Above All Recap: Triumphal Entry

Since Above All practices kicked off, the entire cast finds itself running full speed.  With a short window to get everything and everyone ready, practices start to overlap.  Controlled chaos.  No problem.  In this chaos, a connection forms among the cast and we encourage and help each other in our pursuit to portray Christ Last Days. However, this week the Apostles group practiced once.  It has left us a little detached.

Triumph in Chaos
The scene we practiced is called Triumphal Entry.  The goal of this scene is to get the audience focused and excited about Jesus.  The Apostles hold a central role in galvanizing that excitement. It’s up to us around Christ to portray a warm and inviting atmosphere.  We can’t look bored or uninterested.  We must portray excitement just as the Apostles must have felt excited to see the multitude greet them and Jesus 2000 years ago.  Meanwhile, the rest of the cast must constantly focus and direct towards Christ, even if they are on the other side of the sanctuary (Amy Litton, the wife of John the Beloved, does a great job of this).  People’s hands are constantly waving.  Some leap and run, while others bow in awe.  The priests shake their fists and scoff, while the Romans stand ominously in the background.  It can get hectic, and we didn’t even have the donkey last night. In the end, though, the practice was a success. Above All is all about Christ and this scene is designed to portray that very sentiment. Through one practice we are on the right path.

Difficult When You're On Your Own
This journey through Above All remains an awesome experience and I’ve enjoyed all of my interactions.  This week has seen a light amount of practices for the Apostles.  In one sense, it’s nice to rest and get family time.  However, the lack of practice has taken me (and I know others) out of the spiritual connection Above All provides. 

I talked briefly about this with Phillip (played by Anthony Thorpe).  He’s one of my best friends and a great encouragement. He and I both agreed that this week has left us feeling disconnected.  Above All is like another family and we’ve been away from it for almost a week.  When I spend more than a day away from my wife and children, I get antsy.  It’s a similar feeling with Above All and it’s more than just the missed camaraderie.

Fighting The Good Fight (Not Always Easy)
We get connected into the Spirit of God in unique ways when we come together to practice.  We engage with others who are seeking God with prayer, the Word and fasting and that encourages us.  As we go through our daily lives and face the situations and trials, we feel emboldened and strengthened to endure.  When that connection to likeminded and like-focused people ceases, you’re feel left on your own.  That brace that has been lifting you up in the face of trials and tribulations feels pulled out.  It’s in these moments that the enemy attacks and tries to rip out what blessings and gains we’ve made in Christ.  As a result, I and others have been facing some spiritual battles.

So, this week has been rough.  However, it’s also been rewarding.  I’ve had to dig down deep and encourage myself in the LORD and rely on Him more and more.  The fruit of Above All is that I have felt refreshed and prepared to face these trials. The test has been will I be able to trust and seek God when it’s just me out in the field?  Thankfully, I have a wife who prays and seeks God so my house is always filled with the anointing and presence of Christ.  However, in the temple of my body and the purview of my life, I must decide to seek Him on my own.  I am reminded of that this week as have my fellow Apostles.  We believe our efforts will be rewarded.