What's New

It has certainly been a busy couple of weeks. As I mentioned before I have been working with the Southeast Christian Easter Passion. I really have a very small part but all the small parts make up the big production. It has been a wonderful experience. I have gotten to know a lot of new people.

Some are the kids in the church who usually are the ones that carry the lambs into the church. They all have such distinct personalities. One who I have come to know is Zane. He is a talker. But he is cute and funny. He sometimes carries one of the chickens into the play that his family owns. There is several children in the family and many are adopted, I am told and they raise a lot of their own food. Zane offered me eggs from their laying hens and I eagerly accepted. His father Tim who also helps with the animals brought 6 dozens eggs to give to whomever wanted them. There is no egg like a fresh farm egg.

The most significant thing with working with the Easter Passion is the play itself. Many months of work goes into the preparation for the two weeks of the play. The people who make the costumes start back in October making the authentic period costumes for the cast members.

Then there is the sign up period for cast and crew. Next comes auditions for the cast. All the cast and crew are volunteers. The people who play the parts are extremely talented. The voices of those who sing are extremely good and pure. They really get into their parts and I think like I have heard of other actors, live their parts. Only their characters lived over 2000 years ago. Then their are many characters who walk on stage and have no speaking parts but they too work very hard to learn their cues and where to stand and how they are suppose to act. There is a couple of months of rehearsal time that follows the selection of the cast. Those are every day for the couple of months and then the two weeks that the play is presented. It takes a lot of dedication on the part of a huge number of people. Over two thousand to present this story. But each person is very dedicated. Most have jobs and families to take care of. Most arrive around 6 pm to rehearse and stay until after nine.

And during the presentation of the play, they arrive earlier than that to get into costumes and for makeup. The play runs about two hours so it is very late for most of the cast members when they get home. Yet they faithfully go to work during the day and come to serve Jesus in the evening to tell the amazing story of his life, death and resurrection. And to bring people in the seats to the knowledge of what Christ did for all of us.

The animals are amazing. Besides the little lambs who grow very quickly in just two weeks, there are two donkeys, a camel, a goat, chickens and a horse. Almost everyone loves the lambs best. They can be heard throughout the church calling to each other when they are separated.

The behind the scenes people keep the play running smoothly. There is the people who are the pooper scoopers. They follow each of the animals until they actually walk into the church. Then characters follow with baskets that look like props but also serve the purpose of picking up any gifts left behind by the animals. Their parts are not glamorous but they do it for the sake of the play and because of the love they have for Jesus Christ and to help tell his story in a dramatic way.

If you have never had the opportunity to see the Easter Passion at Southeast Christian Church you have missed a great blessing. The music will bring tears to your eyes and the actors are so convincing that it will cause goose bumps to raise on your arms. The Crucifixion is so real that it brings an ache into my heart for the agony Christ suffered for me. And for you.

Easter is just around the corner. Wishing all of you and your a blessed Easter and remember to remind your family that Easter is more than candy eggs and jelly beans. It is the greatest gift that God has given the world through his son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.