Since I didn’t get as much time to blog as I might have hoped while I was in Atlanta, I will take a few days to post some reflections from the weekend. Rather than try to do anything chronologically, I’ll go with themes. If you’re among the many Googlers who attended (really … the stats have gone up. there’s like five of you now), feel free to add commentary …

This was my fourth Passion event (third as a volunteer) and the fourth time I have heard the lead worshippers bring new songs. Generally, this means a long wait until a recorded version comes out - unless, perhaps, someone can convince Louie and the powers that be (a.k.a. Shelley) - to put out an iTunes bundle. In the moment, I wasn’t terribly intent on trying to jot down the lyrics, but the chorus of the new song that Tomlin wrote last Thursday (really, who writes a song a week before using it in a worship setting?) has been a song of praise and a prayer of remembrance wrapped up in a single package because I (for some reason) actually managed to learn the tune:

Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit
Three in One
Clothed in power and in grace
Name above all other names.

Charlie Hall continues to bring awesome stuff to the table (note to Francis Chan: in this I am thanking Charlie, but praising the Father in heaven!). I did attempt to write down a few words here and there on this one, but only caught part of the chorus and the bridge:

Chorus
Chain breaker
Heart Savior
Jesus the great Redeemer

Life changer
Liberator
Jesus the great Redeemer

Bridge:
You are free
You are free
Yea, the Son has set you free

Drop your chains sons and daughters
Come and run in liberty

Of course, you can’t talk about a memorable Passion moment at all if you don’t mention the energy in the room on Saturday night. I can honestly tell you that I don’t think I ever felt anything quite like it. To set the scene, the students had taken their seats in silence. A message was offered on the screens one word at a time before Charlie came out to lead an acoustic worship set. Now, my mind is a bit foggy (forgive me, I was tired), but I think Louie came out and said a few words before Tomlin lead Everlasting God.

What happened next is nothing short of breathtaking. As the band finished the song, the lights went down to just some purplish lights casting shadows along the stage so that you could only barely make out the figures of the band onstage. The students started shouting. Just shouting out praise to Jesus. Then, the cell phones came out and started lighting up around the room, creating this sparkly, star-like dance as the students waved them. The cell phones danced, the students shouted and I stood there amazed at the whole thing as it continued for easily two or three minutes.

I know, I know. Skeptics would say that you see that at any concert. I can’t tell you how I knew, but I knew the shouting wasn’t because of the band or the speaker. There was a feeling in the room that the Spirit was very, very present and students were expressing their acknowledgment of that presence.

So, let’s just pose this question to end the post … how are you (and how am I) acknowledging His presence today?

UPDATE: Thanks to the podcast, I now know that the song that preceded the holy roar was Sing, Sing, Sing. Judging by what was said on the podcast, even the people onstage were stunned by it.