Filling In For The Boss

“Filling in for The Boss”

2 Corinthians 5:20, 21

Do you know who died recently? Mickey Mouse! Or at least the man who has given him his squeaky voice. Wayne Allwine provided the voice of Disney’s top animated star since 1977, when he officially took over for his mentor, Disney Legend Jimmy Macdonald. Allwine humbly reflects, "It’s a great honor to keep alive what Walt loved so dearly and what Jimmy kept alive so well."

Born in 1947 in Glendale, California, Allwine has been active on stage and screen most of his life, making his first television appearance at age seven as one of the children interviewed by Art Linkletter on his "House Party" program. While still in high school, he formed his own acoustic music group, The International Singers, which performed in clubs and colleges all over the state. He went on to record with such singers as Dobie Gray and Bobby Vinton, and was a member of The Arrows, a musical group put together by Mike Curb.

In 1966, Allwine opted for a "normal" lifestyle and took a job in the mail room at The Walt Disney Studios. From there, he worked briefly in Wardrobe, then moved to Audio Post Production and began a seven-and-a-half year stint under Macdonald, the Studio’s resident sound effects wizard.

Allwine worked in sound effects editing on Disney films and television shows including Splash (1984) and Three Men and a Baby (1987); as well as Innerspace (1987), Alien Nation (1988), and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) for other studios.

He received the Emmy® Award and the Golden Reel Award for his contributions to Steven Speilberg’s "Amazing Stories," which he worked on for two years, and a second Golden Reel for his work on The Great Mouse Detective (1986).

In 1977, Allwine went to an open audition for the voice of Mickey Mouse and walked away with the part. He made his debut on "The New Mickey Mouse Club" (1977-1978), and has since provided Mickey’s voice for Disney theme parks, movies, TV specials, records, and video games. In the role of Mickey, he has starred in films such as Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), The Prince and the Pauper (1990), and Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), and the TV series "Mickey’s Mouse Works" (1999-2000), "House of Mouse" (2001-2002), and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" (2006-2008). "In time, you actually realize all of the characteristics that this character has in yourself," Allwine says of his prolific performances as Mickey. "I’ve got all his naïve qualities, and all of his optimistic qualities." Allwine is married to Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse and many other popular characters. They head their own production company, Taylor-Allwine Associates, and share four children, including three who think they sound like Mickey, too.

Which is only fitting, given the admonition that Allwine’s mentor gave him decades ago: "Just remember, kid," Jimmy Macdonald said, "you’re only filling in for the boss."

That’s what Christians are doing today:

“Only filling in for the Boss!”

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,

as though God were making his appeal through us.

We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

(NIV)

Remember the popular saying among Christians a few years ago: “WWJD – What Would Jesus Do”? That’s not a bad question to ask yourself in any and every situation. If Jesus were in my place, what would He do? Since we represent Him and we are only filling in for the Boss, what would He do?

How to discover what Jesus would do: WDJD – What did Jesus Do?

Jesus gave His Life Purpose and Plan at the beginning of His public ministry in His home Church at Nazareth:

Luke 4:18-19

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

(NIV)

Once we have discovered what Jesus did, since we are filling in for the Boss, we should do what Jesus told the rich young ruler to do:

Luke 10:37

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

(NIV)

Can we DWJD? Do What Jesus Did?

Pastor Chuck Swindoll in His book, Improving Your Serve, gives the following illustration: “Let’s pretend you work for me. In fact, you are my executive assistant in a company that is growing rapidly. I am the owner and I’m interested in expanding overseas. To pull this off, I make plans to travel abroad and stay there until the new branch office gets established. I make all the arrangements to take my family in the move to Europe for six to eight months, and I leave you in charge of the busy statewide organization. I tell you I will write you regularly and give you direction and instructions.