[p11] CG1 + DCB

As we headed out to our community groups (based on the color of our wristbands) after the main session, I just remember looking around at all the people who were there and again being struck by the sheer number of people gathered in His name. Very cool :)

Once we got to the gold room (and I randomly saw Daniel Lu and Sonya!), we were quickly split into family groups where we didn't know anyone in the group. We introduced ourselves--everyone was from Texas, except for one girl from Colorado--and talked briefly about the first session. My family = Caleb, Cameron, Dylan, Michael, Brooke, Shaley, Alyssa, Christa, and me.
Something that I thought was pretty neat was that our CG leader was Ben Stuart, who's the head of Breakaway Ministries at A&M. All I know about Breakaway (from Derek) is that it's a HUGE weekly Bible study at A&M--something I wish I could attend somehow before I graduate--and I just thought it was cool to have a slight link in my mind. I like Ben. He's really funny. :)

Since the first CG session was mostly introductions, we were let out soon after so we could go see David Crowder Band! The only band I've seen live multiple times (because of FPC's undying loyalty to them, haha), but they're always good. And crazy.
They sang Sometimes! The song I heard on WorshipTogether that was new. In the bridge, there's this one line I love:
Let's risk the ocean, there's only grace
I don't know; there's just something about the truth and magnitude of that line that stirred in my heart. What do we have to lose? Nothing. Let's risk the ocean, let's risk the world...because there is only grace. There always has been and always will be grace unending.

And as they ended with "Shadows", this lyric really stuck out to me:
When all seems lost, when we're thrown and we're tossed
We'll remember the cost we're resting in--the shadow of the cross
I know I have the Church Music album, but I haven't listened to it nearly as much...I just liked that reminder. That we rest in the shadow of the cross, something not to be taken lightly.

And then! Lecrae came on, haha. I didn't actually know it was him until he said it after a couple of songs, but it was certainly interesting. I guess I've never really been into Christian rap, mostly because I feel like it just confuses me. Rap as a genre reminds me of the usual rap music, which mostly focuses on very secular topics--drugs, sex, money--but then Christian rappers are speaking the truth. I don't know. While Lecrae sang, the atmosphere in the arena felt to me a bit like a club, which was awkward and confusing. Do you dance to the music? Sway?
It didn't matter; I decided to listen to his lyrics, and I really liked them. So much truth. (only one line I remember, but it was, "If ignorance is bliss, that's because you don't know Jesus." Amen!) He's a good rapper and really desires to give the glory to God. I walked away that night with more respect for Christian rap and perhaps a slightly greater inclination to listen to it. Wow, my writing style is very poor.

Thinking about Lecrae reminds me of something Louie mentioned on Sunday. He was giving a shoutout to the interpreters for the deaf who interpreted all of the messages, as well as the songs, and he was talking about how he was just staring open-mouthed at them when they were signing during Lecrae's songs. Haha, I wish I could've thought to do the same...must have been intense!
But speaking of the interpreters, I remember seeing them near the stage sometime earlier Friday night during worship and thinking that it was really neat to have them there (Rogers, anyone?). Something else I found out--watching them sign during worship songs really touched me and moved me to tears, for some reason...I guess just seeing the emotion of the song in a more visual way--hard to describe--but it was really awesome to me.