Not every sacred story begins in Bethlehem. Some begin in Blaine, Missouri.

In this episode of Musical Midrash, we crack open the red-white-and-blessed glory of Waiting for Guffman — Christopher Guest’s mockumentary masterpiece and a surprisingly holy love letter to community theatre. Through awkward choreography, civic delusion, and one very glittery pageant, we find something sacred underneath the satire.

This is a gospel for the weirdos, the stage managers, the chorus kids, and the dreamers who dare to believe the show still matters — even when the seats are empty.

We talk:

Red, White & Blaine as civic scripture

Stool Boom as psalm

Corky St. Clair as prophet

Community theatre as communion

Holy failure and almost-miracles

Plus: a personal reflection on the theatres that formed me, the saints who shaped me, and the sacredness of storytelling when no one is watching.

Let the lights dim. Let the overture swell. And may the Spirit move — even if Guffman never shows up.

follow my reflections at dustinwilsor.substack.com

Sermon Series: Always Hoped That I’d Be an Apostle (Week 5)

Description:

This week, we tell the stories of nameless men, forgotten women, and the sacred power of being seen. From Saul’s transformation to Thecla’s bold discipleship… from Frank Curtis in Iola, Kansas to a mummified outlaw rediscovered on a California pier — we follow the threads of hidden identities, lost authorship, and queer midrash.

Was Luke/Acts written by a woman? Could Thecla — a transgressor of gender roles, a healer, a disciple — be the author we’ve forgotten to name?

This is a sermon about choosing Jesus, even when the world doesn’t choose you. About claiming your place in the story. And about what might happen when the scales fall from our eyes, too.

Scriptures:

* Acts 9:1–31

* 2 Corinthians 11:4–12a

* The Acts of Paul and Thecla 40–42 (trans. Melissa Harl Sellew)

Featured Musical Reference:

Dead Outlaw: A New Musical by David Yazbek, Erik Della Penna, and Itamar Moses

Episode Summary:

What if worship is performance — not in the flashy, ego-driven sense, but in the sacred, embodied, intentional way? In this episode, I explore how musical theatre taught me to show up in worship with my whole self: voice, breath, presence, and vulnerability.

From rehearsal rooms to sanctuaries, from curtain calls to communion tables, I reflect on the rhythm, beauty, and risk of performance as sacred offering. We’ll look at how liturgy and theatre share more than structure — they share soul.

This isn’t about spectacle. It’s about presence.

It’s not manipulation. It’s incarnation.

Let the liturgy begin.

🎧 In this episode:

What the Church gets wrong (and right) about performance

Why worship needs blocking, rhythm, and breath

How musical theatre shaped my theology of liturgy

A benediction for preachers, performers, and anyone who dares to show up

🎙️ Mentioned in this episode:

Marcia McFee’s Think Like a Filmmaker

Walter Brueggemann, Don Saliers, and the wisdom of ensemble work

📖 Read the full essay version here: dustinwilsor.substack.com