18 Dec 2013 by Natasha Kim CM-
Calvary Church, Kuala Lumpur, recently presented its first Christmas musical at the newly completed Calvary Convention Centre (CCC) titled, “Jesus, the Hope of Christmas”, from the 13th to 15th of December. The auditorium was packed with people from all walks of life, entertained by the spectacular display of lights, visuals and performances, all put together by the talented people of Calvary. The performance was eye-catching in holding the audience’s attention. With a cast of over 150 people, the touching story came alive onstage. What a great way to usher the audience into the upcoming Christmas celebration!
‘Jesus, The Hope of Christmas!’ was an adaptation of original musicals such as, 'Voices of Christmas' by renowned composer and arranger David T. Clydesdale, and 'The First Noel' created by Jay Rouse. Before the musical, the worship team came onstage to sing a number of well-known Christmas songs, joined by the audience. Simple yet meaningful, the story revolved around the main character named Joe, who religiously played a part of the nativity in his church.
Joe is your typical Malaysian man who spoke the Malaysian slang. In fact, many of us could relate to Joe. According to the plot, Joe did not fully comprehend the true meaning of Christmas and had to go through a journey of reflection and realization before his life is touched. As he began interacting with his inquisitive son and his lonesome friend who had just lost his wife and did not believe in Jesus or the true spirit of Christmas, they managed to shed some light on Christmas. The musical, with many humorous twists, managed to answer many questions about the true meaning of Christmas as it slowly unfolded, striking the chors of many hearts. Musical-featured songs such as 'Where Are You Christmas?', 'Can You Hear the Angels Sing?', and 'One King' brought to life perennial story that happened more than 2,000 years ago (Heb 4:14-16).
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
“The creative weaving of the captivating songs, well-choreographed dance, and heart-warming drama will leave the audience speechless. The story is so down-to-earth, identifiable and moving. What is truly exciting is to know that whatever the situation one may face, hope is available. That’s the essence of the story!” said Associate Pastor Christopher Lee, the pastor in charge of production.
And finally, before revealing the highly anticipated musical finale, Senior Pastor of Calvary Church, Rev Tan Sri Datuk Prince Guneratnam and his Associate Pastors shared hope-filled messages followed by a final praise and worship.
CCC first opened its doors in March 2013 for the Easter musical and saw more than 10,000 people attended over the weekend. After this Christmas musical, their next musical to look forward to is the next Easter in April! So mark your calendars for this date.
Note: The messages were interpreted into Cantonese and Bahasa Malaysia so that many could understand and relate to, which broke the language barrier.
For more information and to keep updated on the upcoming musical next year please visit, www.calvary.org.my
it's remarkable n astounding i even went twice on da 1st day n thrid day