In my seven years as Executive Pastor of North Way Christian Community, I had the honor of being able to preach a handful of times. This series is based on one of those sermons.  The characters are real, and any representation of their true nature is intentional.

Sufficient evidence exists to make a final judgment: we love Courtroom Drama. The intrigue, the plot twists, the frustratingly imperfect system, liars, villains and innocent victims. You may remember (or have seen reruns) of Perry Mason, a series that aired for 9 seasons beginning in 1957. Books and movies set around courtroom drama have become classics, like To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel published in 1960 and later released as a movie, which tells the story of a white lawyer who defends a black man in a trial set in 1930’s Alabama. And the occasional Courtroom Dramedy has become a cult classic. Case in point is My Cousin Vinny from 1992, with a lovable, bumbling defense attorney, a villainous prosecutor, laughable witnesses, two innocent defendants, a girlfriend turned hostile witness turned star witness for the defense, and Fred Gwynne (a.k.a. Herman Munster) serving as the comical judge.

Our draw to courtroom drama has not waned. Maybe you watch Law & Order or any of its 6 other franchise shows with over 1,300 episodes since 1990 and going strong, or get sucked into live trials on Court TV, or listen in to the Small Town Murder podcast, or love Dr. Jason Bull, the trial scientist, or even have started watching the reboot of Matlock now starring Kathy Bates. Chances are, you are personally helping to fuel the continuous offerings bombarding us.

You are also personally the focal point of a courtroom drama playing out on a stage larger than the universe itself! If you are not already aware of this, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. You are on trial. You stand accused. But at least you are in good company, because I am also on trial. In this series, I will describe the setting of this very real story that you are playing a lead role in. Trust me when I tell you there is intrigue, there is a villain, there are lies and truths that need to be sorted out, and there is a plot twist that will have your head spinning! Stick with me over the coming posts as we reveal the characters in this drama. In addition to the accused, there is a prosecutor, a defense lawyer, witnesses on both sides, and, most troubling of all, there is a judge who will ultimately determine our fate.

And let me remind you, there is a plot twist in this story that will blow your mind!

Forward this to your friends who might enjoy following along with the story.

To be continued. . .