Life lessons and CFC’s 50th anniversary celebration
I don’t know why, but the Facebook algorithm recently decided that I needed to see a post from Christian Fellowship Church in Evansville, Indiana.*# The founding pastor and current pastor^ were in the video, talking about their upcoming 50th anniversary celebration. “Wow,” I thought. “That’s quite an accomplishment.” And then I immediately thought, “I wonder how much of the facility has changed since the last time I was there in the late `80s. So I started looking for photos.
And suddenly, in my mind’s eye, I was transported to the stage of the Worship Center, dressed in a black robe wearing a cardboard hat that was inspired by a bishop’s mitre. I was the High Priest of the Kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Jehoshaphat in the children’s musical Fat, Fat Jehoshaphat. I wish I had a video of our performance. Unfortunately, I don’t. But if you really want to see what the musical was like, you can watch this video from another church’s 2015 production.
And, of course, there’s this photo of Mr. High Priest himself…
An important life lesson at CFC
I have several other important memories of our time at CFC, but my experience on stage is certainly a core memory. I was in several children’s musicals at CFC. All of them were pretty great. I was a herald angel named Hark in Hark, the Herald Angel. I think this was the first children’s musical the church produced. But it certainly wasn’t the last. In addition to being the High Priest in Fat, Fat Jehoshaphat, I was also King Wenceslas in Good King Wenceslas, and a goofball named Greg in Gettin’ Ready for the Miracle.
But I keep coming back to the life lesson I learned in Fat, Fat Jehoshaphat.
In case you’re not familiar with the story, here’s a mile-high overview of the story. You can find the real account in 2 Chronicles 20.
The nation of Judah was under threat by an army made up of three allied nations. When King Jehoshaphat and his people found out about this coming invasion from beyond the sea, they were much afraid. They knew their military couldn’t stand a chance against their enemies’ combined military might. But even in their fear, they sought the Lord’s protection. Jehoshaphat called for a nation-wide fast. When the fast was over, Jehoshaphat prayed. He concluded his invocation with this statement – “God, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
A prophet spoke a word from the Lord, saying “Don’t be afraid. The battle isn’t yours. It’s God’s.” So when they sent their military out to meet their foes, they put the choir in front, singing praises to God the whole way. The story ends with God wiping out Judah’s enemies before they even reached the battlefield.
That’ll preach. Right? I mean, you can turn it into a good old fashioned three-point sermon without any effort at all. I’m sure I could refine it with some alliteration or a rhyme, but here’s what I came up with off the top of my head:
- Pray
- Put your faith into practice (and don’t be afraid)
- God will protect you
Too bad I’ve never heard anyone other than me preach a sermon about it. I wonder why that is. But I digress…
A lifelong influence
I was in fourth grade when we performed this musical at CFC. And Jehoshaphat’s faith is still an example for me 35+ years later. It’s that engrained in my soul.
Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of talk about the benefit of programs like children’s choirs, musicals, and Vacation Bible School. Because it’s tough to track the direct evangelistic impact on programs like these, some believe they are not worth the time or financial commitment.
You can argue that if you want, but do you know the first thing that came to mind when I tried to find the words to share with our youth ministry leaders and students after the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001?
“O our God…we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:12)
And on the days I remember to start with prayer, this is the first prayer I utter. Because it puts everything and everyone in my life in their place.
So I want to thank the staff and volunteers at CFC who continue to have a tremendous impact on my life, even though I haven’t been there since the late `80s.
endnotes
* OK, that’s not entirely true. I have a pretty good idea why. Because I grew up in Evansville and have a lot of family and old friends there. I’d been scouring my Facebook feeds for information about the possible tornado that had hit the area this week. So I have a pretty good idea why Facebook decided I’d want to see said post. I also realize it might have been a sponsored post and there was other demographic information that led to the post showing up in my feed.
#I’ll be referring to Christian Fellowship Church as “CFC” throughout most of this post. That’s what I grew up calling it, so it just feels more natural to me.
^Well, I’m assuming he’s the current teaching pastor. I guess I don’t really know.
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