fearfully-and-wonderfully-made: "We Are United" Children's ministry Spring Musical/Play 2010

March 4-6, 2010

I have been so blessed to be involved in the children's plays at Cross Point the past few years. We've done "King of the Jungle" ( I think Bonnie was just a tiny baby when we did this one), "Donkey Tales", "Power", and now "We are United"! I have taught the kids the music and choreography in all of these and have had so much fun doing it! I've worked with two very amazing Christian women, Gena (the director) and Kyla (the props gal) during these plays and I just dearly love them and their dedication to working in the children's ministry. Their love in action and in their hearts inspire me so much! We have all helped each other get through this play and it's been awesome that we have been able to encourage one another like we have especially during this one. It's VERY stressful when these plays are going on but SO worth it! We all joked about how doing plays is kind of like having babies: You forget what it was like each time or you wouldn't go through it again! :) I have gotten to know so many kids in my church family that I didn't even know past their name and face before. I'm so glad God gave me this talent to use for his glory. We have had some not so glorious moments but I learn something new every play we do.

This year's play is "We are United" and is about 6 castaways that go to Henotes Island to compete for the grand prize! There's Bea Sharp (the voice/music person), Jim Track (the runner), Jack Hammer (the construction guy), Senator Will Speaks, Chef Leigh Bonnie Petit, and Dr. I.C. Stars (an eye doctor) It's set up like the show, Survivor. There's a host, Johnny United, and his assistant Concordia that guide the contestants along the way through the challenges. The contestants go from thinking it's all about them and trying to win to realizing that they have to be united and work together to really be successful! The songs are so cute and have an islandy jungle type feel to them.

This play is all about unity and it's a great lesson to learn. So many times we spend our lives doing things on our own and not working together whether it be in church related activities or just in our attitudes and intentions in the church. Oftentimes, we don't realize that we all have different talents and if we just put them all together, we can be so successful in doing the Lord's work. You know that whole saying, "There are no small parts; only small actors."? Read this verse and consider letting it transform your hearts to become the church that Jesus called us to be. I have learned so much about this verse because of being involved in this play!

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (New International Version)

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

What a great analogy! Doing this play has taught me that working together is truly the only way to get things done. We've had lots of setbacks throughout this play too which caused many frustrations but I'm beginning to think that the Lord had a reason for all of those. We HAD to stay united to get through this year's play. We had sickness that made some of the kids miss some practices. We had 2 snow days and lost 2 whole practices because of it. The play books took FOREVER to come in and we thought we might not get them in time and have to choose a totally different play. The lines were not memorized 2 weeks before the play and they have ALWAYS been memorized by then. The ROC was always booked and we didn't even get to practice on stage until about 1 week before the play was gonna be. Gena's grandfather passed away the week of the play and she had to be pulled in so many directions. I was gonna make the cakes for the dress rehearsal night and they all fell apart-LITERALLY- and the next day I tried to make cupcakes instead and the batter overflowed out of the pan and poured into the bottom of my oven, the beverage dispenser I bought for the dress rehearsal meal for parents was broken before I got to use it, I started getting a bad cold, etc. etc. It was all meant for good though and I learned a lot about myself in the process. We had SUPER parents help us throughout the process cooking meals for the kids, making props, helping set up, etc. and we couldn't have done it without everyone working together! These kids I've been working with are incredible and have worked so hard to learn their lines and they have just all really given it their all during this experience. I think it's so cool that they all have this experience to bring them together and will have memories that will last a lifetime!

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Yes, he SURE DOES! Thank you God for bringing this group of kids, parents, and directors together for YOUR purpose---not ours. And thank you for teaching me that a lot of things that we think 'matter' really don't--and that it will all come together if we just let go and let God! We can be hit with one bad thing or setback after another and it does not have to make us get stinky attitudes if we just know that all things work together for good. That may be the one attitude we need to all learn in order to get through this life here on Earth.

THE CAST!!!