Fourteen years ago today. It was the first Sunday in March, 1996. Boy, was I nervous. I was about to step on the platform at North Seattle Covenant Church and “present” the Gospel of John for the first time. The whole thing. Almost two hours alone on stage.
I had done John a hundred times on that stage before. But that was rehearsal. The only person watching was my director – Terry Edward Moore. This was different. This time there were 150 pairs of eyes who would witness what was about to happen. Most were friends and family. Some were curious members of the host church. None of us – including me – really knew what to expect.
Then came the moment of truth. I stepped on stage and sat on the lonely stool. Nothing else on the stage. Just that stool and me. My eyes scanned the room. The eyes looking back at me were both excited and nervous for me. And then I opened my mouth.
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God.
Much of the next two hours was a blur. There were times of silence and times of laughter. There was even one 10-second brain freeze (that felt like 30 minutes). At some point there was the word “Amen.” There was clapping. There was a lot of hugging.
And then it was over. Or, maybe more accurately…and then it had just begun…
