CHRISTIAN THEATRE IN SHOWBIZ PIZZA? #4

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, October, 1986.  Bracketed information has been added to clarify some items for the blog.  I have no pictures from our time at ShowBiz Pizza.  If anyone has some and sends them to me, I will add them later.)

 

Even though we had experienced difficult times during the first year, we began our second season [of Stained Glass Theatre] full of hope and expectation. We felt sure that we had learned from our mistakes and that things would be easier the second year. Ah, yes, we were such foolish dreamers! As we look back now, we can see that it was not our first year that was the real testing—our wilderness—no indeed! The nightmare struggles of the second year made the first year seem like a pleasant dream. Satan began to move against us with full force. The battle was on! Unfortunately, we were not prepared. We had not put on the full armor of God of which Paul speaks (Ephesians 6:11-17). We were greatly lacking in faith and righteousness. Therefore, when the battles came, we tried too often to fight with our own power and strength. It was not enough; it never is. Nonetheless, we fought on without the spiritual maturity to see why we were failing.

The first major crunch of the second year was the worsening of an old problem—finances! As the rent increased to $600 per month and attendance remained up and down, we had to let two of our paid staff go, which left Pat [Edmonds] to carry the load alone. This proved to be too much for one person, so other problems began to surface. Then in November, just two months into the season, we were informed that we would have to vacate the building. The owners of the restaurant wanted to install a bar in the basement where we were. Ironic, yes? 

We quickly began a search for a new home. We found that a small theatre inside ShowBiz Pizza was for rent. The rent was more than we could afford, but we felt that it was an answer to prayer since it met our needs. 

After the move, things did not take off the way we had hoped. We lost some of our regular patrons, or they lost us, we were not sure which. We also had trouble attracting new patrons. Attendance remained generally low all winter and spring. We faced new and ever greater financial difficulties. During that period, it seemed to me that we lived from crisis to crisis. But God kept us going. We had some good nights plus some good gifts. 

By late spring, we felt that someone needed to help Pat. But who? Who would even consider what we could offer? With the qualifications and talents we needed, who would work with a company that half the time could not even pay the salary of the one employee it had? Pat and I had a talented young man named Terry Beasley in mind. Terry was just graduating from college with plans to teach. He had been performing with SGT for over a year, and we knew he was the one we needed. It all seemed like an impossible dream. Then God worked another wonderful miracle. He placed a call in the heart of Terry to serve Him through SGT. Terry accepted the call, for at least one year’s full service. He did this at great personal sacrifice and against the wishes and concerns of many who felt he would be wasting his education and abilities. Now we had a new warrior in the battle for survival. Praise God! It was a battle that we believed was all but lost. But God knew the battle was not over. Victory was ahead! [Thank You, Father! Praise Your Holy Name! Jehovah!]

COMING NEXT: DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN
When we were defeated in spirit, God worked a Spiritual miracle in our hearts and gave us new hope and vision.