Yes, and so we went to join in singing with them…along with 6,000+ others who love Hillsong worship music. Having never been to the Van Andel Arena for a concert, I didn’t realize that “general admission” tickets meant we would be standing on the floor for nearly four hours, crushed together like so many sardines in a can, along with thousands of young people jumping up and down for joy throughout the entire evening!
(Just in case you’re wondering, when we got to the arena, the officials asked that no one take pictures, so I don’t actually have any from last night. I took these pictures a year ago when the Hillsong Live group came to Kathy and Carl’s church in Detroit, which seats about 4,000. Nevertheless, the excitement and enthusiasm were strikingly similar, maybe minus a bit of the jumping, having a slightly older mean age for their audience. )
Stephen graciously dropped me off to meet Alan in the long line waiting to get in, and we were able to get a place to stand in the very front row (unlike last year, where our seat was almost in the back row. But, hey, it was a very comfortable SEAT!) At any rate, we opted to stand in the corner on the right hand side, so I could rest my arms and back against the right barrier and still see and hear everything.
We noticed that the flying speakers were aimed farther back and thought we’d be spared from some of the sound intensity, but we failed to notice that the bassist’s eight 12-inch speaker cabinet was aimed directly at us, so the bass and drums were pretty much rocking our bodies with palpable sound waves throughout the evening!
In all, it was a most memorable experience, and I’m glad I went. If I go again, I’ll try to sit in a seat. But—as Alan pointed out to me—no one in the entire sea of people was sitting throughout the arena. The energy was electric, and after thunderous applause that was absolutely not going to stop, Joel Houston came back on stage and led us all in several other songs, finally ending with a prayer and a gorgeous rendition of the comforting piece “Take Heart.” Alan and I were both hoarse from singing our hearts out, and I’ll bet almost everybody who attended felt just the same! Happy and exhausted. More enthusiasm for the Lord than for a football game, that’s for sure! I love praising God, and I love all the emotion and energy of kids. It made me feel old and young at the same time.
Take Heart
There is a light
It burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails
So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again
In death by love
The fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In His Name
All our fears are swept away
He never fails
[Bridge:]
All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome
All our failure
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome
All our heartache
And all our pain
God our healer
He has overcome
All our burdens
And all our shame
God our freedom
He has overcome
God our justice
God our grace
God our freedom
He has overcome
God our refuge
God our strength
God is with us
He has overcome (—Joel Houston)
“These things I have spoken to you, that in me [Jesus] you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)
