Concert vs. Worship

Anyone who knows me know that I am a concert junkie. Last night was Casting Crowns and Matt Redman at Elmbrook. I thought I was going to a concert, but it was truly a night of worship. Mark Hall of CC is also a youth pastor, and the night was interspersed with prayer and sermon snippets. I got such a visual in my head that I had to grab a pew card and write it down in the middle of the service so I didn't forget.

I got this picture in my head of Old Testament times, Moses times, when they would gather at the foot of Mt. Sinai to praise and worship God. The stage was dark behind the musicians, and I could easily imagine it stretching to the sky, with all of us spread out before it like a tidal wave of believers, a flood of people in the desert, worshipping and praising God. I just love watching people sing with their eyes closed, hands raised to our Lord, freely giving themselves to Him.

I also learned a few things last night that gives new insight to the songs.

• Since all of the CC members work within youth ministry, their songs are about real people and real situations. That must be why they strike such a chord with me.
• Matt Redman's Blessed Be the Name was written after 9/11.
• MR's song Never Let Go was written after his wife suffered her 4th miscarriage in a row.

I was also reminded last night that there is no place God won't go to find you, nothing He can't see you through. Also, showing up to church on Sunday is great, but we can't stand on someone else's testimony. We need to be in the Word, seeking our own relationship with Jesus. And, that when we focus on the Brightest Star in the sky, everything else slowly fades away. Last night was definitely more than a concert...it was a night of worship.