The Best Christmas Concert Ever

Last night I traveled into Pen Argyl to attended Faith Christian School's Christmas Chorus Concert at Grace UMC. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to go or not - my car just recently got a flat tire soI was borrowing my dad's Jeep, I was tired and I now have a pup to watch - but after much pressure to go, and finally making up my mind, I went. It was, by far, the best decision I made this week.

As I got there, I walked in the basement, and immediately ran into a few students that I knew. I ran up the stairs and found a few more students yelling at me: "Jeremiah, way not to say hi to me!" "Oh, I didn't see you there," I replied, "Hi!" Making sure I didn't miss anyone else I arrived at the top of the stairs and suddenly realized how many students, parents and just random people I knew there. There were probably about 5 students from my youth group, 9 of the 11 guys in the mentor group, other random students I know (both enrolled and graduated), their parents, and some people I haven't seen in a long time.

I sat down next to a former Barn student and watched the night unfold. The skit that started everything off was funny, but something I've seen before, but before I knew it the night turned into one of the best Christmas Concerts I've been to in a long time. In the middle of a rendition of Silent Night (sung by the High School Chorus) a cell-phone of one of the students I know rang on stage. "Oh no, crazy kids and their technology," I thought, but then suddenly realized that it was part of the song. The students started running around the stage chanting "Busy Busy Busy" and acting out the craziness of Christmas. Then just as things seemed to come back together the guys - who I meet with every week - pulled out Christmas hats and began to sing about Santa. Before I knew it there were about 6 guys on stage dancing around with hats on, and one with a giant candy cane costume on. It was pure madness. Soon, everything settled down and they began to sing Silent Night all over again, as if trying to really meditate on what it really meant.

From here the night just continued on with high energy and really good singing. But it wasn't even that that got me so excited about the night. As I sat there listening to everyone sing, I looked up in the back row of the choir and there stood 9 guys who I've been pouring into week after week. I looked into their faces as they sang and was reminded of what following Jesus is all about. They sang not out of force or requirement, but with a great love for the LORD and each other. I could not help but smile - smile wide and long - at their songs, and seeing the joy of the LORD in them. And then to top it all off one of the guys read Philippians 2:5-8:

"Have the same mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

It was definitely the Best Christmas Concert Ever!