monday's Broadway Blessing.

"Don't take away my devils or the angels will leave too!"
-- Stephen Fry

“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”
-- Charles F. Kettering

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” - Herman Cain

Yes, You Can Have It All

This essay appeared in Guideposts magazine.

What is the most important element in life? Surely confidence, happiness, contentment and love rank high. Courage, successful living, hope. But all of these come from a single source.

Confidence is faith in God and yourself. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Happiness and contentment arise from faith that God’s hand is in everything that happens. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21).

Love is faith and trust in another. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).

Hope is faith for the future. “Put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17).

Courage is faith that you can win. The Bible’s heroes “through faith conquered kingdoms…shut the mouths of lions…escaped the edge of the sword… (Hebrews 11:33-39).

Successful living is taking action through faith. “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

Searching for the good life? Begin with faith…and all you need will follow.

Mix Up a Batch of Powerful Prayer

This essay appeared in Guideposts magazine.

Ever try to make a fruit salad without fruit? Or chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips? That would be silly, right? Even the most basic recipes have ingredients crucial to their success.

Prayer, too, has certain “ingredients” that help ensure its effectiveness and success.

Love is a crucial ingredient of powerful prayer. Love is the defining characteristic of God—and those who follow him. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus emphasized the importance of a loving, forgiving spirit (Matthew 6:14-15).

Belief and positive expectation are essential. Research has shown that patients with faith and hope heal more quickly and completely. Through prayer, God wants us to be “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Always pray hopefully, confident that the Lord will bring about the best possible results.

The language of prayer must be simple and sincere. Jesus warns against empty and wordy prayers. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Bring your requests to your loving Father whenever they come to mind, but do not feel “many words” will make him hear you better. Just speak to God sincerely and confidently.

It is vital to pray, “Your will be done.” 1 John 5:14 assures us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” You will pray with more and more confidence and power as you live close to the Lord, seek his will, and follow his guidance.

Pray with others. If you have the opportunity, take part in a prayer circle or join your church’s “prayer chain.” Agree with a few close friends to pray for each other’s children, health, relationships. And don’t forget that you can pray with other Christians anytime at ourprayer.org! Jesus promises “where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).