Hillsong

Hello. my name is Jordan and I'd like to talk about the Hillsong concert.

I loved it. I really, really, really loved it. I was crying from minute one.
I used to go years without crying. But these days it's like sand through a sieve.
Little things tear me up and I sometimes I'm fighting away giant sobs. Oh mercy.
But I'd dare you not to cry at this event. I sat the front and could look out at the entire arena. Have you ever been in packed together with that many brothers and sisters all singing praises to our Father?? it's freaking-dang awe-inspiring! Seriously, all i could think about was the new earth. this is what eternity will be like. this is it! It might not always just be singing, but i think it will be at times. and even when we aren't singing, everyone will still be praising and worshiping our Savior no matter what we're doing. I don't know....in my mind eternity doesn't sound scary or boring. It makes me cry because I can't wait for that day! I can't wait till all the sin and sickness and disease is removed and the new earth is revealed and we can see live as God intended. Just constant worship throughout. just...makes me cry. i don't know what else to say! Jesus is currently the appointed King, but I can't wait for the day when He's the reigning King. I long for that day!
So I basically cried for the first hour and a half. But I wouldn't let the actual tears come out of my eyes because they would have soaked the little kid in front of me. no joke. he would have drowned.
okay, I also didn't want to be the dork that started crying from the first note.
But by not wanting to look ridiculous for absolutely flat-out bawling, I surely looked even more retarded trying to hold it all in. I probably looked like I was possessed. It's stupid, our souls even can't contain that amount of joy, how could i possibly expect my face muscles to hold it in? just stupid.
It was almost frustrating because i couldn't sing. I actually ended up knowing most of the songs, which surprised me. But I couldn't sing half of them because I'd sing half a line of worship, and my voice would crack and give out as I choked back more sobs. It was an incredible experience. Seeing all of the family together like that. Sing praises of HIS holiness, His perfect holiness. Just incredible.

Then. In the middle of the concert the little Aussie preacher fellow come out to give us the good word. That's when my buzz was kicked in the groin.
His exegesis was non-existent. He used a beautiful passage about Jesus, and pretty much overlooked the Jesus part and decided that we should all pattern our lives after the minor character. It was about a blind guy that Jesus healed. The blind guy heard Jesus coming, so he begged for mercy. So the lesson we learned is that, like the blind guy, we should use what we've been given. If we don't have sight, use our hearing. Nothing about Jesus. Because obviously this was the real point of that passage. use what you've been given. What about what this passage reveals about the character of Jesus?
seriously? I suppose the guy's lesson is true...but I'm thinking that has nothing to do with the purpose of that passage. It was crazy.
It was theologically an inch deep. Which surprised me!
He pretty much yelled us about Jesus and tried to get us all pumped up for the Lord! "Who here loves Jesus?" (crowd roars) "Let's give applause to Jesus"(crowd roars) "Who's ready to praise Jesus??" (crowd roars). I seriously felt like I was at a Joel Osteen show. (yes, SHOW. Joel puts on shows.)
It felt like a mix between an Osteen show and a high school pep rally, except instead of "Let's Go, Tigers! Beat up the Pirates!" it was "Let's go, Jesus! Beat up the devil! You can do it!"
Maybe that's not a bad thing...it just didn't sit right with me. I can't really explain it. It reminded me of church camps in the 90's that were nothing more than emotion-charged pep rallies for a week. I'm not saying the whole night was like that...just the "preaching" part.
I'm also not doubting his intentions or that He loves the Lord. I absolutely believe that guy does!
But the part that REALLY, REALLY bothered me is that he "saved" a ton of people without even giving the Gospel! There was no mention of the cross or repentance or sin...not even the bare bones of salvation. No explanation of our great need for a Savior or our depravity or what Jesus did for us. His incredible sacrifice. He gave up His position in Heaven to come to EARTH for OUR sake. That alone is an unfathomable sacrifice! How can you keep from speaking about Him? What I heard him say was "If you want to have everlasting peace and joy, invite Jesus in your heart! All you have to do is ask Him into your life!"
I'm hoping I somehow heard him wrong and that Kacie could tell me what she heard, but I haven't heard back from her.
But I KNOW this part happened: we all closed our eyes and then the people that asked Jesus into their heart raised their hands. (why? i've never been clear on why) and then, THEN he had the entire arena repeat a prayer of salvation. i guess just to make sure he got everybody.
"If you want to invite Jesus into your heart, repeat these words after me..."
That just absolutely made my soul squirm.
Salvation isn't about repeating words. There's no magical incantation. That more closely resemble witchcraft than Christianity.
When simply have repeat some words, you have tons of people walking around thinking they're saved because they said this prayer, and then they can't figure out why they aren't any different at all, why there isn't any peace or joy or anything different than before, when everyone says that when Christ comes into your life, it changes you. Then they think Christianity simply doesn't work. OR, even worse, maybe they keep thinking they're saved and never pay heed to the actual Gospel! I don't know, but the affect is generally going to be BAD.
I haven't heard anyone do this in....i don't know....over a decade? It's been a long time since I've heard the Gospel reduced to a simple repeating of words.
UGH. that KILLS me.
I want people you KNOW Christ! I don't want people to THINK they're Christians, and yet never experience the joy that comes with knowing and serving Him!
That just killed me. Killllled me.

my other question is...why was it okay to take pictures the whole time except when Brooke did her thing? Isn't the entire night a time of coming before God and worshiping and praising Him and not just that one portion? i think i probably missed that explanation.

I have a hard time just being in the moment. I'm thinking about how it affects me or how i can describe it to others or how Joel could be receiving everything and what I'll say in the car on the way home to try and spark a spiritual conversation and nudge him towards Christ in His own life. There are good distractions too i guess, like when you get so caught up thinking about thinking about God that you forget to sing. It's hard for me to just be HERE, in the moment and not think about what my fb status will say or how I'll explain what i felt. blah.

Anyway, it was an AMAZING night of sweet worship and I wish I could re-live it over and over and over!