Behold the Lamb of God

This weekend I had the privilege of escorting the most beautiful woman in the world to a very special event. 11 years ago, I was astonished when the Queen of Hearts agreed to go with me to a Caedmon's Call concert in Boston. The opening acts were two people that we hadn't heard before: Bebo Norman and Andrew Peterson. They have since become my favorite artists.

In 2004 Andrew Peterson, with the help of some of the most talented musicians on the planet, put together the single greatest "Christmas" album ever made: Behold the Lamb of God. To celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary, the QofH and I attended the Behold the Lamb of God tour in Connecticut. (The Queen of Hearts has also commented on this on her blog).

There is so much that I want to say about this that I don't even know where to start. I'll just go with stream of conscience:

The concert was fantastic. ~Beyond fantastic~ Andrew Peterson, Bebo Norman, Jill Phillips, Andrew Osenga, Ben Shive, and Andrew Gullahorn all played some of their own music in the beginning. After a brief intermission (and the obligatory Compassion International infomercial) they all returned and played, without stop, through every song on the album. The music on the CD is moving, the music live is incredible. (Did I mention we were in about the sixth row?) We even had the chance to momentarily speak with Mr. Peterson.

There was the possibility that I was going to have to attend this concert with someone else as our little Wild Card might not have cooperated enough for the QofH to feel comfortable leaving her to accompany me. I'm so very glad that wasn't the case.

I have tried my hand at many things. I even think I'm not to shabby at some of them (Athletics, film, public speaking...) There are things that I'm not very good at. (Basketball, watercolors, cleaning...) Of the things that I'm not good at, there is nothing that I want to excel at more than music. I listen to these artists. I bask in their songwriting genius and I wish that I could have a part in that. I wanted to be up on that stage surrounded by these titans of talent. Is it because of how their music speaks to my life? Is it because they are witty and poignant in conveying a message in their songs? Is it because they seem to enjoy a camaraderie that I have not know for some time? I do not know the answer to these questions.

Andrew Peterson spoke briefly of Frederick Law Olmsted. He is known as the "father of landscape architecture." He designed Central Park. He knew that what he was designing would not attain its full design until years after he died. He painted with trees and flowers and bushes. Andrew said that was what he wanted his music to be like: He wanted it to be relevant today and even more so thirty years from now. That comment gave me pause to think: Compare what typical "Christian" music sings about to the topics typical "secular" music includes. On average (and I am not creating any kind of rule here, but on average) secular music contains things that are fleeting and temporary while Christian music has more lasting themes. What if "secular" music started singing about community responsibility more so than just "stop snitchin'?" What if they started singing about loyalty in marriage rather than "don't worry 'bout the ring you wear 'cause as long as no one knows then nobody can care?"

This made me stop an consider: What is the most fleeting, most temporary subject that I focus on? Sports. Nothing is more out-of-date than a two week old Sports Illustrated. What happens when a team wins it all? We immediately start looking to next year. When JMO:Just the facts puts out a power ranking, how long is it good for? Until the next game is played.

So: What has this concert done for me? It gave me an amazing evening out with the love of my life. It's given me a greater appreciation for the music of Andrew Peterson and friends. It made me wish I had the time, energy, and talent to be a singer/songwriter. It reminded me what's important in this life. And hopefully it will cause me to focus more on the Word than the World Series.

It was a great concert!