By Jolene FarleyDuring lent, Presbyterian minister Robert Raedeke will bring biblical characters to life for his congregations in Beaver Creek and Rushmore.Instead of traditional sermons, Raedeke delivers his 20-minute messages dressed like characters from the Bible.Although Raedeke is retired, he stepped in last summer as interim pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Beaver Creek and the First Presbyterian Church, Rushmore. Raedeke will portray a new character each week beginning Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25, through March 31.This year he will preach as Judas, the Apostle Peter, the Apostle John, John the Baptist, Pontius Pilate, and the repentant thief. During Raedeke’s sermons, the church is darkened and a spotlight directs everyone’s attention to the character."I’ve never heard the church so quiet as I have during one of these presentations," he said.Raedeke began sermons in character 36 years ago. "The thought occurred it would be so much more effective if you could do this anonymously and you could sort of be the character," he said. In the beginning, costumes were as simple as a bathrobe. Now it takes about an hour for Raedeke to prepare, and his list of characters has grown to 33.Four trips to the Holy Land helped Raedeke hone his portrayal of the characters. While a minister of a congregation in Montana, videos were made of the different characters. The Montana landscape became a substitute for the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. Raedeke’s favorite character to portray is the repentant thief, because his last-minute repentance gave him the gift of eternal life. "It’s a story of a man with a wasted life until he hangs on the cross next to Jesus and somehow miraculously saw what the others didn’t see," he said. Raedke will share Biblical lessons with friends and neighbors during a 6 p.m. service in Rushmore and a 7:45 p.m. service in Beaver Creek. Everyone is invited to attend.
