It's one thing to hear the Word. It's one thing to read the Word. It's one thing to process the Word.

But it's another thing to experience the Word live.

Piercing Word, headquartered at 1821 Oregon Pike, Suite 210, Lancaster, presents Scripture passages from the English Standard Version Bible word for word through dramatic and musical performances. The nonprofit's mission is to "ignite passion for the Word of God in the heart of the church."

"We don't just perform Scripture; we challenge people," said Piercing Word's founder and executive director, Aaron House. "Scripture is our script. The Word of God is so powerful, and not just for the people on stage, but also for the people who come. Their lives will be changed when they come. It's not just another entertainment. It's a life-changing opportunity."

Piercing Word will bring its unique form of spiritual entertainment to Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Road, Lancaster, for four double feature presentations in the middle of February. Piercing Word will present "Stewardship" and "Passion: The Musical" on Friday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 18, at 3 p.m.

The stage performance is expected to take 90 minutes to present. Admission will be handled on a pay-as-you-will basis.

"The beauty of the music and the truth of the words create a powerful piece," said House, adding that the performance should impact everyone present, whether they regularly attend church or not.

Framed as a board game, "Stewardship" features three performers and focuses on the importance of making good use of everything God has given us.

" 'Stewardship' is a fun, fast-paced commentary on how to use our God-given resources, presented in the form of a board game," said House. "It's like Monopoly on stage. There are two players and a game master."

"The game master is teaching them how to play the game, and everyone gets to see how things unfold," continued House. "We see evidence of a lack of stewardship in our lives on a regular basis, and for whatever the reasons, we end up not fulfilling God's call. He's entrusted us with these talents, and He's calling us to use them for a higher purpose. We can multiply these resources in so many ways."

"Passion: The Musical" recounts the events preceding and immediately following the death of Jesus Christ.

" 'Passion: The Musical' is presented in a modern, urban style and depicts the Last Supper, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus, compiled from all four Gospels," House said. "It's a really powerful presentation of the events of Holy Week."

Piercing Word's performances generally draw about 100 spectators.

"A lot of our audience is made up of people from Lancaster who have been with us on our journey," said House. "But there are still a lot of people from Lancaster County who haven't experienced Scripture performed live on a stage."

Piercing Word employs four staff members full time and works with 70 contracted performers.

House founded Piercing Word in 2007 in Houston, and the organization became a full-time ministry six years later. In 2023, Piercing Word presented Scripture performances at churches, colleges, special events and conferences in 15 states.

For additional information about Piercing Word, go to http://www.piercingword.org.