Frederickson Blog

As I write this, I am sitting in the Forum Deo Gloria PAC looking at an unpainted set that was lovingly built by many parents, students, and staff over the weekend. Our Production Workshop class and the cast will be painting it, bringing color and pattern to its bare, rough walls. As the week progresses, student actors will continue to rehearse and bring to life comedic characters written in the 1930s. Next week we will add lights, sound cues, microphones, and costumes. The following week, November 20–22, we will add the final element, the audience, who will experience the story for the first time and hopefully come to love its quirky characters and uplifting message as much as we have through this process.

This massive collaborative art form, theatre, brings together people from all walks of life. Among others, we need individuals skilled in construction who understand how pieces of raw material can come together to form a whole; visual artists who use their imaginations to envision another place and time and use their talent to transport audiences there; and actors who use their instruments of voice, physicality, and expression to embody another person’s experience and explore how humans interact with each other in times of conflict and moments of connection.  

This whole process recalls the letter Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus (and likely other churches) in the first century. In Ephesians 1:10 Paul explains God’s purpose is to bring all things in heaven and earth together in Christ. As the letter goes on, he explores the multifaceted wisdom of God in choosing to do this through the story of the people of Israel, which culminates in Israel’s Messiah, Jesus. Through Him, God brought the gentiles into His chosen family. Now that blessing can extend to all humanity! Paul also describes powers, both physical and unseen, that separate and divide. He contrasts these divisive powers with God’s purpose to unify all things in Christ.

The story of the Bible, and a central theme in Ephesians, is about God bringing two different families together. How interesting that this could also describe the basic plot of our play! Moreover, putting on a play is a big project that brings together people with diverse backgrounds and abilities. God’s big project to heal the cosmos in Jesus unites people from different ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds into the one eternal family of our Creator. He planned before time how we would show His wisdom to the cosmic powers as we, His followers, grow together into a dwelling fit for His Spirit. We live out His calling as we represent Jesus to this hurting world, bringing healing and unity wherever we find brokenness.  

Maybe this play appears to be just a sweet, little, old-fashioned comedy—but, in God’s wisdom, maybe the servant-hearted community that brought this project together and the unity our story points to as an ideal could really represent a tiny working model of new creation. 

As we enter this beautiful season of gratitude, I am reminded of how blessed we are as a school community. Each day, we see God’s hand at work in our classrooms, in our relationships, and in the hearts of our students. November invites us to pause, reflect, and give thanks, not only for the many gifts we enjoy, but most importantly for the grace we have been given through Jesus Christ.

This month, as part of our expression of gratitude, we will also take time to honor the men and women who have served our country in the armed forces. Their courage, sacrifice, and selfless service are examples of the purpose-driven lives we’ve been discussing in chapel and in our classrooms. On Wednesday, November 5, our school will host a special chapel to recognize and thank these heroes. We are especially excited that our guest speaker this year is someone very dear to our hearts and one of our beloved kindergarten classroom assistants: Kristie Reeve. She not only serves faithfully in our school every day but also has served our nation with honor. We look forward to hearing her share her story and testimony of God’s faithfulness in her life.

As we listen to her and reflect on the freedoms we enjoy, may we be reminded that gratitude is more than a feeling: it’s a way of living. Just as our veterans have answered the call to serve their country, we are each called by God to serve Him and others. Whether it’s showing kindness to a classmate, helping a neighbor, or offering a prayer for someone in need, we live out our purpose when we reflect Christ’s love in our daily lives.

This season, let us give thanks for the people who make our community so special and for the saving grace of Jesus Christ, who calls us His own. May our hearts overflow with gratitude as we continue to grow together in faith, purpose, and love.