Musical brings hope after an explosion
Musical brings hope after an explosion
Musical brings hope after an explosion
The choir of Spring Valley United Methodist Church, Dallas, shared their music - and hope - with members of First United Methodist Church, West, Texas.
COURTESY PHOTO
The choir of Spring Valley United Methodist Church, Dallas, shared their music - and hope - with members of First United Methodist Church, West, Texas.
COURTESY PHOTO
“It Worked for Us” is written by Christine Kumar, freelance writer and administrator, Baltimore Metropolitan District, Baltimore-Washington Conference. Send story ideas to interpreter@umcom.org.
When Bert Johnson felt the Holy Spirit’s nudging, he could not ignore it.
Johnson, choir director of Spring Valley United Methodist Church in Dallas, wanted to present Rob Gardner’s “Lamb of God” musical to bring hope and healing to the congregation of First United Methodist Church, West, Texas. The massive fertilizer plant explosion in West in 2013 deeply affected the congregation, 75 miles south of Dallas.
“The church lost 20 percent of their congregation practically overnight,” said Johnson. “People moved away, and others were seeking new jobs elsewhere. That really touched me.”
The Spring Valley choir had performed “Lamb of God” at the Dallas church on Palm Sunday, days before the first anniversary of the West explosion. Then Johnson, organist John Tarver and more than 60 musicians and choir members took their show on the road to West. “We wanted to remind them of the resurrected Christ, that God can make something out of nothing,” said Johnson. The Rev. Clara Reed, pastor of Spring Valley, said the story about Jesus’ life, death and Resurrection is a moving expression of hope to which everyone can relate.
More than 100 people attended the two performances at First Church.
Many volunteers from various organizations cleaned up and rebuilt the church after the explosion. However, the congregation never imagined that the musical would touch their lives and bring healing after the devastation. “I was shocked and overwhelmed,” said First Church pastor the Rev. Jimmy Sansom. “The production was spectacular; it was something the church and community needed.”
The Spring Valley church also donated to West the $21,000 it raised last year during its mission gala. The annual event of serving meals, having live musical performances and an auction was “an amazing experience – Spirit-led, no doubt,” said Tarver.
“It was good that we were able to take our eyes off all the calamities and just focus on God’s blessings during the production,” said Sansom. He is grateful that the church is rebuilding and growing, with new people attending.
“God is getting us through all of this,” he said.
AT A GLANCE
Spring Valley United Methodist Church
7700 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX 75254
972-233-7671
info@svumc.org
www.svumc.org
Pastor: Rev. Clara M. Reed
Average Attendance: 382
North Texas Conference