'Heaven's Rehearsal' draws 15,000 for worship and foretaste of Heaven

By Wendy Elaine Nelles

TORONTO, ON -- 'Heaven's Rehearsal' drew a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 people to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on September 15.

The massive worship service was billed as an historic opportunity to demonstrate unity and ignite hearts by gathering Christ-followers from every nation, in one place, worshipping Jesus, the King of Kings. The initiative was chaired by Reynold and Kathy Mainse from 100 Huntley Street.

The event -- inspired by Toronto's assertion that it is the most ethnically diverse urban centre in the world -- was a complex undertaking. Due to a series of unexpected technical problems, the crowds were kept waiting outside and the doors opened late. As a result, many had not yet reached their seats when the program started.

Despite the rocky start and some microphone malfunctions, people interviewed described the evening as "awesome," "beautiful," "absolutely wonderful," and "very well organized."

"I was very blessed; I felt Christ's love for us," said Daphne Chambers, who attends Vision Evangelistic Centre in Toronto.

"This is what heaven will be like, one nation under Christ."

The audience, which represented a spectrum of ages, skin colours, cultural backgrounds and denominations, was on its feet for much of the three-hour program, arms raised, jumping, singing and shouting praise.

The evening opened to a pounding beat and a parade of flags. Organizers found representatives from 127 of the earth's 202 sovereign nations; the remaining flags were carried by volunteers.

In order to keep the evening's focus on Christ, none of the performers was named; none of the organizers appeared on stage; no sermon was preached; no announcements were made; and no offering was taken. Volunteers collected donations as people exited the building.

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The program flowed through a series of 14 scenes that illustrated topics such as 'The Lamb,' 'Casting Down Crowns,' 'Martyrs' and 'Eternal Hope.' Multi-national pastors read scripture passages, most from Revelation.

Matt Tapley led the crowd in a series of contemporary worship songs and hymns. He was backed by seven vocalists -- including soloists Mark Masri, Aileen Lombardo and Colin Montcreif -- and a 25-member orchestra led by Steve Munshaw. The Toronto Mass Choir also took part.

In a sign that dance may be increasingly acceptable in evangelical circles, the entire evening was choreographed to the performance of 100 dancers. These included First Nations, Tamil, Filipino and Maori dancers, as well as the Worship in Motion company and young breakdancers doing hip hop moves.

Most outstandingly, the Alliance et Vie francophone dance troupe from Montreal, consisting of 20 professionally-trained male and female dancers, used graceful movement to express adoration and praise. Cameras also occasionally focused on paintings-in-progress by two visual artists.

Organizers said 'Heaven's Rehearsal' was meant, to the best of their ability, to be a foretaste of the worship believers one day will experience in heaven.

A few audience members found it hard to loosen the bounds of earth, as their attention spans wavered and they checked text messages on their cell phones.

For others, it was a transcendent experience. One white-haired, East Asian man spent most of the evening on his knees, his Bible clasped to his heart and his face raised towards heaven.

September 27/2007

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