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Tonight is the first of four performances of our Christmas musical, "One Bethlehem Night." This is a major change for our church which has had a tradition for the past 25 years of doing a Living Christmas Tree for eleven performances each December. We have been practicing since July, preparing tech-notes and multimedia needs since August, building sets since September, we distributed about 3200 tickets back in October, we decorated and put up our sets in November, held dress rehearsals in December, and now we have finally reached the actual first performance night.

I am extremely proud of the many volunteers who have helped and will be helping during the next week and a half. We have had many people help who have not been involved in our Christmas ministry in the past and we have had many return to help in some vitally important areas. I am especially proud of our cast who stepped up to the task of learning a full-scale Broadway-style musical. And I am excited to watch my own two sons do a cane dance as shepherd's in tonight's performance.

Unlike real Broadway plays, we are not going to live or die based on our opening night. All of our work and effort has been done to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Regardless of what others think about the program, we know that God will be praised and that the story of the birth of our Savior will be shared. Pray that many will be able to look back to this Christmas season as the time that they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.

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