Paraphrase Theatre combines ministry, performance

Four years ago, the Rev. Jonathan Swenson stepped away from the pulpit and created Paraphrase Theatre, a one-man dramatic enterprise that combines his two passions: ministry and theater.

The venture has proved to be successful for Swenson, who has created several presentations for the one-man theater. This week he's giving a free presentation of his Christmas story, both as a 'thank you” to his Cedar Rapids audiences and to record it for a DVD. The performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at River of Life Church, 3801 Blairs Ferry Rd., in Cedar Rapids.

Swenson is an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church and for years has been active in Theatre Cedar Rapids productions. Though he often drew on his drama background when leading some church services, he always knew he wanted to do more.

With 'Witnesses,” his first production with Paraphrase Theatre, Swenson took the Bible to audiences in a whole new way, introducing six characters – some biblical, others created by Swenson as community members and other integral though unknown participants of the Bible story. Swenson portrays each character, and all of the characters' storylines are intertwined.

'I knew it was a step of faith,” Swenson said. 'I felt my whole life was leading to this venture, which is, truly, the culmination of drama and the ministry. I really did feel God's hand in it, but I didn't know when I started it as a sabbatical project that it would become a life's calling.”

Swenson has expanded his repertoire in the last four years, and among his additions is a Christmas presentation featuring Joseph and the innkeeper, as well as other characters Swenson has developed.

What it's become, Swenson said, is a full-time endeavor. In the last four years he's traveled across the country, performing in groups as small as an intimate Sunday school classroom and as large as a regional convention with 2,000 to 2,500 attendees. He's been invited to perform at a national youth leadership conference in Detroit, and to hold a workshop with presentations in schools in Asia.

Now, Paraphrase Theatre is also taking Swenson and his wife, Jana, out of Cedar Rapids and up to Minnesota, where he'll be program director at Mount Carmel Camp near Alexandria – a job that will allow him to both introduce Paraphrase Theatre productions to campers as well as travel and offer performances during the camp's off-season.

'I'm only needing to be at the camp in the summer and early fall, which means I'm free to tour and keep Paraphrase going the rest of the year,” he said. 'They're hiring me intentionally to create a partnership between Paraphrase and Mount Carmel.”

As excited as he is, he admits it's hard to leave.

‘In many ways I hate to leave Cedar Rapids,” he said. 'The arts community is really something else, and I hate to leave it. We'll also be leaving many, many special friendships we've developed over the years. Part of me just feels I'm taking my heart out and stomping on it.”

He knows, though, that this is what he needs to do.

'In many ways I get to do some of my favorite parts of my job as a pastor, getting up and telling the stories, and the things that weren't my strengths are not in my job description now,” he said.

'For me it's really a dream job and I really feel God smiling on it.”

IF YOU GO

What: Paraphrase Theatre performance

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Where: River of Life Church, 3801 Blairs Ferry Rd., Cedar Rapids

Cost: Free