I discovered about a month ago that Casting Crowns, Hillsong Worship, and Elevation Worship, three of the top worship bands in the world, were on a USA tour. Not only were they in the United States, but also happened to be coming to Tulsa, Oklahoma, just two hours away from me. I knew this was an opportunity I could not pass up, so I asked a friend to go with me and we bought our tickets a few weeks before the event. Furthermore, I got to have dinner with an old mentor of mine, who moved to Tulsa with his wife over a year ago.
After eating at Andolini's in Tulsa, my friend and I headed to the concert. We arrived right at seven o'clock, when the concert was scheduled to start, but did not get seated until seven fifteen because of the surprisingly large amount of people in attendance. More than 15,000 people packed the BOK Center from various places. A few days before the concert, I asked God to reveal something to me while at the concert, and that is exactly what He did.
Elevation Worship opened the night, and it was amazing to get the opportunity to hear the songs I have been listening to for a few years now played live. The amazing thing is that one can worship God whether he or she is singing those songs in his or her room alone or in a room with thousands of others and the writers of the songs. The song "Here Again" reminded me that I am not enough unless God comes to meet me where I am at. He does not require me to be perfect but meets me in the midst of my brokenness and sin.
Hillsong Worship played next, bringing a mixture of older songs mixed in with songs from their new album. I was enjoying their time on stage and enjoyed seeing his children lift their arms in surrender. At one point, as I stood on the top row of the arena, I was renewed with hope as I realized that his children (my brothers and sisters) are scattered across this world and not just in America, as it may seem sometimes. My eyes were opened to the true diversity of the Kingdom. I came to the concert with my friend Alex, who is from North Korea; stood next to a couple from Kenya, Africa; and sang along to words written by a band from Australia. Never have I had an experience like this before; it made me realize how truly diverse yet simultaneously this big family is.
As Casting Crowns came up to end the night, I was wrongly assuming that I would learn nothing and would not have much of a worship experience since I knew fewer of their songs. However, God reminded me that worship is not about knowing the lyrics to songs, but revering and honoring the King with my attitude. It was through their worship that God brought everything together from the night. He showed me what it meant in Psalm 23 when David writes that God is not just with us when we face enemies, but instead prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies, giving us a chance to love them well. Furthermore, He revealed some of my weaknesses to me. Namely, that I am lacking in boldness and courage for no particular reason. Why should we fear anything on this earth if our hope resides within the one who reigns over everything of the earth. It has been my prayer since then that I would "take courage" each and every day, holding nothing back and living fully unashamedly.
Thankfully, we were able to make it home around one o'clock in the morning, and God blessed us with an extra hour of sleep as Daylight Saving Time came to an end. I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to attend this concert, and I am looking forward to the Passion Conference coming up over Christmas break in Atlanta, Georgia. I highly recommend attending any concert that you might find interesting. It will be an unforgettable experience!
