"Yes" in Christ

The improvisation of Life in the Spirit

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Because I was confident in the Lord Jesus Christ,

I planned to act so that you might benefit.

I do not make my plans in a worldly manner

so that in the same breath I say,

"Yes, yes" and "No, no."

But as surely as God is faithful,

our message to you is not "Yes" and "No."

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,

who was preached among you ...

was not "Yes" and "No,"

but in him it has always been "Yes."

For no matter how many promises God has made,

they are "Yes" in Christ.

And so through him

the "Amen" is spoken by us

to the glory of God.

II Corinthians 1:15, 17b-21

Life in the Spirit is very reminiscent of good improvisation in theatre. This is not surprising, given that

"we have been made a theatron to the whole universe"

(1 Corinthians 4;9).

How, then, can we rehearse our part

as fellow actors (symmimetai; see Philippians 3:17)

collaborating to present Christ to the world?

"Yes! AND ..."

describes an improvisational "accept & offer" game

that helps make collaboration work, on-stage and off.

Actors accept rather than block offers made by one another while playing a scene together. This means that whenevr one initiates something, by word or action, the other affirms what was said or done, then builds on that with the next thing said or done. Each word or action initiated is considered an offer, affirmation of that offer is considered acceptance. Following this with an offer of one's own in a positive manner means one has said, "Yes, and ..." then this, whatever it may be, as long as it does not negate the initial offer.

The objective of improvisation

is to keep the scene moving forward.

Saying "Yes, and ..." is positive affirmation

that helps the scene to progress,

whereas saying "No" or even "Yes, but ..."

is negation that stalls the scene.

In the book IMPRO, Keith Johnstone compares actors who block each other to mantids as they fight, eating each other in the process: "... if one puts out a hand it is eaten off; if one puts out a leg, it is eaten off, so that it is natural that in the end they destroy each other." This comparison is very similar to what the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians:

"If you keep on biting and devouring each other,
watch out or you will be destroyed by each other"
(Galatians 5;15).

We are free to act in a manner worthy of our calling. Let us then heed Paul's words,

"For you were called to freedom;

only do not turn your freedom

into an opportunity for the flesh,

but through love serve one another.

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word,

in the statement,

'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' "

(Galatians 5:13-14).

Saying "Yes, and ..." means loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and at the same time, loving our neighbors as ourselves. called onstage in the theater of life to become imitators of God (Ephesians 5;1), we are to act like Christ Jesus by following the example set by him who continually loved others in word and deed. This act follows from being transformed by the Spirit of Christ, which then enables us to be conformed to the character of Christ (cf. Romans 12:1-2; see also Romans 8:28-30). The promises of God are "Yes" in Christ. For God so loved the world that He said "Yes!" and gave His Son Jesus to suffer and die on the cross, only to be raised again to reign on high.

Let us then accept God's offer

with our own "Yes"

and live a life of love,

just as Christ loved us

and gave himself up for us.