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An Act of Ministry:
To Act or Not to Act
by Kim Schilz (Kim's bio)
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I had been a member of my church for 9 years. I kept a low profile with adults and served in Sunday School teaching children. Then I moved up to youth and finally (I don't know how it happened) settled in the ladies class facing my peers. It was a big step for me, I thought. To teach children and youth took courage but it was nothing compared to what it felt like to lead a class of women, some of whom were older than my mother. I sweated, agonized and scared myself silly. I couldn't understand why I was there, knowing in my heart that I was not smart enough to be the teacher. The fears threatened to paralyze me and it could have left me ineffectual if I had only myself to rely on. I soon discovered that I was not in control of the class.
It amazed me how God overcame my human-ness and words flowed from my mouth that could only come from Him. It became a supernatural experience. I would study the lesson and think that I knew what it's all about. Wrong! As I started to teach, God took over and things happened that can only be described as divine intervention. He spoke and I will forever be amazed.
So what does this have to do with my title, To Act or Not to Act? My adventure into the world of teaching Sunday School was only another step in God's plan for me. The feeling was always there. The one where you know that something is waiting for you just around the corner. This expectation of God's hand directing your life. It's there and I wanted to discover it. So I took the journey and it has taken me to places that I only dreamed about in my youth.
I faced my fear of not being good enough to lead women in God's word and from there God took me to the next level, music and drama. I wanted to be an active participant in the Great Commission instead of a not-so-innocent bystander. When I heard people speak about a yearning for God, I never fully understood it. Suddenly, I yearned to allow God to touch more lives through me. The Easter Cantata was the beginning of the next phase of my journey. I joined the choir and sang about my Lord Jesus and the great sacrifice He made for me on the cross. I experienced that supernatural phenomenon in even more powerful ways. I was consumed with the desire to be creative for God. Later that year, I auditioned for the Christmas Cantata and got the lead role. I played an elderly Mary, mother of Jesus, as she remembers the miracle of His birth. The rest is history, as they say.
I began to write and direct. However, I also discovered something about my church that I never knew. There were people in the church who felt that drama was not appropriate. It was feared that drama would let in the world and take away from the traditions of the church. As I began to pull together more skits for days that weren't a holiday or a skit that wasn't announcing some upcoming event, the grumbling began. Controversy sprang up in whispered voices. I couldn't understand why anyone would be against using drama to proclaim the gospel. I wanted to scream out my disappointment and outrage at the poison being spread. My feelings were bruised and I even doubted whether or not God had truly called me or inspired me. I wondered if I should move to a contemporary church and shake the dust from my feet. What would you do? What do you think God would want of me?
Copyright 2002, Kim Schilz. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
| About Kim Schilz: Hello, fellow creative Christians! I am Kim Baker Schilz of Idaho. Being the mother of five children and running my own business keeps me pretty busy yet I always find time for using the creative gifts that God gave me. My church is a small Southern Baptist congregation of about 150. I have served in many areas including children's sunday school, Awana groups, youth leader, ladies sunday school leader, choir, and drama troupe. |
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