The Powers That Be

The pillar of rays My heart went out to two people who were dropped from the performance at the eleventh hour. Having served in the performing arts for just over a year & a half, I have been through the works myself. While I’ve always been known as the rebel, the two concerned has never been known to lose their cool. Having received a frustrated email jolted the entire department for the insensitivity rendered by the leaders when they decided to axe the introduction to the Christmas play last year. The rehearsals? Oh, they’ve become a part of life…..and the disappointments???? Oh, plenty but I’m not going to share them here. I think it’s sad that we weren’t told of the chop till this email surfaced. I think our drama director, James, had always stressed upon MINISTRY as the reason for the performing arts department. It’s unfortunate that the upper ranks don’t see it as such & stress upon other things, namely for the ‘look good’ & ‘feel good’ factor. I read the responses from other members citing their ‘inabilities’ or ‘inadequacies’ as the reason for not wanting to take part in the Easter performance. I certainly do not agree that you’d have to perfect or good enough in order to serve the Lord in this ministry. I had to go for ‘extra’ rehearsals because of my fumbling of lines. I’m not perfect, neither am I close to even being a Bollywood star (for the dramatic effect…) but because brothers like James & ‘Belly Boy’ would sacrifice their afternoon nap to come 3 hours earlier than the scheduled 5 hours of rehearsal to help me rehearse.....over 10 times! Think about what better things they could be doing than to listen to me go on & on until they can even recite my lines? Why are they doing it? Why am I doing it? Because we have to? No, but because it’s a JOY to serve one another while doing it unto God! I wouldn’t want to lose out on being able to minister to one another just because we feel abased. Why focus on our weaknesses when the Lord had said that He will make us strong? Do you not know that someone, somewhere, needs to listen to what you have to say about life & issues? And that someone, somewhere may need you to listen to them because nobody has??? Quit & you become a loser. We need God most when we are deceived into thinking that we are NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Let me share this with you. One fine day, a few of us decided to ‘hang out’ together. So Rachel, Baby B & myself, went bowling while passing time to go watch Shark Tales (having heard so much about Lenny in the backstage thru our very own ‘Lenny’…..). Thereafter, we adjourned to dinner at Kuchai & suddenly God told me to take them for a drive. Oh well, took them out for drive, I did. I brought them to this place in Ulu Langat where this picture was taken. When I finally downloaded this picture onto my PC, I saw the beam that shot up to the sky & thought, WOW. No one will ever know which light or bulb did not turn on or wasn’t working. The majestic lights when switched on in numbers appear to be far more magnificent than that of those other buildings standing on its own without TENAGA. When we look from this distance, everything seems to be so apparent. If we were to stand at KLCC proper, we would be overwhelmed by those lights & excitement & we would merely be standers by. BUT WE ARE NOT. Each one of you is the lights that make up the KLCC in the church. One may have more energy than the other, one may consume more power but give out equally much. One may need the adjacent power from the stronger light to complement the shine. The blue, red & yellow light need to shine together to get an even AMBER! How can they work on its’ own without looking too blue, too red or too yellow…? Precisely, how can we work properly on our own without all the members of the cast? THE PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT IS THE ONLY DEPARTMENT IN CHURCH THAT HAS NO AGE BARRIER. Every member of Christ’s body has a part to play. Be it massaging the shoulders of Tink, dropping the banner for the leader at the precise time or causing the fits of laughter in the backstage, or christianing members with a new names like ParaParaPenguin, Judas the Carrot, Lenny-Break-Into-Song-Mimic-LateLee…..I think we ought to stay together for Easter & SHINE FOR GOD! People will continue to have their input about us, SO WHAT? Are we going to let them dictate how we are going to be, how many people we touch, how much joy our little drama outreaches bring to the old folks homes or how many people we can bring to church??? Heavens, no! To my cast members, it will not make me think any less of you if you think you are passed over because you feel that you were not good enough. To me, you have been great. I think you owe it to God who called you to ministry in the first place. Well, Christmas is over & Easter is coming. Let’s put on war paint & give them a good show, shall we?