Take Flight Challenge: Why I’m Passionate about our Church Passion Play

That Patty. She always has great blogging ideas. Today she’s got a Take Flight Challenge revolving around Easter. I love what our church does, so I thought I’d tell you about it. In fact, if you’re having a tough day, even if you are not, take an hour and a half and enjoy. Yes, you too can watch our Passion Play. I’m telling you, you could move this to Broadway and it wouldn’t be any different. This is a first class production.

Our church hosts a Passion Play that starts on Palm Sunday and runs through Easter night. It hosts live animals, a cast of 100 (give or take) and most audience members believe the cast and singers are professionals. Nope, just anointed. They are Highway Tabernacle church family.

My husband has been involved in leadership for awhile and the Passion Play is on their minds all year round. True planning and meeting gets intense starting in January. Both our kids are in it as townspeople, and their work begins a few weeks before the performances.

I’ve seen this play many, many times. Each year is a little different but the message is always the same. But I’m telling you, even in rehearsal, the core of the story gets me every time. During the healing scene a mom runs with her dead child and Jesus resurrects her. In real life, our daughter nearly died when she was 3 mos old. At the very height of her crisis I could literally feel heaven and hell fight for her. When I knew all would be well, I knew Jesus healed her. I can’t watch that scene, not even in rehearsal, without being overcome at His power. I don’t even have words but I believe with the link I’ll have to last year’s show, you too can see how beautiful His life on Earth was depicted.

I also come undone when I see our daughter on stage. There is a scene where they run through the aisles with palms, so excited to see Jesus. The joy on her face, I stop breathing as I watch. Audience members who don’t know me or her have said things about that “precious little girl and the joy.” I can’t get enough.

Our son has been in the play for years and I’ve watched him as one of the little boys to now a banner carrier, something a grown up does. He takes each role seriously and because my husband is involved with the music, they play the CD’s night and day.

We live in an area that has been hit hard by the economy and honestly, a place that has struggled since the steel mills folded. There is hope when people see the Passion Play, I’ve seen it time and time again. The church fills nearly every night to capacity, in a valley known for tough people. I’ve watched many people intent on not liking the show, feeling dragged to go, change their lives in 90 minutes.

He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is to celebrate and live for every day because He died for us.

Do you know Him?

Watch the link to the 2011 Passion Play here.

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