Peggy Rupple – edited Inner View Feb 2020
Bio:
Peggy Rupple’s early work in television and digital media production fueled her passion to invest in the next generation of filmmakers. She has pioneered a film internship program resulting in student hires at every major studio in Hollywood. As a 9-year adjunct and co-director of a national media conference for Biola University’s School of Cinema and Media Arts, to her current role as Associate Director of the Windrider Forum at the Sundance Film Festival, Peggy continues to shape craft and character in future media makers – most recently speaking at 10 university film programs across the country. Peggy is an ordained minister, frequent speaker, and serves within the entertainment community through her partnership with husband Dan, CEO of Mastermedia International. Married for 40+ years, Dan and Peggy’s love has grown to include three children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren.
Connect with her at:
Email: peggy@peggyrupple.com
Kathleen Cooke: You have a passion to see lives restored through our life breathing Savior, Jesus Christ, what has God taught you about bravely responding to God’s voice and to share your faith?
Peggy Rupple: The surprising work of the Holy Spirit happens a lot to me these days on planes and with Uber drivers as God whispers His heart over someone’s pain to me. Then the invitation comes to join Him in the unexpected as I wrestle stepping outside my comfort zone with a hope-filled word. Living aware and responsive to His voice, above life’s demands, is a constant prayer for me. But God’s been showing me that, if I love and long for people’s dignity to be restored, I will connect to His heart for others. And that’s the surest way of hearing His voice.
Kathleen: Dignity restored. It’s what we all long for – to have our hope restored. As a cancer survivor how has knowing our Hope shaped your life and brought Hope to others?
Peggy: Embracing God as the loving author of my life gives me hope for the unseen. And hope to others wondering, “Is there a 3rd act coming in my own story that I can’t see?” When I was a hospital chaplain, I met a 17yr. old attempted suicide patient. In the counterfeit narrative, Satan was telling her, I asked if I could tell her another voice I was hearing. It was a man who felt he’d won the lottery as her husband and children who felt the sun rose in her embrace. All this was held in God’s safekeeping for her. She chose Christ as her living hope that day!
Kathleen: The world offers us momentary happiness, but God promises joy. Where do you find your joy?
Peggy: When I was diagnosed, God impressed on me that the enemy wasn’t after my life, he was after my joy. If hijacked through fear, he’d undermine the redemptive story God was about to tell in me. I was to guard my joy – the joy of His unmerited love that underpins His sovereign good plan in every circumstance. Since then, I’ve met patients who find themselves angry at the robbery of losing one day of this life – a tragedy only when viewed outside of Christ who offers us heaven. The good news remains that we were created for more than this life holds.
Kathleen: You’ve influenced many with your work at Biola, with Mastermedia International and as you continue to influence young filmmakers as an associate director the Windrider Forum during the famous Sundance Film Festival. What has God taught you about influence?
Peggy: I’ve learned that we all have the capacity to influence – it’s a God given gift. But it matters how we steward our influence. We can squander it by not investing in others, minimize it by feeling we have nothing to give or crave it as our identity. But in 2 Cor. 3-5, Paul says our greatest influence comes from being as Jesus was, a servant. “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate as servants…” I believe influence is God given adequacy to serve others!