Lion of Judah
Have you ever felt overwhelmingly exhausted, or weary in this world? I have good news for you. You are not alone. And your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Hello from the snowy land of Narnia! Over the past three weeks, I got to see God at work in terrifying and beautiful ways as we set, rehearsed, and performed the US Premiere of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on stage in Washington, D.C.! It was a grueling three weeks, and we went into opening weekend completely drained and exhausted (not to mention, I have bronchitis and pneumonia too!). It was purely by the grace of God that we made it through.
I almost felt like I was back on the mission field with the amount of spiritual warfare that we saw - from snow storms to gallons of blood red paint mysteriously spilled all over the floor of the costume room. With these setbacks, we were racing against time to prepare for opening weekend. Due to the complex nature of the show, we needed to perform a "nonstop" runthrough for our own safety before we could perform for opening weekend (the show has a full scale battle, flying trees, and incredible magic tricks surrounding the death and resurrection of Aslan). The night before, it took 5 hours to get through the two-act show. After pulling several all-nighters and weeks of nonstop rehearsals, we showed up early in the morning on the day of the show's premiere to give it another go - and God provided!
We made it through the whole show in just under 3 hours. That night, our opening night was a success. Despite some odd occurrences backstage and some (likely unnoticeable) slip-ups onstage, the show went on. Afterward, as donors and audience members gathered backstage to take pictures with the cast, I listened to story after story of people who were mesmerised by Aslan and breaking of the Stone Table. The part of the show most crucial in our witness for Christ had worked perfectly. Praise be to God!
The story of Aslan resonates in our hearts -- what better allegory for the gospel than a King laying down his life for a traitor? Every night, as we crawl onto the stage for the scene of the killing of Aslan, I am reminded of another scene from another story - one that is no fable at all. 2,000 years ago, one man walked in the garden of Gethsemane and prayed that the cup of God's wrath would pass from him. That man was killed in our stead, and three days later the Lion of Judah rose from the dead. As this scene plays out again and again, in every show we are preached the good news of the gospel. It is pounded into our hearts with every battle cry and every "FOR NARNIA!" Every night, as I stand in my evil costume and watch Aslan die, a deeper truth is etched into my heart. Yes, I am a sinner, but He is our saviour. He died for even me.
In the midst of our exhaustion, we saw the Lion of Judah carry us on eagles' wings and give us the daily strength to continue. Performing three shows in one day has never been done in the history of Logos Theatre. On Saturday night, our director whispered to us before the show, "If we never try to do the impossible, we'll never know the God of the impossible. And with God, all things are possible." As we continue to perform this show, we get to have the gospel preached to our hearts every single night. I no longer have any doubt that God can work powerfully through the arts -- my own testimony is so real! I am eagerly awaiting this summer when I will Lord-willing return to serve again with Community Arts Tokyo and continue doing just that -- sharing the powerful truths of the gospel through art and dance.
Praise be to God - I am halfway funded! I was able to book a plane ticket, and we are working on the finer details of dates and shows and such. To be honest, I have not checked my funds since moving here, I've been so busy! I really don't know how I'm doing on fundraising - but I am trusting that the Lord will provide for His will to be accomplished. And if he wills, nothing will be able to keep me from returning to Japan this summer. I know that for sure! I'll hopefully get back to you in the beginning of March about how funds are going, and I'm praying to be fully funded by then. What a blessing that would be!
I hope you are encouraged! You are not alone in your struggles and exhaustion. But let them turn you towards Christ. It is often out of my own exhaustion that I have realised how good our God is. May the Lion of Judah do the same for you! Until then, pray!
I'd really love your prayers that the doctors would be able to figure out what is wrong with me, and that I would get well soon - I would love to not be sick anymore.
Please pray for fundraising - may God open his storehouses and provide!
Please pray for our team - we are all a little weary, but looking forward to serving this summer.
Please pray for our friends in Japan - the weariness felt by Japanese Christians is fueled by loneliness, and so is deeper than any weariness I can ever experience here in the U.S. Pray that they will hold fast to the faith.
And finally, "Therefore, my brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Joyfully,
Anna Gardner Herren
"He must increase, but I must decrease."
John 3:30
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