God's writing

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”
--Martin Luther

“Beauty is God’s handwriting.”
--Sisters of All Saints Convent, Catonsville, MD

“When God erases, he is preparing to write.”
--Sisters of All Saints Convent

J. Mark McVey

Les Misérables in Concert.

I was delighted to learn that Mark has been cast in a concert version of “Les Miz” to be performed this summer at the Hollywood Bowl. Mark is one of my favorite people in show business, and he’s a terrific Jean Valjean, as I know from seeing him twice in the role on Broadway. I wish I could be there to hear him again.

The concert also will feature Brian Stokes Mitchell as Javert and Rosie O'Donnell as Madame Thénardier. Richard Jay-Alexander, the Broadway producer-director who has staged concerts for Bernadette Peters, Barbra Streisand, Betty Buckley and Bette Midler, will direct the Aug. 8-10 performances. The concerts will also feature musical direction by Kevin Stites, who was the musical director and conductor for the recent Broadway “Les Miz” revival; Stites will conduct the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Melora Hardin, the singer-actress who plays Jan Levinson on TV's "The Office," will be Fantine; “Spring Awakening”'s Lea Michele, who played the young Cosette in the original Broadway production of “Les Miz,” will be Eponine and Aaron Lazar takes on Enjolras, a role the actor played to much acclaim in the “Les Miz” revival.

The original Broadway production, directed and adapted by Trevor Nunn and John Caird with Richard Jay-Alexander as associate director, ran from March 12, 1987 to May 18, 2003. It won eight 1987 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The recent Broadway revival, also directed by Caird, played Nov. 9, 2006 to Jan. 6, 2008. I think it should have played forever.

For tickets to the Hollywood Bowl concerts, call (323) 850-2000. Visit www.hollywoodbowl.com for more information.

Just in case you missed my review of Mark’s CDs, posted last spring, I’m moving it up so you will know about these great recordings. I listen to them often, especially the one of Christian music.



I met Mark in early 2003 when I interviewed him about the unfortunate closing of the original production of “Les Miz.” He was a longtime, and wonderful, Jean Valjean. We sat in the quiet theatre before an evening performance and talked of faith and theatre -- two of my favorite subjects. Before I left he gave me his CDs “Broadway and Beyond” and “If You Really Knew Me, The Music of Marvin Hamlisch.” Recently he sent me a much earlier collection of spiritual songs, “One Among Few.”

Composer Phil Hall, whose songs Mark has frequently recorded, says Mark has an angel in his voice. I would go even higher. Mark has God in his voice, and in his life and work as well.

For “One Among Few,” he wrote the words and music for the title song and “Let the World Know.” The first is a passionate song of praise -- “He is the glory./Jesus makes me whole./He’s one among few I can count on in this world./Jesus, I love you.” It’s a song about believing in yourself, and when you find that hard, all you have to do is turn to Jesus for a helping hand. The faith that this song conveys must surely have been challenged -- and strengthened -- through living the difficult life of a performing artist.

“Let the World Know” is one of those rousing commissioning songs I love. He starts off with some advice -- “The trick to living this life is keeping it together,/believing in yourself,/that’s the major key.” -- and he offers some advice for doing just that: “Trust your instincts./Know your weakness./Don’t let another man’s words ever get you down./Stand up tall and be proud for what you believe in./Build your house on solid ground.” And then the jubilant chorus: “Let the world know that you’re out here./Set your sights and goals a bit too high./Keep your faith and your courage growing./Seek the truth and your soul will fly.” Listening to Mark sing these songs will definitely make your soul fly. Also on the CD are songs by Phil Hall and classics like “Amazing Grace” and “The Lord’s Prayer.”

The other two CDs feature show music, which also lifts my soul. I love the way Mark blends songs on “Broadway and Beyond,” pairing “Anything Goes with “A Lot of Livin’ To Do” and “I’ve Got Rhythm” with “Fascinating Rhythm,” to name two of my favorite selections. He ends with a song he sang so soulfully for all those years as Jean Valjean -- “Bring Him Home.” I’ve seen him leave an audience in tears with that one.

“If You Really Knew Me” is the first CD collection of Mr. Hamlisch’s music. Some of these songs I knew because they’re from shows, others I didn’t. I enjoyed encountering the new ones, starting with the first number, “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows,” a lively song that always lifts my spirits. The first time I heard “One Song” on this CD, I shouted, “That’s a Broadway Blessing song,” and so it was that fall when Mark sang it for us at this interfaith service I have been producing since founding it in 1997. Mark sang it again for United Nations Sunday at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and really impressed the UN folks. He was supposed to sing “Ordinary Miracles” at last year’s Blessing, but work got in the way so he sent us a terrific replacement in John Tracy Egan. They’re both beautiful songs on a CD of lovely music. Mark and Mr. Hamlisch tour extensively performing these songs, by the way.

To find out more about Mark, his CDs and where he will be performing, check his web site at www.jmarkmcvey.com.

7 Ways to a Joyous Day

Ever have one of those bad days? You know—not kind of bad, but bad. You mess up at work. You have a terrible fight with your spouse. Your doctor calls you in for some tests that sound pretty scary. A day seemingly beyond all redemption. When you have a day like that (and let’s face it, we all do sometimes), you have several choices. You can retreat into paralyzing fear, act out inappropriately or just go into complete denial.

But there’s actually another choice: You can rejoice.

Rejoice? Why? you ask.

Because it’s the only real way out. “This is the day the Lord has made,” the psalmist tells us. “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” This day? This messy, painful, frustrating day deserves a chance? Yes. Every day, whether it includes a lost wallet, a dented bumper or the funeral of a loved one, deserves our full presence. They all come from God’s drawing room.

Still not convinced? Try these seven strategies the next time you find yourself trapped in a day that holds more than you think you can bear. You’ll be surprised at how freeing they are.

Fret Not

Anxiety will ruin your day. And it can be a real confidence-killer. I know. I get plenty of opportunities to fret: Was I too long-winded in my talk? Is my latest book any good? Do I have any business telling people how to live? The drumbeat of worry can be deafening.

I like the approach of a friend who once told me, “Well, Max, I always assume everyone likes me.”

What a crazy idea, I thought. But I decided to give it a try—not just once, but to make it a regular thought habit. I started by giving myself and my audience the benefit of the doubt: We’re all here because we’re comfortable with one another.

That habit has changed how I view the world. It’s not such a menacing place anymore.

You can’t add one more day to your life or more life to your day by fretting. Worry doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles; it only rids today of its strength.

And why should you worry when you are surrounded by friends wherever you go?

Forgive Freely

I forgive easily. Or so I like to think. But some years ago a Christian leader publicly criticized me without giving me a chance to defend myself. This leader was offended by something I’d said on my radio show, misinterpreting my words, I thought. He wrote an article about me, inferring untrue things. I was angry and hurt. Really hurt.

I moped for a few weeks, until I realized I was letting this man’s accusations rob me of joy. So I wrote him a letter, telling him how I felt. He never wrote back. Maybe he never got my letter. I don’t know. But what I realized was that by writing that letter, I forgave him. Forgiveness is not about saying that what a person did is okay or that they’re right. It’s about making a decision, a choice to let the hurt and anger go. It frees you up to move on. Forgive someone and you’ll discover that that person has virtually no power to hurt you anymore. Then you’ll be able to focus on what you really care about: the joy of life.

Fear Not

Heart trouble runs in my family. Mom, Dad and my older brother have all had heart problems. I was so scared about having a heart attack, I became an exercise fanatic. I’m taking care of my health, I told myself, gritting my teeth. I even trained for the grueling half-Ironman triathlon. That should fix things.

Then about a year ago my cardiologist told me that I would probably still need to have heart surgery. All those miles of jogging and skipping desserts and stressing about my health, and my heart was no better off than it was before!

I’m not saying that exercise is bad. In fact, it’s very good for you. I still run. My mistake was to think that I could run from my fears.

Fear is a joy-killer. It can make me stressed out, short-tempered, unhappy.

What’s the opposite of fear? Trust. I do better when I trust in God—and go for a short jog. He’s in control of my life.

Place your fear in God’s hands and you’ll find that you have greater peace each day.

Live Passionately

I was a senior in high school when I made one of the most important discoveries of my life—I loved to write. My English teacher assigned us to write a short story. The whole class groaned, but inwardly I thought, Yes! I wrote that first story through the night. It wasn’t very good. But it was a great effort.

And from then on in my career and in my life I’ve always looked for opportunities to write. Writing is something I do from the soul.

Discover your passions by looking back over your life for those sweet-spot moments where you’ve had ‘Yes!  experiences. String those together, and you’ll begin to see new possibilities for your life.

Nothing gives the day greater joy than a good wallop of passion that comes from doing something from the soul.

Get Over It!

Sometimes I’ll have a bad day just by waking up on the proverbial wrong side of the bed. I don’t know why I’m grouchy, but I stay that way for the rest of the day.

If you look long enough and hard enough, you’ll find something to bellyache about. So quit looking!

If you have health problems like I do, you probably feel justified in complaining. Being in pain is no fun. But try this instead of griping: Take a break from your problems. Face each day determined to dwell on the positives. Think about what you have to look forward to. Write a list and put it where you can see it. Try lending an ear to someone in need. Be especially kind to people with whom you have only one encounter—a waiter, a taxi driver, a store clerk. You may have only one chance to be kind.

When you start living for others, it’s pretty hard not to get over whatever’s bothering you.

Collect Your Blessings

Recognize all that you have, and finding blessings to collect will become easy. The key to a joyous day? Make gratitude your default emotion. Say, “I can find things to be grateful for in this day.” Let your thoughts be positive. Expect good things to happen. Seek out people who can encourage you. Over time, you’ll find that God’s list of blessings is longer than your list of burdens.

Once in a race, I was running next to a 66-year-old grandma. I was about to give up, but she urged me on. “Just hang in there, you’re doing really well. Look how far you’ve come.” I ran next to her and started congratulating myself for all the miles I’d run, not the ones that were still ahead. It worked and I finished the race strong.

Color Your World

One day I was at the beach, enjoying the balmy day I had so looked forward to. The sand was soft and cool. Tufts of clouds drifted across a deep blue sky. I leaned back in my beach chair and closed my eyes. That’s when a seagull decided to use my chest as target practice. Yuck! I poured water on my shirt, trying desperately to get the stain out. And just like that, I’d lost the color of the day. Almost.

Maybe you were caught in bad traffic or your flight was cancelled or you haven’t gotten over that nagging cold. How can you see the world in vibrant color on a day like that? Many of us can’t. There I was on the beach…about to allow one errant seagull to ruin my day. I moved my chair, trying to regain the magic of the morning. And then I practiced all these steps I’ve been writing (passionately) about: forgiving the bird (after all, it was only doing what came naturally), not fretting or fearing, counting my blessings (what a beautiful beach) and mostly, getting over it! No, it wasn’t too late for my day to be a joyous one.

The world is full of vibrant color. Don’t let it lose an ounce of its luster. Assume this day is going to be good, and it will. God made it so.


This article by by Max Lucado originally appeared in the December 2007 issue of Guidposts Magazine.

Living the questions

“Most people prefer the certainty of misery to the misery of uncertainty.”
-- Virginia Satir

“Have we as Christians forgotten the transforming value of a question? When we extinguish questions from our lives, there’s little if any developing consciousness. We block ourselves from new truths and possibilities.
Kierkegaard distinguished between Christendom and Christianity: he said that the former is what we’ve made of the latter. Like our fear of the dark, the fear of questions in the spiritual life belongs to Christendom, not Christianity. . .
Jesus was a master at using questions to pull people into self-confrontation and growth.
--Sue Monk Kidd, When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions

Journeying

"The longest journey is the journey inward."
-- Dag Hammarskjold

Sunday in the Park with George

Glorious. From start to finish, absolutely glorious! And I say this as one who LOVED the original. Seeing it for the first time back in 1985 was an iconic experience that has remained with me in spite of all the musicals I’ve seen in the decades since then.

Luckily this revival has been brilliantly re-conceived by British director Sam Buntrock, who staged a highly successful run of the show two years ago in London. He uses projection, animation and computer-generated imagery in place of the former cardboard cutouts, and he uses them perfectly; I was afraid they might be overdone. Timothy Bird and the Knifedge Creative Network deserve much praise for their projection designs.

The wonderful music is the same that I have loved all these years. I wore out the cassette tape of it that I had at first and now have the CD; I can still cry listening to “Move On.” In the revival, Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell don’t have quite the vocal force of Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters, but I have no complaints.

Stephen Sondheim’s amazingly creative work, with its book by James Lapine, won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1985, and is just as moving as ever. Inspired by the life of George Seurat and his painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” Sondheim imagines a relationship between George and one of his models, Dot. George can never fully commit, though, because his art has such a hold on him. He always has to “finish the hat.” He consoles himself with the pride of creation, “Look I made a hat, where there never was a hat.”

In the second act, set in 1984, an American sculptor, Seurat’s great grandson, also named George, is similarly tormented by the need to create something new, something of his own, and his feeling of loneliness and isolation.

The show has so many wonderful lines; among my favorites are:
“The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not. You have to move on.”
“Stop worrying if your vision is new. Let others make that decision, they usually do. Just keep moving on.”
“Anything you do, let it come from you, then it will be new. Give us more to see.”
“White. A blank page or canvass. His favorite. So many possibilities.”

If you can only see one show this season, make it this one. And if you weren’t planning to go to a show, change your mind. Do anything you can to see this production. Let it be your iconic experience of great musical theatre. You won’t forget it, I assure you.

Spiritual gestation

“God makes us ask ourselves questions most often when He intends to resolve them. He gives us needs that He alone can satisfy and awakens capacities that He means to fulfill. Any perplexity is liable to be a spiritual gestation, leading to a new birth and mystical regeneration.”
-- Thomas Merton