And we're off to the races...

Just outside my window there is a great hill, and all the way up are little plateaus of grass and stone. It's a slightly breezy day, the sun is shining beautifully. The breeze is ruffling the grass in a taunting manner as if it knows how badly I want to climb, rather than sit in a stuffy office with an impending workload and constant interruptions (mostly from a rather brash maintenance personnel who shall remain nameless). There is a hawk outside too, with two of it's young. My, God knew what he was doing with the hawk. What a majestic creature. The Passion Play site has a reputation among its patrons for have both hawks and eagles about. They seem to make appearance during certain performances, and when certain people are on stage. God is a special effects wizard.

These hawks though just seem to be gliding about as if they are keeping watch over the site. This past weekend was the first rehearsal for the Passion Play. And what a weekend. It was long, and full of progress. And people! My there were a lot of people. But more than just the work, was the camaraderie and and sense of community among the cast. I have never met the majority of these people, and yet we are somehow already connected. I wonder how many feel called to the show, as I do. I believe that everyone here involved in the show has been called individually by God to do this show, whether consciously or not. But I wonder how many are conscious of it.

Something I noticed this weekend was a sort of pervasive peace all around. It was light, barely visible sometimes, but always there sort of floating above us the whole weekend. Sort of like my hawk friends who have now disappeared over the rockface. There is something special about this valley. Ask anyone who has spend any amount of time here. Like the man and his Golden Lab in the distance. Or our Technician. Or Volunteer Coordinator. Or any of the 300 performers in this years show. There is something incredible about this place, and I think it's going to get stronger over the course of the rehearsals.

The weekend was a tonne of fun, and I look forward with great anticipation to this coming weekend (which starts tomorrow).

One more thing. If anybody tells you about a certain pair of Zebedee Brothers who may or may not have brought about the death of a tiny gopher, they are terrible, terrible liars. Especially of they used to be a stage manager. Or disciple. Or claim to be 'eyewitnesses'. It never happened.

In anxious solace,
JB