Hope for the Holidays

While Christmas can be one of the most joyous times, many folks find themselves fighting sadness and depression as the holiday approaches. No matter what your circumstance, there is hope.

I love a song in our new dinner theater "Getaway to Chipaway" that conveys this thought through Bill Cooper's comforting lyrics:

However lonely, there’s a friend
However endless, there’s an end
However broken, there’s a mend
To get you back onto your feet

However lost, you can be found
However silent, there’s a sound
However floundering, you are bound
For something greater than who you are

However barren, there are trees
However stagnant, there’s a breeze
However prideful; there are knees
That you may find yourself down on

However closed in; there’s a space
However guilty; there is grace
However hungry; there’s a taste
Of what you’ve hungered for all along
© 2008 Masterwork Productions, Inc. (for a demo of the song, email us at masterworkproductions@yahoo.com).

God is always standing right by our side, ready to help and show a way. Take His hand and let Him lead you.

"I'm still in your presence,
but you've taken my hand.
You wisely and tenderly lead me,
and then you bless me.
You're all I want in heaven!
You're all I want on earth!"

(Psalm 73:23-25 THE MESSAGE)

Some Thoughts About Christmas

'Tis the season, obviously, but lately it seems that God is asking me to stop and think seriously about Christmas and how and why we mark it.

I recently read or heard from colleagues about these issues:
• Employers instructing their employees to say "Happy Holidays" instead of Merry Christmas to avoid offending people.
• A church which changed its Christmas program to a "holiday" program for the same reason.
• Hard economic times are causing people to decide not to give Christmas presents to friends.
• A Long Island Walmart employee is trampled to death and police and first responders are unable to get to him as the crowd concentrates on rushing for their bargains.

If Christmas isn't about a time to celebrate the birth of a savior-- Who is the only way we have out of an eternity in hell and the only way to heaven -- and an opportunity to tell other folks about that, then I'm not sure what it is.

Will folks really be offended by someone being friendly and wishing them a Merry Christmas? Then I feel sad for them because their focus obviously is on themselves and their requirement that everyone else go about their day tiptoeing around making sure everything that is said and done will meet with their approval. I would not be offended if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah. I don't celebrate that holiday, but I would feel glad that someone wished me the happiness of their season and wanted to include me in it. I would not feel the need to go into a lecture about how I'm a Christian and how offensive it is to me that they not keep that in mind when speaking to me....

If a church is afraid to have a "Christmas" program for fear of offending, I have to wonder if they have watered down the message that's preached each week as well. When you start worrying about how many people are coming to church, or whether God's word will offend people, you're not really acting as a church where a group of people gathers to worship, fellowship and serve the Lord. You're a social club where people come to feel good about themselves, gather with others who make them feel good about themselves and serve themselves.

Is Christmas all about gifts? If you're really feeling the pinch economically and can't afford to purchase a gift, does that preclude you from giving gifts that don't have to be bought? How about offering to babysit for a friend so she can go shopping by herself or enjoy a night out with her husband? How about writing a personal note that tells your friends how much they mean to you? How about gathering some photos and putting them together in a scrapbook or box of treasured memories? If Christmas gifts are all about "things" and not about an expression of love, then they're not worth giving. Was a man's life really worth a stampede to save 50 percent off a gift for someone?

We're losing touch with the meaning of the holiday. It's all about Jesus and God's amazing gift. Find ways to make that known this season.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

(Luke 2: 8-20 NIV)

Tim Keller's New Book -- and other news and reviews

Tim Keller's newest book, "The Prodigal God", (2008 Dutton Penguin Group)is a smaller sized package as books go (it's a diminutive 140 pages), but it packs a wallop of thought-provoking message for Christians and non-Christians alike as the renowned pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City examines the parable of the prodigal son.

Plotting the drama as a two-act play, Keller says it's really a tale of two brothers, not just the one who claimed his birthright and takes off to seek pleasure and who is welcomed upon his return. Using insights from plays, movies and his understanding of the bible, Keller rethinks the parable as Act One: "The Lost Younger Brother" and Act 2: "The Lost Elder Brother" and makes a case that most of the people listening to Jesus tell the story fell into one or the other of these categories, just as most of us do today.

The younger brother is motivated, like the tax collectors and sinners who had gathered to hear Jesus, by self discovery and self fulfillment. There was a second group of listeners there, too, though, Luke's account tells us: the Pharisees and teachers of the law, motivated by a sense of control and heavenly payback if they followed the rules, much like the eldest brother. Viewing the story from the perspectives of both of these groups, as well as from the father's, gives great new insight into the parable and understanding of what it means to follow Christ.

Keller writes in a way that appeals to folks who don't believe or who have been turned off by the church or Christians. He's been reaching out to them for years and knows how to communicate without sounding churchy or condescending.
Buy it here:
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=950790&netp_id=524631&event=ETS



Act One, the organization which teaches Christians about screenwriting and other aspects of the Hollywood business is accepting applications for 2009. A newly designed brochure is available for churches to distribute.
Contact T.J. at TJ@ACTONEPROGRAM.COM

The movie "Fireproof," from the creators of "Face the Giants" and starring Kirk Cameron, still is playing in more than 800 theaters nationwide. It tells the story of a firefighter who goes the extra mile to try to save his marriage. The DVD will be released in January.

Giving Thanks and Meaning It

This week we take a break from our regular routines to gather with those whom we love to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's a wonderful time full of fond memories, but not always full of thanks, if we're honest. Times are tough and it's when things aren't going as we planned or how we would like them to that it is most difficult to give thanks to God and mean it.

How do we thank Him for the loss of a loved one, for a lay off notice, for a child who keeps making poor choices or for a spouse who has been unfaithful? How do we thank him for illness, unkind remarks supposed friends have made about us or for lost opportunities?

The answer is: by faith. Being able to thank Him for His goodness, for His faithfulness, for His love, for His promise to walk with us through it all, can be the shelter in a storm.

First Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in all circumstances because this is God's will for us. He doesn't expect us to be happy about all of our circumstances, or even to understand why they happen all the time, but He does want us to rely on the hope and joy we have in Jesus to get us through them. Sometimes we just have to say, "Thank you for being God. I don't get it, but you're in control" and let that be sufficient. It's when we need to reason, or demand an explanation, or justify our acts that we find it most difficult to say thanks.

These thoughts aren't trite and come from years of struggling with trying to give thanks through the tough times. When we moved to Connecticut eight and a half years ago, we were excited about the new chapter starting in our lives. Things didn't go as we planned, however, and instead we began what I now think of as the desert period in my life. The losses and heartbreak over the past few years have been numerous and weighty and are too complicated to try to list here. Suffice it to say that I haven't always been the most thankful person. When I was at my lowest, God specifically showed me that verse in Thessalonians and it made all the difference.

So this Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks for the hard times, simply because He's God and He's asked me to. Those times have helped shape me into who I am: a person giving thanks this year for my health; a home; two healthy, really nice, bright kids; a supportive husband who has a job; enough food to eat; best friends Ron, Donna, Bern, Torry, Muriel and Carolyn who've been such an important part of my life for so many years and who bless me in so many ways; countless other close friends and ministry partners; mentor and friend Retta Blaney who continues to amaze me with her generosity and the thrill of working in and writing about theater, which has brought me a fabulous new friend and editor, Andy Propst.

May your Thanksgiving be truly blessed and full of thanks.

Understudies Needed; Be Prepared to Go On

Saw a great show last night called "At This Performance," where standbys and understudies for Broadway roles are given a chance to star. They get to sing personal favorites, classics from their shows and tell anecdotes about life on the stage.

Understudies and standbys learn the role someone else is playing and only perform it if the lead is sick or unable to go on for some reason. They may have an opportunity to play a role many times, or never. They just have to wait nearby (literally -- if they don't play another role in the show they are required to be within short walking distance of the theater from call time until curtain each night) and be ready to perform.

When these folks do get the call, sometimes it's in the middle of a show, with just a few minutes for costumes and makeup. Some times they're called before they've even had chance to rehearse on stage with the rest of the cast. Talk about a step of faith!

That got me to thinking how in many ways, we're all in either lead or standby roles when it comes to sharing our faith. Some of us have "starring" roles. We're up in the pulpit preaching on Sunday morning, or leading worship or speaking to groups in ministry. Many of us are standbys, however, who may be called upon at a moment's notice, at our workplace, in the doctor's office, at school, at the family gathering this Thanksgiving, etc., when we weren't thinking we'd have to "go on."

Suddenly in the middle of a conversation, a door opens for being able to share our faith and we get "the call." Personally, I've had this happen in one-on-one conversations as well as with whole rooms full of people, and it can feel like a cue has been given and the spotlight has swung over to illuminate you. Hopefully we know the "lines" and can share with someone how we came to know Jesus. A standby isn't much help, if when called, he or she can't perform.

There's a joke a friend once told me about an actor getting his big break: a role on Broadway, with just one line. The only problem was that he had to go on immediately. There was no time for rehearsal, for the play had already started and he'd have to go on mid-performance. The stage manager would cue him to go on stage at the appropriate time and he was to say, "Lo! The cannons roar!"

All the way to the theater the actor repeated the line, delighted that he had to memorize only one and reveling in the excitement of being able to say it from the boards of a Broadway stage. This was his big chance. He'd been waiting for this moment all of his life.

"Lo! The cannons roar!" he practiced. "Lo! The cannons roar! Lo! The cannons roar!"

He got to the theater where he was whisked into costume and led to the stage manager who said, "You're on" and the actor walked on stage. Just then a tremendous explosion ripped through the theater and as the actor hit his mark he said, "What the heck was that?"

Make no mistake about it. If you're an understudy, you'd better be prepared to go on and have some idea of what to say. It will happen when you least expect it, probably in a way you've never fully rehearsed, but also never while the lead performer is on stage.

Just as being prepared to go on when needed is important, so is knowing when not to say the lines. It wouldn't work for the standby to run on to the stage, push the lead out of the way and say the lines instead. That would interrupt the flow of the play and cause some terrible moments of awkwardness and embarrassment (not to mention the firing of the understudy).

Have you ever been around someone who seems to manipulate the conversation to be able to bring God into it (more often so they feel like a star than because they care about the person with whom they're sharing) or a person who feels they're "called" to be some sort of voice of God to people they've just barely met?

It's uncomfortable, not only for the people targeted, but for other Christians who might have been developing a relationship that would have given them the right cue for knowing when it would be appropriate to discuss God. Be prepared to go on when you're called by the Master. There's no question that he wants you to share Him with others, but make sure the cue to speak is coming from Him and not your ego. And don't upstage anyone.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1Peter 3:15 NIV)

It's Crunch Time

Most church worship and drama teams have entered one of their busiest seasons as rehearsals for the annual Christmas pageant, Christmas outreach, children's Christmas musical, Christmas Eve service or other Christmas event are under way.
It's a fun and frenzied time and sometimes it's easy to get lost in the details of what we're doing and forget why we're doing it.
What's the focus of your effort this Christmas? Is it to honor and thank God for the birth of His Son? Is it about telling those in your church and community about that Son and how knowing Him can change their lives?
Or could your Christmas event be about something else, like not being able to drop a tradition you've done for years, getting large numbers of people in the seats so you look successful, offering the biggest and best Christmas event in your community so people will think your church is "cool", having a chance to show off your talent and have people praise you or taking advantage of a chance to take in extra donations and ease that end-of-year deficit?
Most of us would hope our motivation would be found in the first scenarios, but if the truth were told, many churches would find themselves falling into the second.
Stop right now to offer your Christmas event to the Lord for His glory. Ask for the Spirit to guide you in all of the details. A word of advice: your event is not perfect and it's never too late for divine intervention. Don't be afraid to step out in faith. Don't settle for anything less than what you can do for Him and His Kingdom.
"It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." (2Cor. 4:13-15 NIV)

Learning From Chicago's Goodman Theatre

By Guest Blogger Nancy Beach
I went to see the first play of the season at Chicago's Goodman Theatre Wednesday night with a group of friends. Turn of the Century is a brand new musical crafted by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the team who created the wildly successful hit, Jersey Boys. Tommy Tune was the director, and the cast features film and stage actor Jeff Daniels. So this sounds like a theatrical dream team, especially when combined with the outstanding design work which always makes a visit to the Goodman worth the price of a ticket.
And yet...with all that talent and money, the show still needs a lot of work. It was a highly creative storyline, woven with outstanding music from the past century. But our group was not raving about how captivated we were. In fact, what we talked about most was the performance of the lead actress, Rachel York, who truly knocked our socks off as a singer. But if this show is intended to go next to Broadway, I would guess some rewrites will be required.

Here is my point for those of us who create Sunday morning experiences using the arts. No matter how much time, talent, and prayer we invest in our work, we don't get to hit the grand slam every time. It seems to be the nature of artistic endeavors - some works astound us with how powerful and beautiful and moving they turn out to be. Other times, with the same amount of effort, we come up feeling a little flat and disappointed. When I see this phenomenon in professional theatre and film, I do take an odd sort of comfort in the comparison to the highs and lows of weekly ministry. Some Sundays or Christmases or Easters I am overly optimistic about how transcendent a service could be...and then surprised by the apparent lack of enthusiasm I see in the congregation. Other times, my surprise goes the other way and I am delighted by a glorious moment I did not predict or plan for.

So we just keep showing up, giving it the best we have, praying for the anointing of the Spirit, and never knowing for sure what the results will be. We can either be frustrated by the apparent randomness of it all, or choose to be faithful and thankful no matter what the outcome. I hope to keep making the second choice...creating, praying, trusting, and leaving the outcome to God.

Nancy Beach is executive vice president for the Arts at the Willow Creek Association. Read her arts blog at http://www.towardwonder.com/bloghome.asp