Production Week 2009

Dear Worshipers,

That is the term I use for this busy week leading up to a major production. If you combine the time each person will sacrifice at rehearsal this week it will literally be in the hundreds of hours. Think of what you could do if someone gave you a few hundred hours to work on something. Think of what you could produce if you had 300 hours of concentrated effort to put into a project. Anyone could accomplish something of worth in that amount of time, if focused on a profitable outcome, right? Not without the Lord.

We are focusing on producing this week. Oh, certainly we are talking about the Christmas musical, but I am talking about much more. I am talking about the greatest product of the week which is not what the Lord will do through us but what He wants to do in us. We want to work on all these details so that we can communicate the wonderful message of Jesus clearly and convincingly, but even then, apart from Him it is all for naught. So let us pray for what we desire for Him to do in others, but ponder what He is doing is us.

Remember Jesus’ words in John 15:5b “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Apart from the Lord we can do nothing. A lot of talent, a lot of time, a lot of nothing apart from Him. I do not want to waste this week or it’s efforts, so I commit right now in the midst of everything I have to do and delegate to hold to the instruction in the first part of this verse.

Remaining. That is not so easy to do. I hit the snooze button a few too many times this morning and did not have the time to spend with the Lord that I desire. Remaining is hard to do without time. This is a busy week, but if I do not find the time to remain in Jesus’ how can I hope to bear the fruit He desires. The same is true for you.

I know that I have many of you out at rehearsal several times this production week, but without some time spent with Jesus’ you too will be hard pressed to produce what He desires. And what it is that He desires to produce in you? If you take a few minutes to consider this I think I know He will show you. You remember the list: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Patience is my focus this week. What is yours?

Of course, we are trusting God to do something miraculous through us this Sunday afternoon and evening. I trust Him for His revelation of Himself to all of us, and that some will respond by turning to Him for the first time, understanding the greatness of our God, and their need of the Savior whose name is Jesus. But I also trust Him to do something in us-in me, in you. I am honestly probably more excited about that because I know that the greatest blessing of this musical is for those who are producing it, because the Lord is using that process to produce something in us we probably were not thinking about when we signed on.

Merry Christmas and Happy Producing!

Jesus, produce in me the fruit that will please Your name. I love You and bless You even as I rest and remain in You. I can do nothing apart from You. Have Your way in me.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

God’s Hand

Dear Worshippers,

I am already beginning to see the signs that God has His hand on us in this upcoming endeavor of the Christmas drama and musical. A few indications:

• All 800 invitations are gone. If one of every four evokes a response that could easily fill the sanctuary once. Praise the Lord!
• As were concluding our work of recruiting orchestra members, an oboe player who has played in the past called to ask if we still needed her. She mentioned what a blessing the musical has been in years past and hoped she could still be involved. We said yes. She mentioned that her daughter has played flute here and shared her blessing. And yes, the only other part I was really hoping to cover was Flute 2. Thank You, Lord.
• A Choir member emailed me and mentioned that she had slow pitch with a family member when she invited them to the musical. They responded with interest which was a miracle itself. Coming would be an even greater one. Is God still in the miracle business?
• When our narrator had to back out a couple of weeks ago, God already had waiting in the wings a young woman who has done radio voice-overs who has a flair for the dramatic. She is 90-95% memorized as of Sunday.
• From lights to set, from drama to media, from to choir to orchestra, from invitations to response cards everything is coming together very nicely, thanks be to God!

We need to be diligent in prayer these next 12 days. God is going to reveal Himself through this work. People are going to respond. Eternity will be different for some. The Enemy of our souls does not like that one bit.

Pray for God’s enabling through these final days of prep. Pray for health for everyone involved, and please do not forget me. Pray for those who are inviting and being invited that the Lord would be in those connections softening and drawing hearts to Himself. I am so excited. Thanks for taking part in this, even if only in praying with us.

Jesus, we can see Your hand in the details of the musical. Help us remain steadfast in prayer through the completion of this work that we may be blessed to look back and identify Your fingerprints all over this endeavor. We need you Lord. Have Your way in us.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy