Continuing the dialogue.....
Last Train to Nibroc
Dear Friend,
As a theater ministry, Acacia seeks to offer high quality theater, which affords the opportunity to view one's life in relationship to the fullness of God's truth. We pray that our shows offer an occasion for thanksgiving, growth, enjoyment and understanding. Without detracting from the theater experience, which we hope you enjoyed, and obviously without foreknowledge of topics dealt with in the "Talk Back," we would like to continue the dialogue by sharing some of the thoughts that the board of directors discussed after reading this play.
Raleigh and May both had plans for their futures. Raleigh planned to become a professional writer and May desired to be a missionary. Neither of them totally fulfilled those goals. In Proverbs 13:12, the Bible teaches us that, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” We can see that as the play progresses, their unfulfilled dreams had an effect on their attitudes, their joy and their relationships. Their hope being deferred, delayed and unrealized made their hearts or their spirits sick. This also created a sense of guilt. Raleigh struggled with a sense of guilt over not being able to continue to be a soldier like his buddies, and contribute to the war effort. May struggled with mission work at home.
There are many people who find themselves in the same situation. They had plans and dreams, but due to their choices or circumstances, those dreams go unfulfilled and as a result they find themselves frustrated and depressed. One of the joys of being a Christian is that we are all members of the body of Christ and as such, we have a role and a purpose to fulfill. 1 Corinthians 12 makes this very clear:
Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work in and through all of us who are his. The Holy Spirit displays God's power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; someone else may be especially good at studying and teaching, and this is his gift from the same Spirit. He gives special faith to another, and to someone else the power to heal the sick. He gives power for doing miracles to some, and to others power to prophesy and preach. It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and powers, deciding which each one of us should have.
Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the "body" of Christ. Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ's body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit. Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part. If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. And what would you think if you heard an ear say, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye"? Would that make it any less a part of the body? Suppose the whole body were an eye-- then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything? But that isn't the way God has made us. He has made many parts for our bodies and has put each part just where he wants it.
Each one of us has great value to the whole body. But what if we missed it? What if the plans that God had for us have been unfulfilled? What if your hope deferred has made your heart sick? Take a lesson from Raleigh. He said, “We’re all riding this country’s future like this train’s a’rolling along the track, just hoping we get somewhere and don’t run off the tracks somewhere along the way. Trusting that the engineer and the brakeman and the signalman are all on the job, trusting that they’ll get us there in one piece.” God is your engineer. Jesus is your brakeman. He’s given us the Holy Spirit to be our signalman.
With God, it is never too late and with God, nothing is impossible. If you are off the track, God can put you back on it. If you’ve made some mistakes, pray and ask for forgiveness and ask Him to move you where He wants you to be. Don’t get caught in the trap of guilt like Raleigh did. Feelings of guilt and unworthiness are just a lie of Satan to keep you from overcoming. God has a plan for you and a purpose for your life and it’s never too late to fulfill your dreams. God can put you back on the track and keep you rolling on your mission. If you are not currently a member of a church, become one. If you’d like, talk to an Acacia representative and they will help point you in the right direction. The body of Christ needs you. You have a crucial part to play.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
All of you together are the one body of Christ, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Acacia Theatre Company
