i was never too into drama growing up and remember seeing sunday school plays/performances which i called "boring" back then. when i heard that mark project was coming to perform the ENTIRE gospel of mark in a dramatized way that reflects the intended tone of the original language, BELIEVE me, i was excited! in our preparations, josh, damon, and i were a little bit nervous and fearful...
we feared things like...what IF only 15 people showed up, what IF we weren't prepared enough, what IF people didn't like it...all these "what ifs". as we got into praying fervently for this night, God revealed to us that he had his way and that we need not fear but prepare ourselves for what he was doing, and that even if there were only 15 people, he would work through it all. Thank God, many more people came, way beyond our expectations (think 150+), and so many were blessed by a powerful retelling of mark's gospel. i am NOT trying to say that it would have been a "failure" if 15 people showed up because even to bless a couple of people would be amazing, but what we did experience is that when we place faith in God's provision, he often surprises us and it's funny why we worry in the first place.
"WHY ARE YOU AFRAID? HAVE YOU NO FAITH?"
funny enough, the major theme running through the entire performance was FEAR. Fear of rejection, fear of death, of demon possession, of many things. there's no way i can capture the power of the play, but one scene in particular was powerful for me, which was when the woman with internal bleeding for 12 years (Mark 5) was healed by touching Jesus' garment.
But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
the actors emphasized the fear in this woman...the fear of rejection and of doing the wrong thing. but JESUS praised her for her faith to step out, to realize her need for him. allison (the actress) did a phenomenal job expressing the fear in the woman in this moment, and we really got into her head. can you imagine what it feels like when Jesus calls her DAUGHTER? this woman who has been rejected and been in suffering for so long...to be cared for and called daughter? wow.
on a final note, i loved the ending. they preserved the original ending of mark, the indeterminate ending where the women see the empty tomb and flee, "for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid"
so the question is...will i allow Jesus to transform my fear into faith?
we feared things like...what IF only 15 people showed up, what IF we weren't prepared enough, what IF people didn't like it...all these "what ifs". as we got into praying fervently for this night, God revealed to us that he had his way and that we need not fear but prepare ourselves for what he was doing, and that even if there were only 15 people, he would work through it all. Thank God, many more people came, way beyond our expectations (think 150+), and so many were blessed by a powerful retelling of mark's gospel. i am NOT trying to say that it would have been a "failure" if 15 people showed up because even to bless a couple of people would be amazing, but what we did experience is that when we place faith in God's provision, he often surprises us and it's funny why we worry in the first place.
"WHY ARE YOU AFRAID? HAVE YOU NO FAITH?"
funny enough, the major theme running through the entire performance was FEAR. Fear of rejection, fear of death, of demon possession, of many things. there's no way i can capture the power of the play, but one scene in particular was powerful for me, which was when the woman with internal bleeding for 12 years (Mark 5) was healed by touching Jesus' garment.
But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
the actors emphasized the fear in this woman...the fear of rejection and of doing the wrong thing. but JESUS praised her for her faith to step out, to realize her need for him. allison (the actress) did a phenomenal job expressing the fear in the woman in this moment, and we really got into her head. can you imagine what it feels like when Jesus calls her DAUGHTER? this woman who has been rejected and been in suffering for so long...to be cared for and called daughter? wow.
on a final note, i loved the ending. they preserved the original ending of mark, the indeterminate ending where the women see the empty tomb and flee, "for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid"
so the question is...will i allow Jesus to transform my fear into faith?
