Good Friday

Last night we went to the Easter production at my church, Two Rivers Baptist Church (tworivers.org). It was an amazing production, unlike anything that I had seen before!!! TRBC is known for their Passion Play. For years, we would give away tickets and have at least 5 performances in one weekend. There are live animals, a creative screenplay that ties the scriptures into some really believable fiction, which all turns the focus to the true Christ. It really is an amazing thing to see and an incredible experience in which to be a part.

The past few years we have not had that Passion Play, music ministers change and new ones come in. You know how it goes. Our staff does follow closely to the call of the Lord and the times that we have not had any Passion Play at all has been because we felt the Lord leading in another direction.

This year, we had an Easter Production called, "Saviour", the Story of God's Passion for His People. Along with the choir and orchestra, we had two special guests, Travis Cottrell (he leads worship in the Beth Moore conferences and used to lead music at our church years ago) http://www.lproof.org/. The other special guest was Ballet Magnificat (balletmagnificat.com). It was an amazing combination of great music and lyrics along with the ballet company telling the story of Christ's passion for us.

I have to tell you in the beginning, I was a little hesitant. If you have ever been to a ballet production, say, the Nutcracker or Swan Lake, this would have reminded you a little bit of that. Not something you see every day in a church. We have dancers at our church too during the Passion Play, but these were actual ballet artists and I was awestruck at seeing the passion that they have and how their moves really told the story of Christ's sacrificial coming and the cleansing of His followers. He made the way. I cannot describe this event in a way that really gives it justice. I lost myself in it after about the second song. I basically just sat there and saw the symbolism of the dancers and listened to the words of the songs. The pivotal moment was when Christ has died on the cross and risen, and the dancers, who were in black, crossed over a red veil, and then stepped over in red, dropping their black outer garments. Is that not a perfect description of what we go through when we accept Christ as our saviour? All the blackness is gone. We are red, covered under the blood. The blood that was shed, just for me and just for you.

One of my good friends was in the production. I told her afterwards that as a Christian, and a person that has been a Christian for a very long time and has grown up hearing the Easter story every year, it is sad that it becomes familiar and lackluster. Can I even write those words? I cannot sit hear today after seeing that production, say that the Easter story is "lackluster". But being in the familiar for so long it seems to have lost it's supernatural touch.

Heaven forbid.

It was wonderful seeing something like I had never seen before. I know there are probably people that were there that did not look past the men in tights and dresses or the women in their heavy make-up. I say, too bad for them. It was a wonderful blessing and I thank God that He gave me the opportunity to see it. I am even more thankful that He sent His son.