Heaven Bound

  I was invited to go this evening to a musical called 'Heaven Bound' performed by members of Big Bethel AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church.  It was a musical which has been performed every year for 82 years!  It was first performed in 1930 during the Great Depression as the church was facing severe financial pressures and was facing closure, but has continued ever since.  Members of the church I went to watch it with who first went to see it 55 years ago (!) inform me that it hasn't changed at all in that time.  The history of Big Bethel is also interesting.  The congregation started life as a slave church, initially they had to sit in segregated pews in the white church, but eventually were given a plot of land to build their own building.  After the Civil War, once they were freed, they built a new building just next door (where the present church still stands, although it has gone through a number of refurbishments and rebuilds).

  However, it was about the production itself that I wanted to share.  I wish I was able to have taken photos as it will be difficult to imagine without.  The setting for the performance was at the pearly gates.  It opened with St Peter and the angels all entering through the gates, Peter with the giant Book of Life.  One thing of interest was that Peter and the angels were all black people, decked out in white and gold.  It was refreshing that it wasn't the traditional Western images of angels that we usually see.  Then the rest of the performance consisted of stories of individuals on their journeys to heaven.  Each person came in, one at a time and told their story using a traditional gospel or African American spiritual song.  The singing was incredible - both the soloists and the choir - made up of the angels and all who had made it to heaven thus far.  Each person had a slightly different story - some were already decked in white robes and were people full of faith and triumphantly marching to heaven; whilst others were in ordinary clothes, facing the trials and tribulations of this world, some carrying heavy baggages, who persevered in faith and just made it, to be given their white robe and golden crown on arrival.  These songs were uplifting, the characters represented many people's journey through life, there was encouragement for all watching who may be facing similar trials.

  The production did also tell the stories who didn't make it.  Those people who were tempted by the ways of the world rather than the way of God.  I was pleased to see that there were far more people getting into heaven than not.  However, in each person's story, the character of the Devil was present, and in the case of the few, he tempted them away and they did not make it into heaven.  The songs which were sung, still had notes of hope within them, which then jarred with the stories being displayed.  But the stories also told of a man choosing wealth rather than helping the poor; and the story of a mother desperately praying for her children to turn back from their lives of gambling - and only one did.  In our churches we don't like talking about the Devil or people not getting into heaven.  However, what happens with regards to judgement after death, only God knows.  In the mean time, these stories provided the challenge to each person watching, to do all they can to resist the temptations which force us to live contrary to God's way.  The other clever aspect of this musical was that the character of the Devil was able to bring this to challenge to us by using humour.  It was funny and entertaining to see how he was going to try and lead people away from God's path, but as we laughed, there was also the realisation that there was truth in what we were witnessing.

  If you are in Atlanta on 8th November 2013 (the next time they are performing the production) then I would recommend that you go as it was a fantastic night out, a really well done production, great music performed by great musicians, and a real encouragement to make sure your life's journey takes you heaven bound!