Do You Need A Prompter?

Do You Need a Prompter?

When my “baby” brother Robert was 5 years old, he had blonde curls and big blue eyes and was just about the most adorable little boy imaginable.  (I have his permission to share this personal, but positive description of him!) He was assigned a part in the Christmas Eve pageant by its director, Mrs. Betty Hefflebauer. He had his heart set on being a wise man because of the cool costumes. But she did not cast him as a wise man. Nor did she cast him as Joseph, the Inn Keeper, or a shepherd.  To her mind, none of these parts seemed quite right for him. Instead she gave him what my mother tried to convince him was the most important part of all- that of the narrator. He only had one line and it was straight out of Scripture (Luke 2:40). After all the actors in the pageant had processed down the double aisles to the front and had taken their places in the Nativity Scene at the front, little Robert was to come out,  walk to the center, pause to heighten the moment, gesture dramatically toward the baby and say, loud and clear, “And the child grew and became strong!”  He had the last word of the whole play. That was what my mother kept telling him.

In retrospect it was probably a lot to ask of a 5 year old, even one who was a little bit of a ham. My mother took him to Sears and bought him a Christmas suit: little black pants, a red velvet blazer, a white shirt and a clip on bow tie for his acting debut.

We all helped him practice around the house, prompting him with the first part of his line, “And the child grew….” to which he would chime in “and became strong!” Other times, he would start things off, saying, out of the blue “And the child grew,” to which the whole family would respond in chorus, “and became strong!”  Add to that the weekly practices during Sunday school and, by the time Christmas Eve arrived, our little thespian was set to do the family proud.

We’re still not sure what happened that night. Maybe it was because he had never practiced making his entrance and saying his line in a darkened sanctuary. During Sunday school there was always light streaming through the Garden of Gethsemane window at the back. Maybe it was because he had never practiced making his entrance and saying his line with the place packed with people.  Whatever the reason, when the Holy Family and their entourage were in place and his moment came, Robert walked out, his red velvet jacket glowing in the candlelight and stood in front of the congregation. And it was like a baby deer with blonde curls and big blue eyes caught in the headlights. He opened his mouth and his eyes began to glimmer and his little lip to tremble and nothing came out. He looked toward the baby and gestured, but couldn’t get the words out. Mrs. Hefflebauer, from her position as prompter (crouched behind the lectern) whispered, “Pssst, Robert… And the child grew and became strong.”

Still nothing. Again she whispered, “And the child grew and became strong.”

Suddenly, a look of relief washed over his cherubic countenance. He leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner and whispered to the congregation in an audible stage whisper (the boy had talent) “And the child grew and became strong!”

Which prompts me to think a couple of things during Epiphany, the season in which we celebrate the manifestation of the identity of Jesus as Son of God to the whole world. One is that this is what Epiphany is all about- our gradually allowing the presence of Jesus to mature and grow strong in our lives.

The other is that sometimes we need a prompter to remind us of our lines, our purpose in the play.

The other is that it’s a message better expressed loud and clear than whispered.

Although, as whispers go, my baby brother’s was pretty memorable!