Welcome back. I know I am slow at the whole blog thing. ;)
Here is the good experience. The happy one. The one that puts a smile on my face whenever I think about it.
While in Florida on the March Break, we found out that Chris Tomlin was in Florida too! So we got tickets and drove 2 hours to see him on our last day there. And Kari Jobe was going to be there too. Bonus! And Louie Giglio would be the speaker, and I had heard plenty of good things about him. Phewf! People I had heard of.
But I was scared. I was worried. I had only had the one experience with a "Christian" concert. And it wasn't what we had anticipated. What if I was disappointed again? So I walked into Chris Tomlin with my guard up.
Everything that I heard and saw, I thought through. I started to relax, I let my guard down. This was a safe place.
Honestly, I would take a trip to the states and pay big money just to see that concert again. It was a-ma-zing!
I was thinking I didn't know many Chris Tomlin songs, but I knew a lot of them from singing them in other churches and on my mixed CDs. And I sang my heart out. Livvy will agree with me, I am not a very good singer. I should only be allowed to do that the "oooo"s and the "ahhh"s, but I didn't care. I am pretty sure God doesn't care what my voice sounds like and He was who I was singing for that night.
One song on Chris Tomlin's new "Burning Lights" album is called "God's Great Dance Floor." Seeing 5000 people out of their seats, praising God in not only song, but also dance (YES, dance!), was just unbelievable. I don't think my heart has ever felt so much joy as I did in that moment. It felt so good, it literally hurt. By the end, my face hurt from smiling so hard.
Not only did we sing our wee little hearts out, but we listened to Louie Giglio talk about the story of the Prodigal Son. Many people don't know this story for what it really is. It is such a happy story. Whenever I hear the words "prodigal son," I think, Oh boy, the bad, rebellious kid! But that is not it at all. It is the loved kid! When he returns home after his rebellious phase in life, his dad doesn't just say "Sucks to suck, see ya later." No, he hugs him and kisses him and throws him a party! As sinful human beings, we often leave God for a bit, maybe without even really noticing how far we have gone. Some of us maybe get caught up in crazy things, things we know are wrong but continue to do. But God always takes us back with hugs and kisses and He rejoices because we are back. So amazing!
Another thing Louie talked about that really blew my mind was just the whole concept of partying and dancing in general. When we think of the word "partying," we think, Well, we good Christian people we shouldn't be partying. Or my "favourite" line, "Don't dance, because you know that leads to..." (baha!). Louie said it so good. He said, "'Partying' was OURS first. The world took it and made it into something bad, but it was ours first." Partying is a celebration! And we can celebrate God everyday, any day. Hey, I could go for a daily party! Celebrating God, singing and dancing to His glory--That's just my kinda party. :)
This concert was literally a party. The best party I have ever been too. I let loose, I opened my heart, and I felt the Holy Spirit in me. I had no shame. I opened my hands to God, and He filled my heart.
Now that my friends, was a CHRISTIAN concert! The way it should be.
Also, this past week, I went to a Tenth Avenue North concert. It wasn't as much of a party as Chris Tomlin, but again, it was amazing. I had my hands in the air and I praised the LORD with every bit of my heart, mind, and soul. I couldn't think about anything except for how wonderful and gracious my Saviour is!
Oh, I just can't wait for the next one. July 19th and 20th--Beruna Christian Music Festival, here I come!
-Jenna
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