Take It All
Last week I went to the Passion: Take It All concert when they visited my hometown and it was an incredibly powerful night. I'm a big fan of Kristian Stanfill and was excited to see him with Brett Younker and several others from Passion City Church in Atlanta. That night I was able to let go off all of the stresses of finishing up a semester in my senior year of college, put aside unresolved health issues that have been frustrating for about a year now and turn my full attention to the Lord and all He has done and is doing for me. It was a great moment to be wrapped in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I was also overwhelmed with gratitude for the time of corporate worship. I was surrounded by a sold out crowd of people who were all there to praise and worship the same God, to say "I love you" to the same Jesus, and to lay their lives down at the same cross. There were moments when I was consumed by how awesome that is.
There was a moment when Brad Jones asked for those going through a difficult time to raise their hands during prayer, and hands ascended all over the crowd. I don't know what any of those people are going through, I can't imagine some of the difficult things many of the people in that auditorium were facing. But to see that many hands in the air, admitting to struggle, then seeing the same people with hands raised again in praise while singing lyrics like, "my heart is Yours. Take it all, my life in your hands," left me in awe. Coming together with others from all over the city and state, setting aside all that is going on at home, school, work, with friends, with family, etc. and opening up hearts to God, for the Holy Spirit to fill and move, is powerful. We need to experience that and we need to be a part of that experience for others; the church needs to come together regularly and encourage each other by worshipping together and reminding each other that while we all struggle God is still good and we can still praise Him for who He is and all that He's done and is doing.
I went with four of my best friends and we all go to different schools. To be able to come together with them, hold hands in prayer, and worship God side by side is priceless and a great feeling. Times like that strengthen our relationships with each other as we are brought closer through Christ and see him at work together.
I think corporate worship is something we need to participate in regularly. It's important to our spiritual lives to gather with other Christ followers and surrender it all in the presence of God. It's great to do it at church on the weekends but every now and then go to that Christian concert that's coming to town, change your setting, worship with people you've never even seen before. Because while the place may be different than your usual worship setting, the people worshipping are from a different place than you, and the music is new it has all been orchestrated for the same God and because of the same Jesus who gave his life for us so we might have a relationship with God. There's something beautiful in that to me.
I was also overwhelmed with gratitude for the time of corporate worship. I was surrounded by a sold out crowd of people who were all there to praise and worship the same God, to say "I love you" to the same Jesus, and to lay their lives down at the same cross. There were moments when I was consumed by how awesome that is.
There was a moment when Brad Jones asked for those going through a difficult time to raise their hands during prayer, and hands ascended all over the crowd. I don't know what any of those people are going through, I can't imagine some of the difficult things many of the people in that auditorium were facing. But to see that many hands in the air, admitting to struggle, then seeing the same people with hands raised again in praise while singing lyrics like, "my heart is Yours. Take it all, my life in your hands," left me in awe. Coming together with others from all over the city and state, setting aside all that is going on at home, school, work, with friends, with family, etc. and opening up hearts to God, for the Holy Spirit to fill and move, is powerful. We need to experience that and we need to be a part of that experience for others; the church needs to come together regularly and encourage each other by worshipping together and reminding each other that while we all struggle God is still good and we can still praise Him for who He is and all that He's done and is doing.
I went with four of my best friends and we all go to different schools. To be able to come together with them, hold hands in prayer, and worship God side by side is priceless and a great feeling. Times like that strengthen our relationships with each other as we are brought closer through Christ and see him at work together.
I think corporate worship is something we need to participate in regularly. It's important to our spiritual lives to gather with other Christ followers and surrender it all in the presence of God. It's great to do it at church on the weekends but every now and then go to that Christian concert that's coming to town, change your setting, worship with people you've never even seen before. Because while the place may be different than your usual worship setting, the people worshipping are from a different place than you, and the music is new it has all been orchestrated for the same God and because of the same Jesus who gave his life for us so we might have a relationship with God. There's something beautiful in that to me.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
- Colossians 3:16
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