Mime Ministry: An illustrated, easy-to-follow guidebook for organizing, programming and training a troupe of Christian mimes
Toomey
1986
Submitter: Weeded for condition from a public library, where it was still circulating. I think I’m finding it funny because of the “Troupe of Christian Mimes” in the title – one trained Christian mime isn’t enough to spread the Word?! My collection has a slightly more recent title on the topic that I’m keeping, which has the hilarious (to me) LCSH of “Clowns — Religious Aspects — Christianity”.
Holly: If Clowning for Christ and Clownseling weren’t enough for you, here’s an addition to the canon. I honestly don’t know how much or even if books like these go out of date, but this one has seen better days. Whatever library this came from has embraced its ministering mimes! It’s good and dog-eared, and the binding is shot.
I would love to see more of this book to understand just how a troupe of mimes fits into religious practice: during services? teaching Sunday School? evangelism?
So, I’m an atheist, and if there’s one thing that I feel certain would *never* convince me to believe, it’s a troupe of mimes. Eek.
(No offense to any mimes out there–I respect the craft, but it’s not my cup of tea.)
I NEED this book for my Quaker Meetinghouse library! Quakers do everything in silence!
Page 102 makes me say they would have been better serving God by learning sign language (and then people without hearing could be a part of the entire service)!
It’s like trying to build a house with toothpicks, these aren’t the right materials for the job. No one is going to watch this and think “Ah, the skies shall unfold, preparing his entrance, the stars shall applaud him with thunders of praise.” No, they’re going to think “Um, are you a tree? You’re a tree but now you’re holding a baby? Is it baby Jesus (we’re in a church, that’s a good guess). You’re a tree holding baby Jesus, oh, dear God, no, you dropped him, you dropped him and now you’re a flamenco dancer, I don’t get it.”
That would make many church services more lively, and if prepared for properly, an asset to the ministry.
“With arms up, open and close fingers as if flipping something” translated to “the stars shall applaud him” is particularly obscure. I’d be thinking “You’re a Christmas tree?”
It just cracks me up how specific some of the topics for books are. And that people (not just one person) believed there was a demand for a book with this information.