September, 2010

Ensemble 2010

Rev. 3:3, “…Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”

The Master of Ceremonies gave his final announcement urging guests to find their seats, while the first group of students nervously held their folders.  As the lights went down, a beautifully surreal stage setting was revealed.  Colorful lights pointed to the grand pianos, filmy curtains and flowers.  In the hush a light swish was heard and suddenly students appeared on stage from everywhere as they hurried to their assigned place with their assigned partner at their assigned piano.  How exciting!  Thirteen beautiful new, shiny black, Steinway Grand pianos stood on stage.  The girls dressed in performance black dresses, the boys in white shirts with black slacks and ties.  The conductor then hurried on stage and the program began; the 58^th annual Ensemble of the Phoenix Music and Teachers Association. 

Not a sound in the huge auditorium as parents, grandparents and guests were caught up in eager anticipation of seeing and hearing from their special performer for the evening, awaiting their turn to demonstrate their hard work and preparation for this evening’s presentation while 26 piano students at a time, rushed on and off stage to play their well rehearsed song together, two on each piano.   From age seven to adults over eighty, 454 students and teachers in all, flawlessly executed their presentations…they were ready!  And so were the guests. 

As we were caught up in the excitement of that evening, I couldn’t help but think of another exciting event Christians eagerly await that will occur as described in the song Bill Gaither wrote in the 1970’s, and we all loved and loved to sing, titled: 

“The King is Coming”

Happy faces line the hallways, those whose lives have been redeemed,

Broken homes that He has mended, those from prison He has freed,

Little children and the aged, hand in hand stand all aglow,

Those whose lives are broken, ruined, clad in garments white as snow.

 

I can hear the chariots rumble, I can see the marching throng,

And the flurry of God’s trumpet, spells the end of sin and wrong,

Regal robes are now unfolding, Heaven’s grandstands are in place,

Heaven’s choir is now assembled, start to sing “Amazing Grace.”
 

The King is coming, the King is coming,

I just heard the trumpet sounding and now His face I see,

Oh, the King is coming, the King is coming,

Praise God He’s coming for me. 

The day is not far off when we will see the King of glory coming for us in the air.  There will be no warning, there will be no time for an announcement from an MC, there will be no more time to familiarize ourselves with these events described in the Bible in the book of Revelation.  The rapture is going to catch us all by surprise.  No one knows the day or the hour.  As prepared as we are at that moment is how much we will know about what is occurring.  Time as we know it is over, King Jesus will have come back for His own.  I John 3:3, “And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.”  Live for the Lord because you love the Lord!

The Ensemble students were not caught unaware but were well prepared for their special event, but “in a twinkling of an eye,” ready or not we will all be gone…The King is coming…Praise God He’s coming for me.  Every man, woman and child who are ready to go, will be caught up with Him in the air. 

We are now in preparation time, will we be ready when the trumpet sounds and it’s our time to go? 

Written by Carol Cooper

Talhat@cox.net