Slow Fade

Last night, I took advantage of an opportunity to worship with Casting Crowns at the Excel Energy Center. I had already purchased their newest CD, The Altar and the Door, so I new what I would be hearing last night. But I was still amazed. For those of you who haven’t yet, I strongly encourage you to read their book, Lifestories. It is a book explaining how each of the songs on their first two CD’s came to be written. As I read the story behind each song, I found myself having a newfound respect for this amazing group. That respect became deeper last night. Last night, towards the end of the concert, they took time out and praying over the almost 8,000 people in attendance. One by one, members of the band prayed for marriages, people struggling with addictions, people who had not yet responded to God’s call to be in relationship with them. One of the band members prayed for the guys in attendance, asking God to build them into the godly men this world so desperately needs. It was just an awesome time of worship.
Now for the title of this entry. They have a song on their new CD entitled Slow Fade. Mark Hall shared a little of the back story of this song. He was meditating on Psalm 1 and noticed something different about it. Verse 1 says: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” He noticed that it’s a slow fade. He then mentioned different things taking place within our culture. Families don’t fall apart in a day, marriages don’t crumble in a day, people don’t walk out of church on Sunday and fall apart on Monday. Those things all happen over a period of time. They all happen slowly. It begins when we begin walking in the counsel of our secular society. Soon after, we find ourselves standing in the way of sinners, only to later find ourselves sitting with mockers.
I began thinking about my journey through the candidacy process within the ELCA. As soon as I did, I was immediately thankful that God’s hand of protection has been upon through this whole journey. (When I figure out how to explain my year in a way that makes sense, I will. Maybe that will happen after I find a job.)
One more thing about one of their songs. It’s entitled What This World Needs. This world doesn’t need us to attach anything to the Gospel. They don’t need our denomination, our theological convictions, political convictions, etc. They simply need Jesus. They need a Savior who will rescue, a Spirit who will lead, a Father who will love them, in their time of need.