Grow old along with me...
Yesterday evening Wes and I were at a public viewing. No, not that kind of public viewing. We were in a public place a crowded room of sorts, OK, so it was a high school gym that had been turned into a theatre. Inside this gym/theatre we were watching a really good live performance of The Sound of Music by some extremely talented high school kids. The voices, oh my goodness, they had a couple of singers in there that could really rock the house. One of them was a young woman playing the part of Mother Abbess. She sang "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and we soared with her to the top of those mountains, but when she sang "Ave Maria", wow, my heart melted. The room was completely still, even the rowdy boys at the back of the gymnasium were silent. Crystal clear and seemingly without effort the music flowed out of her as though that was what she was born to do. That girl could belt out a tune that had the capability of pulling every emotion out of you that the scene needed. This being high school, I can only imagine what she could do in a few years time with that voice.
This was a wonderful evening out for me. Watching those young people passionate about bringing a story to life on stage encouraged me and rekindled a passion to work that stage again more than I can say.
Well, in the past few months I've been working on a script and it hasn't been easy. I pick it up every once in awhile, rework it and then leave it for a few days. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes the busyness of work and sometimes that's just how how writing works, at least for me. It's not that you can ever sit down and just write and get your idea out on paper, it's a long drawn out process. I'm hoping to present it this fall at our church, it was supposed to have happened this past winter, but I'm still battling it out with the script. I want to do this right and with respect. Because, you see, it's the first time I've ever written a full length modern day script based on someone's real life story. It's a touchy thing to do that, you need to make sure you do justice to the story, give it the honor and respect it deserves. Oh, I've written little skits here or there for our Sunday morning services and I've written one large Biblical production "Tobiah" for Easter, but I wanted to do something different. I learned so much from writing "Tobiah". I made many mistakes, but, the mistakes I made in writing and directing taught me a lot and there were many 'right' things that happened that I learned from as well. But, I wanted to step outside the box and try something 'new'. And it's taken half a year to get this far and I'm still working on re-writes.
David C. Cook Publications is the publisher this book and they have given me full rights to the book for the purpose of this script. I contacted the author as well and his response blew me away. He sent me a wonderful email that I have posted on the bulletin board in my office at church. Because the story is about him and his father (his father has since passed away) he writes, "I'm delighted and honored that you would want to write a play based on my book. My father would be tickled-pink'..." That blew me away because honestly? I didn't expect a response from either the publisher or the author and yet within a two day span they both responded. That alone has been a huge encouragement to keep going. So, does God fit into the story? Absolutely! Because, you see, the son leads his father to Christ in a unique way. I'll tell you more another time.
We're aiming for October 2010! The cast is small and pretty much in place, I'm hoping to start rehearsing within a month.
So, why am I telling you this? Because, I'm 47 years old and I love that God is still able to find work for me to do. I think the saddest thing I see is that so often people believe that after a certain age they no longer have anything tangible to offer to God's work besides being a prayer warrior. Don't get me wrong, prayer is huge and extremely important and I love when people let me know they are praying for me both on a personal level and I especially need those prayer warriors for the work that I do.
But, I also see something sad that happens to us as Christians when we age. Too often the older step back and say "Let the younger ones do it, they've got the energy!" I'm not saying that we shouldn't include the younger, absolutely not! I'm saying let's join them, let's stay in it to win it! Don't drop out of the race because you think you can't physically keep up like you used too, but trust that God will find work for you that He has gifted you for. He knows you better than anyone. I could tell you a number of stories of some wonderful older men and women in our church who have continued to step out and serve and the lessons that they have taught me and others by their examples has been invaluable. I read a book recently that said that Spiritual retirement should never be an option and I think..."Amen!"
During the very last production we did of "You are the Christ!" I met a drama team from a church in Winnipeg that came out to watch our production. They were working on a large production themselves, similar to our Easter production and they came to me for advice on costuming, directing and so forth. The youngest person on that team? Was 53 and his mother was the costumer...she wouldn't tell me her age! How wonderful is that?
Robert Browning wrote, "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be..."
In scripture God used men and women who were hundreds of years old...actively! Why then can He not use us at 47, 57 or 87? Or think of it this way...you can continue to do something physically productive for Christ in the church as long as you are able or...you could have a baby at 90 like Sarah! Which calling would you prefer?
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 1:6
This was a wonderful evening out for me. Watching those young people passionate about bringing a story to life on stage encouraged me and rekindled a passion to work that stage again more than I can say.
Well, in the past few months I've been working on a script and it hasn't been easy. I pick it up every once in awhile, rework it and then leave it for a few days. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes the busyness of work and sometimes that's just how how writing works, at least for me. It's not that you can ever sit down and just write and get your idea out on paper, it's a long drawn out process. I'm hoping to present it this fall at our church, it was supposed to have happened this past winter, but I'm still battling it out with the script. I want to do this right and with respect. Because, you see, it's the first time I've ever written a full length modern day script based on someone's real life story. It's a touchy thing to do that, you need to make sure you do justice to the story, give it the honor and respect it deserves. Oh, I've written little skits here or there for our Sunday morning services and I've written one large Biblical production "Tobiah" for Easter, but I wanted to do something different. I learned so much from writing "Tobiah". I made many mistakes, but, the mistakes I made in writing and directing taught me a lot and there were many 'right' things that happened that I learned from as well. But, I wanted to step outside the box and try something 'new'. And it's taken half a year to get this far and I'm still working on re-writes.
David C. Cook Publications is the publisher this book and they have given me full rights to the book for the purpose of this script. I contacted the author as well and his response blew me away. He sent me a wonderful email that I have posted on the bulletin board in my office at church. Because the story is about him and his father (his father has since passed away) he writes, "I'm delighted and honored that you would want to write a play based on my book. My father would be tickled-pink'..." That blew me away because honestly? I didn't expect a response from either the publisher or the author and yet within a two day span they both responded. That alone has been a huge encouragement to keep going. So, does God fit into the story? Absolutely! Because, you see, the son leads his father to Christ in a unique way. I'll tell you more another time.
We're aiming for October 2010! The cast is small and pretty much in place, I'm hoping to start rehearsing within a month.
So, why am I telling you this? Because, I'm 47 years old and I love that God is still able to find work for me to do. I think the saddest thing I see is that so often people believe that after a certain age they no longer have anything tangible to offer to God's work besides being a prayer warrior. Don't get me wrong, prayer is huge and extremely important and I love when people let me know they are praying for me both on a personal level and I especially need those prayer warriors for the work that I do.
But, I also see something sad that happens to us as Christians when we age. Too often the older step back and say "Let the younger ones do it, they've got the energy!" I'm not saying that we shouldn't include the younger, absolutely not! I'm saying let's join them, let's stay in it to win it! Don't drop out of the race because you think you can't physically keep up like you used too, but trust that God will find work for you that He has gifted you for. He knows you better than anyone. I could tell you a number of stories of some wonderful older men and women in our church who have continued to step out and serve and the lessons that they have taught me and others by their examples has been invaluable. I read a book recently that said that Spiritual retirement should never be an option and I think..."Amen!"
During the very last production we did of "You are the Christ!" I met a drama team from a church in Winnipeg that came out to watch our production. They were working on a large production themselves, similar to our Easter production and they came to me for advice on costuming, directing and so forth. The youngest person on that team? Was 53 and his mother was the costumer...she wouldn't tell me her age! How wonderful is that?
Robert Browning wrote, "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be..."
In scripture God used men and women who were hundreds of years old...actively! Why then can He not use us at 47, 57 or 87? Or think of it this way...you can continue to do something physically productive for Christ in the church as long as you are able or...you could have a baby at 90 like Sarah! Which calling would you prefer?
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 1:6
Comments
Thanks for sharing your exciting news regarding the play script you're working on. Would love to see it performed.
And thanks for that encouragement of spurring us of an older generation on to keep actively engaged with the Lord's work.
So good to see you at Wilderness Edge and hear that Wes is doing so well. PTL!!
Blessings as you continue using your gifts to bless your local church and the broader body of Christ.
Ted