(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 . . .”
