Like I said in the last post: I’m back! For the last month, I’ve been in the Niagara region of Ontario, touring the first-ever dance production put on by the company I co-founded, Soli Deo Gloria Ballet. What, you ask, does a writer do in a dance production? Not dance, that’s for sure! Instead, I had the privilege of speaking words I wrote years ago, sharing with audiences in many different churches and nursing homes.
Here I am, watching the dancers between narrations.
My cousin Carolyn is a professional-level ballet dancer who deeply desires to use her gifts for God. Over a year ago, the two of us started tossing around ideas for a production we could tour locally. We believe in using what God has already given us, so we came up with the idea of basing a production on my then-newly released book, Heart to Heart: Meeting With God in the Lord’s Prayer .
The result was Father: A Celebration in Dance . In the show, we alternated dances with readings from the book. As we ran through our first dress rehearsals in early July, we realized that we’d put something truly powerful together.
I also got to sing. The song was "Breathe"; the violinist is Christa Currey, the harpist is Sara Currey.
Churches agreed–we were overwhelmed by the warm and enthusiastic reception. At our last performance, the audience honoured us with a standing ovation. After each performance, Carolyn and I stood behind the book table where we were selling copies of Heart to Heart and spoke with people who told us how deeply they had been touched. We enjoyed these times so much. God has done so much for us, and it was wonderful to see Him reaching out to others through us. Soli Deo Gloria means "To God Alone Be the Glory," and truly, we gloried in His work on this tour!
Carolyn interprets "Thy Kingdom Come" in dance. The song was "This Is Our God" by Chris Tomlin.
As a writer, I sometimes get it into my head that "what I do" is sit behind a desk and type. Lately, God is reminding me not to put so many limits on it! Creativity, truth, and love for God can be shared in so many ways. Our creative endeavours should flow out of a whole life that is lived for HIM — in relationships, serving others, giving, praying, worshiping, and yes, even speaking and book selling.
It’s been an amazing month. We’re already booking our Christmas tour, and we plan to tour Father again in the future — probably next summer. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to other ways to share what God has given me — in writing, in life, and in love for Him.
For more info on Soli Deo Gloria Ballet, click here.
. This one’s written especially for writers. Enjoy!