This year we ran 11 shows for SonRise. We have six teams that, except for one, do two shows each. The first show started at 8:30 am and the rest ran in half hour intervals for the rest of the day until 1:30 pm.
I have to start by saying that the casting of all our "Jesi" (plural Jesus in cast/crew lingo) was fantastic this year. Every one of them did a phenomenal job. The rest of the cast did too, but it was Jesus who--rightly so--made this SonRise exceptional.
I was in charge of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and The Last Supper scenes. On the day-of that means we make sure the Last Supper props are set up correctly,
and then walk from the Student Center to Hickman to get the disciples and Jesus to start the donkey ride at the correct time.
Team Compton
I really loved Triumphal Entry this year. Last year I only went to each of the first shows and not the second ones, but this year I only missed one. Even when my feet hurt or I felt like they didn't need me, I really enjoyed hugging each of the Jesi for good luck and praying with the groups before they started their shows. It was like my own special moment to be in the inner circle of Jesus.
Then they were off! As soon as the weight of Jesus touched the donkey's back, he would take off. The disciples were fantastic--they never looked tired of telling the crowds that Jesus was here.
Team Adams - Triumphal Entry
They waved and yelled their way through Jerusalem, and then dismounted and headed up the stairs at Summerour to walk toward Hackman. During that walk, the wonderful children that Annalisa recruited would run to Jesus, ignoring the protests of the disciples. This exact moment and the ones to follow were the ones that really set up how my SonRise experience would go. This is where I experienced how much Jesus loved everyone, and how innocent he was. Eleven times I watched Jesse, Andy, Dawson, Robert, Ryan, and Eric represent Christ. During Jesse's first show, after he greeted the children at the top of the stairs, he asked, "Do you want to hear a story?" And they just plopped right down in front of him to listen. My heart was already soaring.
Jesse with the kids
Then Robert Adams, a man who lives for crowd interaction, would take people's faces in his hands and look them right in the eye. These men emulated Jesus through their eyes today. Dawson was one of the most tender. He's normally a very energetic person, joking around and being silly. But today he knelt down and smiled at children and gave everyone hugs.
Dawson and the crowd
Ryan gives amazing hugs, and I even caught one before he went on stage for Last Supper. I found myself drawn to the Jesi. I wanted to be next to them. I was soaking up every moment just like the crowd.
After spending so much time with Jesus and his followers, I definitely felt like one of them, like a legit believer. My heart was filled with so much love. I wanted to finally get to finish the show, if not for another reason than to spend more time with him, to see him more. I knew what was coming, but I didn't realize how my experience from the day was going to affect my experience through the rest of the show.
Finally the eleventh show came. Dawson was the final Jesus to perform, and everyone enjoyed interacting with him. Last Supper finished and we all moved on to Gethsemane. Brandon did an amazing job with this scene this year. He was so nervous as a first-time director, but I thought it was fantastic. Jordan is an intense Satan, getting so angry when Jesus repeatedly gave up his will to the Father. I was already starting to shudder when the mob came to get him and beat him down at the end of the scene.
When I got to Pilate's Judgment I had a front-row spot. Cameron, the talented young director was in costume as a mobster and bantered with me a bit about why I should believe in him. It made me think about what I would do if someone was really questioning me on that day in history. All I could think of was what I had witnessed that day--innocence and love. Then finally Jesus was brought out, and I have to praise Dawson's acting abilities. I no longer saw Dawson. And it was looking at his face that kept pulling on my heart. I was already crying by the end of the scene. It was so hard to see the face that had smiled at children and the body that had hugged his followers--had hugged me!--bloodied, shuddering, falling over in pain. He practically crawled to the cross and slowly dragged it down Taylor Circle. I found Andy after a while and he hugged me while I bawled what I was feeling to him. I had to keep up with Jesus, I had to see his face.
Every time I saw his face I just kept thinking--all he did was love people! He truly was innocent! Why were they hurting this man? It was like experiencing it all for the first time. I stayed right behind the disciple/mobster cluster at the front with Jesus. The mobsters were jeering the crowd and the disciples kept throwing themselves on the soldiers, trying to get to Jesus. Then the "Via de la Rosa" song kicked in and I lost it again. We got right behind the line of soldiers so we could close their gap in the front row again. I was front and center as they put him on the cross. He forgave the soldiers for putting the nails in his hands. With his last ounce of strength he told the thief he would be in heaven someday.
It was my sins that held him there. I didn't deserve all the love I had soaked up. It was literally the most unfair situation that has ever occurred, and I was powerless to stop him from dying. It was finished.
We made our way to wait in line for the final scenes in the gym. People were saying how it was a ticketed performance and that they might give me trouble for not having a ticket or an official staff shirt on. All I knew was that I needed to see that resurrection. My sins had killed him, and I needed to see God's power defeat them.
They let me in without too much trouble and we found our seats.
Mary, Mother of Jesus cried and screamed at the death of her son. Mary Magdalene expressed her grief for losing the only man who had the right to judge her, but only loved her. And then that song began to play.
I know it so well--from years past, from looking it up when I'm missing SonRise. If you know me, then you know how music moves me, and this song is particularly exceptional. I hope you get to at least listen to the song, and I hope you can somehow see how they act it out on stage. After the soldiers finally flee, Satan stalks the stage, thinking he's victorious. And then Gabriel shows up and battles him, finally punching him off the stage, burning the seal on the tomb and rolling away the tomb. I was leaning forward in my seat, gripping Rachel as we both cried. I could barely breathe, straining and waiting for Jesus to finally "arise." My favorite part finally came:
"Sin: where are your shackles?
Death: where is your sting?
Hell has been defeated
The grave could not hold the king.
Arise, my love. Arise, my love!
No more death's sting
No more suffering
Arise, Arise!"
And then he finally appeared out of the tomb with a bright light, no more blood and smiling widely, and I was complete. It had been a full, long, blessed day. I had fallen in love with Jesus in a new way, deeper than ever before. I just needed one more hug from Dawson, fellowship with my fellow SonRisers, and a moment alone on our empty stage.
I have a thing for clouds♥
Thank you to every cast and crew member, but especially those who made my experience today. I know we put on this production to teach thousands of other people about Jesus, but today SonRise was a pivotal experience in my life, and I'm eternally grateful.
As I told Ryan Moore afterwards: "All I can say is: Thank God for the resurrection."
Great blog Jana!
ReplyDeleteamen!
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