I love a good concert as much as the next person, but for some reason, I’m so turned off by the hype.
I feel like sometimes, we treat these concerts like a huge lollipop, that the concert just becomes a sugary rush, but no substance, no nourishment. Being in the concert, we’re so on fire…but a flame that dies out the next day.
Promise me it’s not about the hype.
It says in Ephesians 3:
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
The words "rooted" and "established" connotes a sturdy foundation, a working of some sort rather than a flippancy of emotion. I believe that sometimes, these concerts are events we can use to put in our FB statuses rather than be stones of importance, pillars that become an addition to the foundation we have in Christ, not decorations or time pieces that we may boast about, showing our spiritual maturity or involvement or, dare I say it, LOVE for God.
But sometimes we’re guilty of it, aren’t we? We may not ask friends to come to a local church with a praise team who is devoted to serving and playing for God, who also plays great music, but we’ll jump on the bandwagon and promote Chris Tomlin’s newest concert, with the addition of promoting our attendance.
Please don’t get me wrong…please don’t take it in offense…but I do offer the advice of hearing me out…let’s chisel through this in love. Let’s take out the dross in the hype of these concerts. I doubt Louie Giglio desires people to come just for great music and to see a sold out auditorium fist pumping and jumping up and down like it’s 1993. I would love to know that his hope is in verses 17, 18 and 19, for people to be strengthened, to have power, to GRASP how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and wow- so that we may be filled to the measure.
Seems like a lot? Ya, but these concerts are not to entertain. I’d have to say it: they have an agenda. Are we willing to find it amidst the voluminous heart inducing drums and the hype of how great the music is, and being in the presence of a metaphoric Christian giant in today’s Christian music?
