Magnificent (fb, maybe fc now- forgot to post)

Lifelong dream fulfilled Sunday night- a couple of them actually/maybe?

Dream 1:  See U2 live
Dream 2:  OU Stadium filled with a nameless faceless church celebrating Jesus and his kingdom

I haven't fully processed this stuff (imagine that), but my heart is excited by these thoughts:

The theme Sunday night was, "hey Church, be the church!"  It began with a call to worship- about five songs, with comments from the worship leader, all about the greatness of God.  It then entered into a time of acknowledging how hard this life is, how much we need grace, need each other, need to be encouraged.  It ended with a challenge to take love to one another and to the world (John 17).  Everything in a spirit of grace, humility, and courage.  And in a spirit of rock n' roll- which is *** awesome.

It was what celebration should be- almost a "once in a decade" type gathering of the church in a region- extravagant, over the top, loud, excellent, intentional, inclusive, and...beer.

Many times over the past nine years I've walked the campus praying for revival in our state, in Norman, and pictured as if it were happening NOW, this gathering- I just never had a clue as to how it could happen without some evangelical organization and its leaders hyping it, organizing it, telling everyone in advance what was "supposed" to happen, owning it, controlling it, screwing it up.  Something miraculous would have to happen to unify this diverse group- to make it a diverse group.

A miracle has occurred in our lifetime.  Bono and his little band have managed to avoid being identified with American Evangelicalism.  Because of that fact, this ordinary dude from Dublin has the authority to point Presidents, Premiers, Prime Ministers, and Kings toward the Kingdom- with fierce boldness.  He also has the mojo to gather people in stadiums- by the tens of thousands.

Where is the racial diversity?  I wonder if God is doing with Tyler Perry what he has done with Bono?  Who are the other unifiers?  How powerful are the arts for connecting with the heart and uniting?

OK- how do I know it was "the church" gathered.  I don't.  My bible tells me that's not my problem to solve- I'm not the "sorter" as much as my nature wants to be.  I don't know the story of the dude in front of me pounding brew two fists at a time- I know this.  When Bono led Amazing Grace he got it.  Did he walk with Jesus as a child and something was reawakened.  Is he a leader in his church and he never realized that church is a lifestyle that can be lived at U2 concerts?  Is he a broken man who didn't realize that there is hope and that hope has a name?

Still processing...