ribbon and glass penetration

One of the most baffling and visual effects I use in my shows is the beautiful ribbon penetration through glass. I think I bought mine years ago from International Magic Studios and its trade name was 'Fanplastic'. It always gets a stunned reaction and the patter is powerful. In a non religious context I use this to talk about Harry Houdini who could escape from anything. The sheet of glass is then woven into the frame and it really does look convincing. This is one prop which silences the hecklers and in 20 years of performing I have only had one guy come close to guessing how it works.

The themes of escape, liberation and freedom are of course all very Biblical ones. In the Old Testament it ranges from the people of Israel escaping from Egypt through to the New Testament message of finding freedom from sin in Christ.

I think you can still get this from International Magic Studio or the last I saw it was on the Penguin Magic. com site.

I like this because it is simple to perform, extremely visual (kids and adults are stunned alike), devastatingly fooling and lends itself to a message with a punch.

Check it out

instant gospel magic

All you need is a coin. Then you are set for performing a gospel magic trick wherever you are and at any time.

You need to know how to do the french drop, which is one of the smoothest ways to make a coin disappear from your hand. You can learn this by googling a video on how to perform the French Drop. (It's amazing what is out there!)

If someone asks me why I am a Christian - or more often - what do I believe. This is what I do.

I take a coin and explain to them that I follow the teachings of Christ. He taught his followers through word and deed that we are called to love God and our neighbours and that through a relationship with Jesus we can know God as our heavenly Father. This is possible because Scripture tells us that Jesus was put to death and his body was placed in a dark tomb. (Place coin in your fingers and perform French Drop). This would have been the end of the Christian story - except for one thing. Gesture towardsyour (empty) hand. When the disciples went to the dark tomb on the third day to get it ready for a proper burial - they found the tomb - empty!! (Open hand to show that the coin has disappeared).

Scripture tells us that on the third day Christ was raised from the dead - although many theories have been posited about how the tomb came to be empty. Themost convincing one still remains the Biblical one. The resurrection of Jesus.

Why do I believe in Jesus today? (reach to your chest with your loaded hand) - it's because Jesus is alive today and I know him - in my heart (produce coin from your 'heart' area of the chest at your finger tips).

This can then open up the discussion on what theories do people believe about the empty tomb and what difference does resurrection make for Christians.

Enjoy.

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!

Magical Sunday School teacher!

Here's an email I received from a creative Sunday School teacher who is not a magician but wanted to recreate the magic of Mose's travels through the desert. With no training in magical knowledge she did a great job in imagineering how to bring about some special effects.

Hi Andrew

You inspired me for life!

For kid's klub we did the travel through the desert this afternoon.

To split the sea doesn't require so much skill...next bitter water was fun...(I did a false ceiling (cling wrap) in a rubbermaid plastic jug...filled it with bicarbonade of soda water that I served all the kids ...since we had to add a stick - I added a chop stick that poked a whole & whalla FRESH water!!!)

For manna I did some wafers on a ceiling fan...they even tasted like honey...after I scrapped of the icing... I had someone to switch the plug on...

I hid the hose pipe with an special nozzle in the garden. When I hit it with a stick my helper turned the tap full force - it squirted like 4- 6 m far. I had such a surprised crowd...one was even in tears...the other complained about getting wet - it was so much fun.

All this in order to say to the children that we have an awesome, great, mighty, powerful majestic GOD!!!

PS. Did you ever try cling wrap over an toilet?

A while ago I received comments that there was nothing in my ebook for pre school children. The truth is I wonder how much Gospel Magic can be used with kids younger than 4 years old. I am determined though to offer some rersources for those who do work with this age group.

Please click below to learn how you can move beyond a glorified baby sitting service to pre-school kids into ministry. All good stuff. it's not magic - it's ministry!


Click Here!

Blessings

Roman Catholic Magic

Did you know that the label of Gospel Magic and Gospel Magician was first coined back a Roman Catholic priest back in the nineteenth century. St Don Bosco was a Salesian minister who noticed that the Church could not compete with fairs and enterainments. So he pioneered the use of preaching the Christian message using the techniques of fairgound performers. Today he is remembered as the patron saint of Catholic Gospel magicians.

I also discovered that there is an alternative society to the Fellowship of Christian Magicians called the Catholic Magicians Guild. Some had tried to join the FCM but found the theology of FCM too Calvinist!!! Some famous Catholic magicians include Mark Wilson and an American Catholic bishop.

I am learning a lot from the above book. Some of the stuff is very good Biblical teaching and others tend to foucs on stuff more distinctively Catholic. (For example he uses a Card Castle to illustrate the heirarchy of the church with the Pope at the top, though he is careful to top the Pope with the cross to show that Christ is the head of the church).

In short there is little which would be different from what Protestant Gospel magicians would share. Scripture abounds and the whole focus on the book is teaching people the Christian faith.

As an evangelical protestant I am tempted to focus on the things that divide - like the infallibility of the pope (I have yet to meet a Catholic who really belives that), the focus on Mary, the sale of indulgences, the role of the saints and birth control!

This book reminds me of how much there is in common. The focus is on a Trinity who revealed grace and mercy through the cross of Jesus. The structure of the book is on the Catechism of the Catholic church - but a lot of useful tricks and messages that will work in any denomination. I found a generous ecumenical spirit in the book which was gracious and Christlike and I appreciated that very much.

As it is the very first book on Gospel Magic for Catholics it is extremely well done. The description of each trick is clear, illustrations are aplenty, and the message is backed up by Scripture. It is a product to be proud of. I am glad to have it in my library and look forward to using the ideas in it as part of my ministry.

I only wonder which aspect of Calvinism he found in the FCM?