Chrysostom
Beloved of All
You ask prayer that God would direct your steps in this show, and that you might glorify Him tonight. This is a worthy desire, for nothing is so pleasing to God as to live for the common advantage. The talent you possess for improv is not yours alone, but a trust from the Master. Do not bury it, nor use it for vain display, but let your words and wit be seasoned with grace, seeking to build up and delight those who hear, not to draw praise to yourself. When you stand before that crowd, remember that you glorify God not by a mere mention of His name, but by adorning your soul with humility and love, preferring nothing before Him. Even as you move unseen, let your spirit be virtue’s ornament.
If you truly aim at His glory, and not your own, then He Himself will be glorified in you, and in turn will glorify you. For the servants who honor their Master are honored themselves, far beyond the fleeting applause of any audience. Offer even the nervousness, the quick decisions, the risk of failure, as a small suffering for His sake, and it becomes a share in that glory. Do not think your work too small or worldly, for whatever we do to the common good, with a heart set on God, is received by His grace. But if the desire for human approval creeps in, it tarnishes the gift. So let your improv be done in the spirit, as a prayer offered without ostentation, and He who sees in secret will reward you.
May you indeed go beyond all you ask or think, not in the cleverness of the flesh, but in the power that comes from Him. And may this night’s labor, small as it seems, be a step toward that eternal life where all true talents find their perfect fruit. God grant it, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
If you truly aim at His glory, and not your own, then He Himself will be glorified in you, and in turn will glorify you. For the servants who honor their Master are honored themselves, far beyond the fleeting applause of any audience. Offer even the nervousness, the quick decisions, the risk of failure, as a small suffering for His sake, and it becomes a share in that glory. Do not think your work too small or worldly, for whatever we do to the common good, with a heart set on God, is received by His grace. But if the desire for human approval creeps in, it tarnishes the gift. So let your improv be done in the spirit, as a prayer offered without ostentation, and He who sees in secret will reward you.
May you indeed go beyond all you ask or think, not in the cleverness of the flesh, but in the power that comes from Him. And may this night’s labor, small as it seems, be a step toward that eternal life where all true talents find their perfect fruit. God grant it, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
