Last night as I sat in the dimly lit Melting Point in Athens surrounded by some wonderful friends, I experienced what I've heard called a gospel moment. What exactly is a gospel moment? I think it's when you become astounded, if only for an instant, by the beauty of God's plan of redemption. When you realize the beauty of God's original intention for His creation. When you encounter something so harmonious, or gracious, or majestic that you are convinced again that God is good. In case a definition of the gospel is needed, here is Webster's definition:
And if you want one from Scripture, Romans 1:16; 3:22-24, "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile . . . We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." (I am also not ashamed that this is from the NLT version).
So the gospel, in a nutshell, is that we are declared righteous through Jesus' death and resurrection though we don't deserve it. But the thing is, the gospel really can't be explained in a nutshell. A wise man at my church once said it only takes about 3 chapters in Genesis to realize how screwed up humankind is, and it takes the rest of the 66 books to describe God's love for them. And God has also revealed Himself in every facet of His creation. So as I see the gospel played out on this earth, I want to write about it. Without further adieu - a brief description of my gospel moment with Sean McConnell.
Sean and his pianist walked onstage and began playing the most beautiful song I may have ever heard. I was lost in the experience; I can't even tell you the exact lyrics. It was something about Praise Be to God. But what really spoke to me was the way the melody and harmony blended together. Their voices were enough to melt me. The strum of the guitar mixed with the jazzy piano was mesmerizing. The rhythm of it all kept perfect time. I couldn't help but think that this is what heaven's music will sound like. There was a peace and a harmony in the way it all worked together to create a beautiful sound. Surely this is a reflection of God's intention for creation. Peace, harmony, melody, beauty.
If you compared the world to a mirror, it has been broken (not shattered) by sin, so the reflection of God is cracked and tainted. But it can still be seen. And I am convinced that in the songs of Sean McConnell, a glimpse of who God is shines through. At least that's what happened for me last night.
This video isn't the greatest quality, but this was one of my favorites of his last night: A Prayer You Can Borrow.
More gospel moments to come I'm sure.
