Here’s a random picture dump since Easter. The bright yellow daffs have come and gone. Then the flowering cherry tree popped and petered out. Then the multi-colored tulips erupted, only to begin their fade into eleven months of obscurity. But I just started planting the new garden because it’s that time of year again, and because hope springs eternal. It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all, right?
The ladies are all out of town at An’s bridal shower today, and Andrew is off to his bachelor party. I kept Samuel and Levi myself last night, and we all went out to breakfast together after last night’s wonderful pizza-movie night.
I got to see “A Great Awakening” two weeks ago, Sight & Sound’s second major film. It’s the story of Benjamin Franklin’s interaction with George Whitefield two centuries ago. I spotted Andrew twice and Sonya three times along the way. Living in the same house with two movie stars is dreadful, but the film is well worth seeing. 🙂 You know for sure that most of the people in the production are local when everybody sits there to watch the credits.
Speaking of Sight & Sound, I got to see Joshua this past Thursday. That production is also worth seeing. The walls of Jericho came down, and Christ was lifted up. Several lines and moments got me right in the feels. Afterward, we got another back-stage tour, and we got to see some new areas this time. It’s like a small city back there.
Last but not least, Enya’s “Fallen Embers” is routinely said to be one of her fans’ most underrated pieces. I think the fans may be right. Happy weekend.
Andrew and Sonya both received parts in Sight & Sound’s second film, A Great Awakening. (Their first film, I Heard the Bells, was a bigger success in the theaters than anticipated.) Drew will play the part of William Pierce, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was also a military officer during the Revolutionary War and member of the Continental Congress. It will be a non-speaking role but one with considerable action. Sonya will be one of the colonial townsfolk, an ensemble that will also have a musical number.
Now in production, A Great Awakening tells the true story of an unlikely friendship resulting in one of the most defining yet untold moments of American history. Known as our spiritual founding father, George Whitefield ignited a different kind of revolution, one now known as “The Great Awakening.” More to come, so stay tuned.
Unrelatedly, thanks to those who inquired about, and prayed for, our family members down south in the wake of Hurricane Helene. All are present and accounted for. Several are still without power and cell service, but they’re all safe. May God comfort those who have suffered great loss.
For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies. Lord of all, to Thee we raise This, our hymn of grateful praise.
– Folliett Sandford Pierpoint, 1864
Andrew finished editing his documentary on The Eclipse of April 8, 2024, as viewed from Ashtabula, Ohio. It’s well worth seeing and will likely plunge you into deep levels of worship. I cry every time I see it. Here is a link to the finished film:
He begins with a glimpse of the partial eclipse from August 21, 2017, and then moves to this year’s phenomenon. It was a social event as much as an astronomical one. After doing several interviews with the sky watchers who had gathered in his location—including one from The Netherlands who would go on to propose to his girlfriend during totality—he gets to the eclipse proper.
At that point, Drew overlays a soundtrack from Sight & Sound’s David production, where Israel’s king worships the God who made the sun, moon, and stars, and everything else in all creation. For believers, the effect is both rich and remarkable. Psalm 19 is still relevant 3,000 years after its composition.
Oh, and everyone was happy that “she said yes” to the proposal. As a father, I am happiest that my son fell to his knees in worship of the Creator at the high point of the cosmic spectacle. As the Apostle John put it:
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4).
I stayed home and watched a partial occlusion from my perch here in Eastern Pennsylvania, surrounded by my stunning flowerbeds, which is a different kind of beauty than found in the skies, but no less glorious. Snaps of those gems are below. Also included are a few shots of our newly expanded garden box. I’ll take more pics when I install the critter fence later today.
Our son had a birthday last week, and we celebrated his life by going to see Daniel at Sight & Sound in Lancaster where he works on the lighting team. We did the usual gifts, dinner, and cake thing with him, but the real fun this year was getting a tour of the backstage, substage, and catwalks where Andrew spends most of his time at work. It was kind of a take-your-parents-to-work day. Not only is the facility massive; it’s also a technological marvel. Broadway’s on-stage talent is phenomenal, but they’ve got nothing on Sight & Sound’s sets and tech operation. Backstage photos are forbidden, so I have just a few snaps below that comply with the rules.
The production itself was fantastic. While David was downright emotional, Daniel was quite cerebral. The former made me cry; the latter made me think. It surely had touching moments in it, too, but the real power of the script was its correspondence to today’s realities. America is just a modern-day Babylon, and God’s people are now in exile, much like the Israelites of old. So be it. God still has plans for us, so we live for the good of the city while we’re a part of it. I know the tickets are pricey, but if you can at all go see Daniel, you won’t regret it.
Drew asked his nerdy seminary prof of a dad if I had seen any historical inaccuracies. There were only two that I noticed—one major and one minor. The major error involved the Star of David Daniel had on his satchel. That symbol originated with the Jewish community in Prague in the 17th century AD. As such, it has neither biblical nor Talmudic authority, and Daniel surely wouldn’t have had it on any of his property in the 6th century B.C.
The minor error involved an incorrect vowel point in the handwriting on the wall scene. The Hebrew samech (“s” sound) in the last word of Daniel 5:25 should have had a chireq vowel (single dot) underneath it, not a tsere (double dot), such that it looks like this.
Actually, the vowel pointings were anachronistic, too, as those dots and dashes weren’t added until the middle ages by the Masoretic scholars. Moreover, the original handwriting on the wall likely appeared in cursive Aramaic (an international language at that time), not the Hebrew block script. But if the Hebrew block script is used, the vowel point they want under the samech is a chireq not a tsere. (My hunch is that that someone mistook a sublinear cantillation mark in the Hebrew Bible as a vowel point.)
Anyway, I shared those things with Drew only because he asked. We don’t go to such productions to find fault. I’m sure there were also fabrics, weapons, helmets, etc., that were likewise anachronistic, but that’s pretty common in these kinds of productions. You do the best you can with the budget you have. Still, I was impressed. And inspired. Daniel is possibly my favorite Old Testament book, right up there with Genesis, Exodus, and Ecclesiastes. I did a sermon series in it last year, and it was a blast.
I love that my son is having the time of his life working for such a wonderful Christian organization. His perseverance has paid off. On top of everything, he was just cast in a small part for Sight & Sound’s second film, which will be in production shortly. Their first film, I Heard the Bells, was the moving story behind the writing of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Christmas carol of the same name. Their second film has yet to be announced, so stay tuned!
A glimpse at our fantastic seats.One piece in the collection of stunning sets.We got to see all the sets and props up close during our back-stage tour.The view behind us.Somewhere up there in the ceiling is our son, harnessed in so he doesn’t land on us.An authorized production photo of Daniel in ancient Babylon.An authorized behind-the-scenes photo.The back of the Sight & Sound facility.The only place where such a sign is not a joke.Barns and other storage facilities for the stage animals.
There are so many reasons for joy in this neck of the woods right now. First, Andrew is thriving in his new role at Sight & Sound. He’s part of the lighting team for their newest production, Daniel, which premiered last week. From his description, theater lighting at that level is much more sophisticated than I had ever imagined, but he’s well suited and trained for it. (His undergrad studies were in film and media arts at Temple University.) Not many people get to say they work in professional music theater—let alone Christian musical theater. He says the show is not to be missed. I get to see it on April 11, which is his birthday.
Second, I got wonderful feedback on my latest dissertation chapter. I’m over the moon about it since this one had heavy doses of Sumerian and Akkadian in it, which I’m hardly an expert in but worked hard to get oriented to. It featured lots of Greek and Hebrew, too, along with a handful of other languages, but I was on edge about the Sumerian and Akkadian because the title of one of my readers is “Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Semitic Languages.” You can imagine the pressure a title like that conveys. It was, by far, the hardest chapter to write, so I really think I can pick up the pace now. Still, academic writing is awfully tedious, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m nerd enough to enjoy it.
Third, the boys continue to grow and delight everyone around them. How cool is it that we live just 10 minutes away from Samuel and Levi? We get to watch them almost every Wednesday and keep them overnight nearly every Friday, which is pizza night. Saturday mornings may involve some cartoons and pancakes. Oh, and the toy room. And yard time. Below are some pics and clips of these precious munchkins.
Fourth, the flower beds are starting to explode with signs of spring. My cherry tree is always stunning this time of year, and the daffs have really shot up, along with the hyacinths. I eagerly await the arrival of the tulips. Maybe they’ll get here by Easter, which just happens to be my birthday this year. But no one’s allowed to call attention to it. That day belongs to Christ alone.
Finally, below is an interesting tune by Coldplay, “Up with the Birds,” voted one of the top songs about springtime. I’m not sure I would have put it on the list, but a reviewer calls it “one of the most hopeful and optimistic things we’ve ever heard. The combination of cheerful lyrics and the enchanting string of instruments in the background has us feeling like we’re floating right into the warmer season.”
How ’bout we just stay in springtime?
Either way, enjoy!
Levi at 8 months.No more pictures, Mommy. I’ve got things to do.Brotherly love.Learning to take turns.Flowers for Mommy.
Micah gets a father-of-the-year award for this.
Double trouble at Home Depot.
Loving little Levi.No poker face on this dude.The view out my home office window.The flowering cherry is a gift I’ll always treasure.The daffs are here.And here.And here. (I need to re-set the decorative rocks.)The flower beds have come alive.The hyacinths await the arrival of the tulips.Home, sweet, home.
Thursday night we got to attend the “Family & Friends” production of Moses at the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster. It was their final dress rehearsal before opening night on Friday. Our son Andrew works there full-time as part of their support staff (including the post-musical prayer team, among other responsibilities), so we’re happily on the receiving end of complimentary tickets for each play.
The entire production was marvelous, taking us on an adventure through the birth and exile of Moses, the burning bush theophany and revelation of God’s name, the plagues against Egypt and its false gods, Israel’s first Passover and their dramatic escape through the Red Sea, and the giving of the law at the top of Mount Sinai. Moses is portrayed as an unlikely and imperfect hero—the only kind God ever uses. Except for Jesus, who makes a cameo appearance at the end of the play.
I don’t think any show could exceed last year’s production of David in terms of musical composition and emotional impact, but this show was right up there when it comes to lead performances, special effects, and execution. I was thoroughly inspired.
Moses runs now through October 7. Do yourself a favor and go see it.
