Cinderella and the Emerging Church, Part 2

The Prince is Having a Ball!

We left off last week defining all the roles of our players, now let’s get on with the story.

In many of the older versions, there isn’t just one ball, but 2 or even 3 balls. In some, the prince is looking for a wife, in others, no purpose is mentioned at all. One fact remains true - only the maidens of the kingdom are invited to attend - that includes our two step-sisters - and our heroine. Here we are taught that our Prince of Peace, our Savior, extends the invitation to come unto him to all the world.

When the invitation comes to the Cinderella household, there is a flurry of activity. In our version from Best Loved Fairy Tales, Cinderella continues to serve. She helps the step-sisters make their dresses and she even does up their hair in high fashion and tells them how wonderful they look. However, because Cinderella has no fine dress of her own she makes no plans to attend. It isn’t until everyone has left the household that Cinderella collapses in tears and casts her wish to the heavens. She wants to go to the ball too.

Being of the LDS Faith, I’m really not all that familiar with the concept of Godparents, except that they are a trusted friend of the family whom parents select to watch over their children. It’s not just an honor, it’s a responsibility. The Godparent is to step in and care for the child, watch over and even raise the child should anything happen to the parents.

The Godmother who comes to Cinderella’s aid is no ordinary Godparent. She is a “Fairy” Godmother. Remember, our word Fairy comes from “fae” or “fey” or “faith” (see my very first blog). This is no ordinary woman. She has the power to raise Cinderella out of the ashes, out of obscurity and put her on the world stage.

Again and again in scripture, when the people of God find themselves enslaved because of their wickedness, finally recognize their wrong and turn back to Christ, they find themselves unable to be free without His help. This is the role of the Fairy Godmother - Divine Intervention. Only God can rescue. Only God can deliver. What He does for us turns out to be so miraculous no one can dispute the work of His Almighty hand. The Fairy Godmother works a miracle so mighty that to this day it has little girls twirling in their dresses tapping all they own with star tipped wands. Mice become horsemen, frogs become footmen, a pumpkin is a fine carriage and ragged clothing become beautiful new garments.

I wish I could remember where I read this version of Cinderella, but it was a version with three balls. On the first night, the Fairy Godmother gives Cinderella a gown that glitters like the stars. On the second night, there is a gown that is silver like the moon. At the third ball, Cinderella wears a dress golden as the sun. Well, that sounded awfully familiar to me.

Stars - Telestial Kingdom
Moon - Terrestrial Kingdom
Sun - Celestial Kingdom.

In the Best Loved Fairy Tales, the Fairy Godmother makes Cinderella a dress that incorporates all three attributes. It is gold and silver and glitters with jewels.

Most important, Cinderella is given a pair of glass slippers. Now, I’m sure glass slippers to dance in at a ball must be excruciating to the feet if this were a mortal story, but this is a sacred story and those glass slippers will define and identify Cinderella as the true bride of the Prince!

With a warning to be sure and return at midnight, Cinderella goes off to the ball. She arrives late, but that just increases the interest in her as she makes a grand entrance. We are told that, right off, the Prince cannot keep his eyes off her and dances with her and only her. Whether it is one ball or three, the Prince dances with no-one else.

This is the part that makes Cinderella stand out from all other Fairy Tales. In all the other tales, as soon as the true bride is awakened, or discovered, or found, she is married to the prince right away and there is a great big celebration. But in Cinderella, there is a courtship first.

As I look at the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the emerging Church of Christ, I know that a wedding has not taken place yet. We have not yet experienced the Wedding Supper of the Lord. So where are we now as we expand across the globe with our thousands of Missionaries and grow with our millions of members? I believe we are dancing at the ball, being prepared to be the Bride, readied for the Groom.

But Midnight is about to strike.