new purchase

John Archer is one of the Britian's busiest comedy mentalists and magician.

He has produced a dvd set called Educating Archer which gives a sample of his style. In the first dvd we see him in action and the second dvd presents the workings and secrets of his routine.

My favourite is his routine called Collard. The inspiration for this trick comes from Al Koran's "Medallion". Archer's adaptation of this classic effect involves the presentation of a large stuffed toy (or puppet) which has a collar and name tag around it. The audience are invited to help name the toy and they call out letters and vowels which are duly recorded onto a name certificate.

The conclusion of the routine is that the name on the collar tag hanging around the toy's neck in full view all the time matches the name which the audience has just constructed. Great routine with audience participation and a baffling ending. It also has for me a great Gospel allegory in which we are reminded that God has engraved our names on his palm. I am looking forward to trying this in a church service in the near future.

Escapology and Easter

On Easter Sunday I whipped out my trusty handcuffs which are sold by Magic Dealers under the name 'Electronic Release'. These are by far the best and most convincing restraints in the business. Yet you are in and out of them within a flash. Even when people can see you escaping they are still baffled as to how you get out because it so fast.

This year I shared the story of a boy in Sunday School class who told the group proudly what Jesus said when he resurrected from the dead. He said "Ta Daa!"

I loved that story and invited the congregation to have a "Ta Da" moment with the resurrected Christ in their lives.

The handcuffs were used to tell the story of how even death can hold Jesus down and that even though he experienced all the worse things that life could throw at him - prejudice, loss, grief, injustice, pain. humiliation, torture and death - Jesus overcame. Death could not hold him (escape from handcuffs) and he gives everyone of us the hope and knowledge that we too can overcome whatever life throws at us.

I love the verse which says that the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit who lives in us who believe in him. We need to have that Ta Da encounter with the Risen Lord to experience the reality and joy of his presence in us.

The choir who were sat behind me and could see the whole escape are still trying to figure out how I escaped so fast.

Happy Easter!