Cocal Gracias, Ministerio La Voz

Cocal Gracias

 

Youth Group Drama Night

Last Saturday, San Isidro Nazareno Church and our church, La Inglesia Del Nazareno, had a youth group drama night. San Isidro’s performance was full of music and orchestrated dancing and ours consisted of a drama with eight sinners, Satan, and Jesus. For our play, each person’s personality was considered before his or her role was chosen, with me ending up as Jesus. There was nothing I could say about whether or not I would like to be Jesus since our group already made the decision. I think a lot of being picked out to be Jesus had to do with me being a minimum of 20 years older than all of them and have a beard, a grey beard. My personality was secondary.

The night before our drama night, we rehearsed our play over and over, at least ten times, with each trial a little different, except they all led us to laugh and go crazy. The good part about this drama too was that we did not need to speak. It was our ways of presenting ourselves, exaggerating our movements, and portraying our facial features was what spoke our words for us. Because of this, I tried to move as I imagined Jesus did, representing Him through my physical movements and expressions. I tried to walk slow, the pace I thought Jesus would walk in the case we are acting out, and wondered where his arms were, and how He held His head. Were His arm opened wide? Was he looking up into the sky, praying to God before saving those who lie on the ground waiting? I thought about what his heart felt like when he would walk up to people who really needed to learn of Him and how it felt to know He could love each one individually, regardless of their backgrounds and past lives. In my part in the play, I bent down to pick up the ones I saved, and while doing so, I thought to myself how real this actually was 2000 years ago and how much of an awesome experience it was for those whom Jesus physically touched. Then a few stories in the Bible came to mind of when Jesus rises others from the dead (John 10), heals the sick (Mark 9:25-27), casts off demons from bodies (Mathew 17:18), and for those who witnessed these miracles knew, without a doubt, Jesus is their savior.

So there I was, playing Jesus, but what I did not expect to happen from our first rehearsal did happen. I took on a whole new perspective to think of myself as Jesus, saving people for themselves, teaching them the truth of God, and to have faith and trust that He was there for them, and only them at that special moment in their lives. As I walked down the isle during our play, people were clapping, knowing that my role is Jesus and that everyone I touch on stage will receive a new gift of life. I knew right then I was truly blessed to be given a chance to praise Jesus and to walk in His footsteps.

David says in Psalm 150:6

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!”