On the stage and behind the scenes

Rebecca and Birdie shared an office and a home provided by the church. Folks say that creative people often have messy desks. If so, these are two of the most creative people you’ve ever met!

REBECCA –
The house phone rang. Mom was visiting so she answered it. An older gentleman replied: “I’m calling for the girls.”
“They’re at the church. You can reach them there.”
“I won’t disturb them. Tell them that Walter P. Walters called. They are doing a great job. I thank God for them.”

BIRDIE –
Walter P. Walters was an influential business man and a member of our new church. More importantly, he had a heart for God. He was elderly. I don’t know how old he was. Seems the older I get, the younger “old” seems!

While some from his generation complained because the growing number of youth were loud, dressed differently and left the church messy, Mr. Walters praised God for them!

with Lora McCoy

REBECCA –
Staff members aren’t the best listeners in church.

BIRDIE –
While the pastor was preaching I was usually thinking:
"Why did those tenors go haywire on the cotton-pickin’ high-note in the special. How many times did we rehearse that!?"

It’s hard when church is your business, not to let church become just business!

REBECCA –
I took sermon notes to keep my mind from thinking through all I had to do.

One Sunday evening the pastor was preaching. I have no idea what the sermon was about. I only remember hearing him say:
“And there they hung: Two thieves and a savior.”

I snatched my paper and wrote down what I knew was to be the title of the next script. Soon I started writing it.

 Jeremiah 6:16a: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls.’”

REBECCA –
It’s an odd thing, I think.
If you have no knowledge of where you are headed then you have no idea about the significance of what you’re doing right now! It’s like when I whined to my parents about school, “Why do I have to learn this? I’m never going to use it!”

BIRDIE –
Rebecca and I were about to graduate to a different level of training, but we didn’t understand the significance of what we were learning. I am calling it training, but it was actually just LIFE.
Along with directing 3-4 published musicals a year plus our other job demands, we continued to write, produce, direct and perform originals.

1987 – wrote and toured MEET ME HERE
1988 – wrote and toured THE WRITER
1989 – wrote and toured HOPE OF GLORY
1990 – wrote and toured THE MILFORD FILES
1991 – wrote and toured THE WHITE STONE
1992 – wrote and toured WOUNDED WARRIOR (original version)
1993 – wrote and toured TWENTY YEARS AGO (original version)
1993 – wrote and performed TWO THIEVES & A SAVIOR (original version)
1994 – wrote and performed THE DELIVERER
1994 – re-wrote and toured NOT JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY (2nd version adding World War II medley)
1995 – wrote and toured THE PUZZLE
1996 – wrote and toured BILLY LOVES BOBBY SUE (original version)

REBECCA –
We toured with our youth team, CrossRoads. Our theme verse was Jeremiah 6:16a: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look...ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’”