|
By Jim Coggins
 LAST YEAR, it sold out the hockey rink. This year, organizers hope it will sell out the baseball park. The second Heaven's Rehearsal worship event will take place this Saturday at Toronto's Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The date, All Saints Day, was chosen to reflect one of the main themes of the event. Heaven's Rehearsal is intended to provide a glimpse of heaven, where people from "every nation, tribe, people and language" will worship God together (Revelation 7:9). The first Heaven's Rehearsal event was held last year on September 15.
The event builds on the assertion made by some people that Toronto is the "most multicultural city on earth" -- a claim challenged by cities such as London, New York and Sydney.
Nevertheless, last year's event included representatives of 127 of the world's 202 independent nations. Some flew in for the event, but most were drawn from the Greater Toronto Area. This year, representatives from over 130 nations have signed up to be present.
The event is also intended to be ecumenical. Although the idea originated with evangelicals -- Reynold and Kathy Mainse of Crossroads Christian Communications -- it attracts members of Evangelical, Pentecostal, Protestant and Catholic churches as well.
Reynold said the event helps fulfill Jesus' prayer in John 17 for Christian unity. "God wants us to love one another," he said, "not argue with one another about theology . . . In heaven, the Lord will straighten out all our theologies." He added that there is only one bride of Christ, not many brides, and the event is based on the common truth that "Jesus is the only way."
For this reason, the event includes Scripture reading, dance and music, but no sermons or even much public prayer, since "even the way we pray can divide people."
Those who planned the event tried to choose songs that are "very broadly familiar," said Reynold, but the event includes a broad spectrum of music, ranging from contemporary to classical, hip hop to ballet. He admitted that a program that includes Indian sitars, African drums and Maori dancers might be "a little stretching for some people -- but so is heaven."
Although the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto has not officially endorsed the event -- such endorsements are hardly ever given -- Catholic leaders have been consulted, some Catholics will be on stage and many parishes are selling tickets.
Many aspects of the event -- the public reading of Scripture, music and dance -- are traditional elements of Roman Catholic worship, said Michael Swan, associate editor of the Catholic Register. The multicultural nature of the event is also attractive to Roman Catholics in Toronto, who worship in 36 languages, he added.
However, while evangelicals, charismatics and even some mainline Protestants are involved, Swan expressed disappointment that not many Orthodox church members are.
Continue article >>
|
Still, while not everyone may be participating, "nobody thinks there is anything wrong" with Heaven's Rehearsal, said Swan.
That may be because Heaven's Rehearsal is a purely worship event, and there is no other agenda. Some churches are still "standing on the sidelines" unsure of what the event is all about, said Reynold Mainse, but on the positive side, understanding is growing each year.
The organizers of Heaven's Rehearsal have been very careful to keep the focus on worship. While the event has made use of "excellent singers and dancers", organizers have used "no big name" to promote the event, said Reynold. This is to keep the focus where it belongs, on "the biggest name," Jesus Christ.
As they did the first year, organizers are not announcing the names of the worship leaders either beforehand or even at the event. The leaders are seen as worshippers like everybody else.
For the same reason, while the organization receives donations from individuals and other ministries, none are being identified. No organization is allowed to use the event to promote its own agenda.
Over 1,500 volunteers are involved this year, serving as everything from ushers to choir members. Reynold and Kathy Mainse are themselves "full-time volunteers" with Heaven's Rehearsal, their salaries being paid by Crossroads Christian Communications. However, some other office staff are paid, and the worship leaders are given an honorarium.
Because this is a worship event, "what goes on in the crowd is as important as what goes on on the stage," said Reynold. The event is intended for Christians worshippers, but some attenders brought non-Christians with them last year, and many of them became Christians, he added. There was no preaching or altar call, but "the Word of God is powerful."
If there is criticism, said Reynold, it would likely involve why so much money is being spent on a worship event in an expensive public venue when the money could have been devoted to meeting the needs of the poor. He points to similar criticism of the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus in Mark 14:3-9. "Heaven's Rehearsal is an extravagant pouring out (of worship) on Jesus," he said.
Because of the lack of sponsorships, Reynold said 60-70% of the costs of Heaven's Rehearsal are covered by ticket sales. Therefore, the move from the 16,000-seat Air Canada Centre to the 50,000-seat Rogers Centre was a bit of a risk. Ticket prices were raised from $15 last year to $25 this year, or $20 if the tickets are purchased through a church. A week before the event, over 20,000 tickets had been sold, and it was unclear whether the new venue would be sold out.
When asked if there is something incongruous about charging admission to Heaven's Rehearsal when heaven itself is free, Reynold offered several answers. He suggested that since the ticket price is only slightly higher than the price for a movie and popcorn, most people can afford it. He also noted that the tickets are all the same price and offered on a first-come first-served basis, so the wealthy can't monopolize the best seats.
As well, the venues require that there be assigned seating. This also avoids the spectacle of "Christians sprinting to the front to get the best seats," he said, and guarantees that those flying or busing in from more distant places will be assured of having a seat.
October 30/2008
|
