I haven't been to a concert in years. Tuesday I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Mumford & Sons concert at the Marcus Amphitheater. It truly was a religious experience. Mumford, being a pastor's kid, laces lyrics with lots of grace and deeper aspects of God showing up. They are not a christian rock band but probably the most grace filled and religious songs I have heard in a long time. The concert itself was somewhat of a worship experience. There is something to be said about being in the same room with people who appreciate the same music…..but in a greater sense, there was something sacred about being 'in concert.'
At first, the guy in front of me really was an annoyance coming off as arrogant and a know it all while seeing ignorant about lots of stuff. I laughed at him and really wondered where he was from. But over time, I got to know him formed some dialogue in the in between times of this concert and really appreciated his humanity. Not sure that would happen anywhere else.
The opening acts were somewhat entertaining but we all waited with great anticipation for the main attraction.
Then, it all came together but it was different than I had thought. This was no performance. This was a communal event. 12,000 people were now engaged in this incredible band leading us in song together. It was that way because everyone in the room knew every lyric and every note. I thought it would annoy me to hear everyone else singing these songs together. Yet, I was surprised at the event that unfolded. In concert was allowing us to be a part of the heart language that gathered all of us in. And this was a diverse crowd to be sure, thirty something parents with and without kids, some older folks who have incredible music taste, teenie boppers coming on a school night, twenty somethings and college folks, hipsters and band geeks, we all gathered for the time being to be gathered into one event. the heart language shared brought about a sense of community that can't be forced. Because we were in concert we shared a commonality that reached beyond conventional boundaries.
In concert might be a better way of speaking of how we attune our hearts to God's love language. This, as I said, was a worship event….and yet sometimes, somehow, our worship events seem more performance than 'in concert.' We would sometimes allow the boundary lines to be drawn and the annoyances of people who sit in front of us separate who we are when we are in concert with the God who loves us and created us for a community much like this one. As a church we share this commonality to be in concert in worship with a Lord who invented the music that moves our hearts. Preparing our hearts to receive the Lord in concert is to sing along with how the Lord leads our own songs. Praying attention- Pastor Andy
At first, the guy in front of me really was an annoyance coming off as arrogant and a know it all while seeing ignorant about lots of stuff. I laughed at him and really wondered where he was from. But over time, I got to know him formed some dialogue in the in between times of this concert and really appreciated his humanity. Not sure that would happen anywhere else.
The opening acts were somewhat entertaining but we all waited with great anticipation for the main attraction.
Then, it all came together but it was different than I had thought. This was no performance. This was a communal event. 12,000 people were now engaged in this incredible band leading us in song together. It was that way because everyone in the room knew every lyric and every note. I thought it would annoy me to hear everyone else singing these songs together. Yet, I was surprised at the event that unfolded. In concert was allowing us to be a part of the heart language that gathered all of us in. And this was a diverse crowd to be sure, thirty something parents with and without kids, some older folks who have incredible music taste, teenie boppers coming on a school night, twenty somethings and college folks, hipsters and band geeks, we all gathered for the time being to be gathered into one event. the heart language shared brought about a sense of community that can't be forced. Because we were in concert we shared a commonality that reached beyond conventional boundaries.
In concert might be a better way of speaking of how we attune our hearts to God's love language. This, as I said, was a worship event….and yet sometimes, somehow, our worship events seem more performance than 'in concert.' We would sometimes allow the boundary lines to be drawn and the annoyances of people who sit in front of us separate who we are when we are in concert with the God who loves us and created us for a community much like this one. As a church we share this commonality to be in concert in worship with a Lord who invented the music that moves our hearts. Preparing our hearts to receive the Lord in concert is to sing along with how the Lord leads our own songs. Praying attention- Pastor Andy
RSS Feed