Ragtown Gospel presents 'Thee Hallelujah’s Christmas' for holiday season

"Thee Hallelujah’s Christmas...Joey Plans & God Laughs" is being staged at Ragtown Gospel Theater in Post, with six performances this Christmas season.

In the play, The Hallelujah clan find themselves stranded high in the mountains of Colorado, with a blizzard raging on all sides. The Reverend Joey Hallelujah takes it all in stride. They raise the big tent in the wilderness, and the people stranded with them become part of a Christmas Eve reunion you won’t soon forget.

It’s the outrageously funny antics of Thee Hallelujahs, wrapped in a sweet story of God’s faithfulness. Shows are Saturdays at 3 p.m., through Dec. 16, except Thanksgiving weekend.

Chip Polk and Jeff Bailey begin each performance with a concert of Christmas favorites.

The celebrated televangelist, Rev. Joey Hallelujah, gained notoriety a decade ago, when his private jet reportedly crashed on the Isle of Patmos. The tiny Greek island, located off the coast of Turkey, is the location to which the Apostle John was exiled in 95 A.D., and where he recorded an extraordinary account of the prophetic visions he experienced. That account is Revelation, the final book of the Christian Bible.

According to Hallelujah, in the aftermath of his plane crash, he discovered that he had not only crashed on the ancient historic island, but had crashed through time. On Patmos, Reverend Hallelujah purports to have met a man claiming to be the Apostle John.

“Right at first, old John thought I was just another one of his visions he was supposed to be writing about. And I thought he was just an old hermit. Neither one of us could understand what was really going on, but we finally figured it out together,” Hallelujah stated.

After his rescue from the island, Reverend Joey Hallelujah’s bizarre experiences on Patmos were re-enacted on stage and film, in Saint John & The Televangelist .

Over the subsequent ten years, Reverend Hallelujah’s claims have been widely ridiculed, but the televangelist has steadfastly maintained that he met, and became friends with the apostle. His worldwide ministry suffered financial setbacks, and three years ago, Hallelujah retired from full time public ministry.

However, in the wake of the pandemic, he felt called to return to his roots, with an old-fashioned traveling tent revival. In March of this year, Reverend Joey Hallelujah began his Coast to Coast Holy Ghost Revival Crusade at Plymouth Rock, in Massachusetts.

“There were so many Christians who weren’t even assembling together during all that mess,” Hallelujah said, referring to the pandemic. “It was the very time people needed their Christian brothers and sisters the most, and we couldn’t even gather to encourage one another, get a hug , or even see each other smile. So much damage was done, and the church is still feeling the effects. I just believe the Lord moved me to get up and get after it. I got my grand-daughter, Hosanna, and my two grandsons, Rachet and Tork, and some other good people who’ve come alongside us to help. I tell you, it’s been more than a journey. It’s been an adventure!”

Reverend Joey Hallelujah’s Revival Crusade moved west from town to town, reaching Nashville, Tennessee by summer. Joined there by his son, country singer Shout Hallelujah, the revival tent was packed to capacity for three days, before continuing on the quest to reach the west coast with the Gospel. A Christmas Crusade in Denver was Reverend Hallelujah’s plan, but apparently God had a different plan.

Adult tickets are $22 each and children's tickets are $10 each. Veterans and active military are always admitted for free.

Visit RAGTOWN.COM to make reservations for best seats. Groups of 12 or more receive a 25% discount. Call 877-724-8696 for group reservations.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ragtown Gospel presents 'Thee Hallelujah’s Christmas' for holiday season