MEN WHO DREAM

I've never really understood whether God chooses men who dream or if He gives dreams to the men He chooses. I do know that much of what has been done for the glory of God was born of dreams.” ---Ron Boutwell, 1978

Saturday, January 14, 2017

OPENING NIGHT IN OUR “PROMISED LAND” #23

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, December, 1988.)

It was 7:20 p.m., ten minutes before curtain. A little group of actors and their director joined hands in a circle and bowed their heads for prayer in the upstairs makeup room. It was a scene or moment not unlike hundreds of other performance nights from the past five years. Yet this moment was different—special. Untold pain, struggle, heartache, fear, and doubt were wrapped up in that moment. Untold joy, blessing, happiness, reward, and victory were wrapped up in that moment. Untold personal sacrifices of time, finances, labor, and prayer were wrapped up in that moment. No, it was not an ordinary moment or night. It was November 25, 1988, and it was the night of the very first performance in our beautiful new building—OUR PROMISED LAND! GLORY! HALLELUJAH! WHAT A NIGHT! WHAT A MOMENT!


With heads bowed, the director tried to find words to express to the Lord our God the joy and gratefulness all were feeling in those moments. It was not easy. So many memories and emotions filled the minds. God had brought us through to the “Promised Land.” We were home—not some rented space. We were home—and it was beautiful and spacious. We were home—and it was debt free. Yes, we were HOME! Thank You, Father! Praise You, Lord!

That night, November 25, was special in so many ways. Not only was it the first performance in our new building, but it was also the first performance of a new play, CHRISTMAS AT CANDLELIGHT MISSION. It was a night that would re-unite two faithful actors and an actress (Pat Edmonds, Terry Beasley, and Denise Boutwell-Schriver) who had performed and struggled together through so many shows in those early days when we often played to five or ten people a night. “How perfect and wonderful of God,” I thought, “to bring together again these three faithful, self-sacrificing pioneers of the Stained Glass Theatre ministry for this, the first play in our new home.” This night would be different, however, from those first years of struggle. And it was a struggle, for it is very difficult to perform to five people and ninety-five empty seats—very humbling indeed. In those days, many actors came and went, but these three remained faithful through all the lean times. It had been two years since these three faithful ones had performed together, but tonight, God had brought them together again. And as I said, this night would be different. No empty theatre this night. God hadn’t brought us this far to let us down. And He didn’t. He filled the Theatre! Glory!

Yes, God did fill the Theatre that night. Those who had made reservations came. Those without reservations came. People who had never been to Stained Glass Theatre before came. In the light rain that began to fall at about seven, they came. At 7:15, we had a downpour, and still they came. It was wonderful. We had hoped to have a hundred on opening night; instead, we had 145. We had often wondered how long (six months, a year?) it would be before God would fill our new two-hundred-seat home. Praise God, He did it on the second night—TWO HUNDRED AND ONE! HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU, FATHER! Was it just to be that way for opening weekend? No. The next weekend—two hundred plus both Friday and Saturday! And as of this writing, the third weekend is sold out. GLORY! IT’S GREAT TO BE IN THE PROMISED LAND WITH GOD POURING OUT HIS BLESSING! Thank You, Father. Praise Your Holy Name, Jehovah!

[NOTE: One of the shows of the Season of Victory in the "Promised Land" was A Wall of Fire, written by John Lee Welton. That show is again in the lineup for the current Season of Adventure. You can see it at Stained Glass Theatre in Ozark, Missouri, from February 23 through March 25, 2017.]

COMING NEXT: ALTARS OF REMEMBRANCE

“. . . blessed memories of God’s overwhelming goodness . . .”

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