Sherri and I took Mate' to the Nebraska State Fair a couple weeks ago so he could experience a unique piece of Americana. We chose a Wednesday evening because it fit our schedule best and because the Christian rock group 'Newsboys' was going to be performing. And so off we went to the State Fair!
If you got to the Fair before 5 PM the cost was only $5. After 5 PM the cost is $8 because the average working guy should pay more I guess. We left a little before 4 PM and barely got to the gate in time to get the reduced admission saving us $9 dollars- with which we intended to buy food on a stick. Instead I got a gyro and Sherri and Mate' had Nebraska beef sandwiches so even though we considered trying fried twinkies or pizza on a stick for a true Fair experience we just couldn't do it.
The concert was free with paid admission to the Fair and so we took part of the couple hours we had before the show to look through the only animal barn open which had some calves, enjoy the 4-H photo competition and judge an artwork competition for ourselves before making our way to the show. The open air auditorium was packed an hour early and we were lucky to find three good seats about halfway back in the middle.
Omaha's Christian radio station 100.7 KGBI sponsored the concert so after securing our seats I skipped out to meet these radio folks who had over the years helped us promote our concerts at Atonement. Sherri has kept in pretty close contact with September Turner who is on the morning show and so when I saw her she gave me and Mate' a warm greeting and then pulled out three backstage passes for us to meet the band. We had our seats saved by our neighbors and went off to meet the band! We got the chance to say hello, share a couple laughs and have our picture taken with them which was fun.
When the show began it became clear that this was going to be a very very loud evening. Even halfway back the music was moving my shirt and more importantly vibrating against my chest. In a literal sense, this booming music was moving me! The show was fantastic, powerful music was combined with powerful lyrics which proclaimed the Gospel message and I let the sound of their intense praise wash over me. I wondered if the praise in heaven is this powerful, moving, meaningful and loud! Even more so I concluded.
What kind of music is this that moves me to praise God and just soak up the sound and meaning? Here are some of the lyrics to 'He Reigns' – that makes me want to sing out every time I hear it:
'Let it rise about the four winds Caught up in the heavenly sound Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals To the faithful gathered underground Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation Some were meant to persist Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples None rings truer than this And all the powers of darkness Tremble at what they've just heard
Cause all the powers of darkness Can't drown out a single word When all God's children sing out Glory, glory, hallelujah He reigns, He reigns All God's people singing Glory, glory, hallelujah He reigns, He reigns'
There's something about hearing 'Glory, glory hallelujah, He reigns, He reigns' played so loud that it reverberates and moves your chest and your soul. I wished it was even louder, that the whole world would hear and be moved by this music, by these words of life. But I realize that I'm the one that is called to be playing this moving music louder through my daily life. Could we even imagine how moving it would be for all God's people to sing 'Glory, glory, hallelujah' through their daily lives?
When we live loud through our faith people around us can feel it. As the Newsboys sang in another song, I need to 'Shine, make 'em wonder what you've got, make 'em wish that they were not, on the outside looking in'. I pray that we will do just that - that the music of our lives will be shining and moving examples of faith played at full volume that the Holy Spirit uses to win souls! May God help us to be the 'movers and shiners' that this world so badly needs.
Loudly Yours,
kp
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