10. All the Glory

So, last night I went to something that was pretty epic.

Sufjan Stevens in concert.

It was unlike any concert I have been to.

And I have been to my fair share of concerts. Because I love them. [Maybe in a future blog, I will name them all.]

But this was honestly just super cool. There wasn't any crowd-surfing; there weren't any mosh pits. We all had assigned seats. It was like going to an orchestra concert on a whole new scale.
I think most of the audience was just captivated by the entire thing, myself included.
I found myself unable to remember any of the other songs while he was in the middle of a song. I was absorbed by it all. The music, the visual arts, the experience.

I only knew like 3 songs, which he played at the very end. But it didn't really matter. It was like going to a musical you have never seen before, but really enjoying it. I didn't have to know the songs. Plus, the songs make much more sense when you see him perform them live. I can get a glimpse of their meanings when I look at the lyrics, but this was like seeing him in his natural habitat. Each song is so rich, so full, so full of emotion.
And I became somewhat attatched to each one. It was odd.

The point(s) is(are):
1. Sufjan Stevens is one talented guy.
2. There are some insane things that go through his mind.
3. I'm a little jealous of that.
4. Because I know he understands some things about the Lord that I sure don't.

9. Leggings Are Not Pants.

Enough said.

8. To Sift You As Wheat.

For some reason, I can think of 20 titles I want to name my blog posts, but I have no idea how to organize my thoughts to figure out what to write about. So, today, I just write.

This weekend has been something quite unfamiliar. It is rather lonely too.
Everybody is gone, with family, off campus, having fun.
And I am having fun too, just in a lonely sort of way.
I wonder if my voice is going to sound different when it gets to finally talk to a friend after 3 days of talking to myself 0r singing.

Anyways, while all of my amigos were MIA, I went to Substance by myself. And I have really been enjoying the sermon series even though it initially seemed so selfish. It's called "Why Me?" about when we ask "Why Me?" to God when bad things happen, and I would encourage all of you to listen to them online at www.substancechurch.com

Today, I learned something incredible though. And I am almost angry it took me till now to figure it out. Pastor Nick talked about enduring the pain of our trials when we experience events out of our control, or that come out of the blue. And he said this:

Pain and trials are an opportunity for spiritual promotion.

Huh? And then it makes so much sense at the same time.

I know you have heard of Job, but have you actually ever read his story? The first two chapters are all you need to see that the devil is the one causing the pain, not the Lord.

Did you catch that?

Our pain is from living in a fallen world; it is from consequences for our own actions; it is from Satan, but it is not from God.

Which was like a breakthrough for me because I know that moment where I am shaking my fist to the sky, with an angry heart, asking God "Where are you?! Why did you do this to me?"
When all along, he is there, waiting patiently for me to see that He does not cause this harm.

Which gets to this other point.

Satan is the one testing us to see if we truly do believe what we say when we make others believe we trust in God. Do we trust in God during the good and the bad times? He is testing us by throwing trials in our faces to find out. And I have to say that I probably didn't pass.

God is not against us. He never has been. It is the devil who comes to "steal and kill and destroy." -John 10:10. It is God that never leaves us. It is Jesus who pleads that we will pass the test and trust him because Satan has asked that he be able to sift us like wheat, test us to get us to fail. - Luke 22:31-32

Because our faith is increased when we pass our tests. And I liked this part of the sermon- you don't need to study for it; you just have to know your answer to the question "Do you trust God?" If your answer is always yes, then good for you. You pass.

I think this is parallel with the prodigal son situation/dilemma/conversation.
Maybe the people who have not hit rock bottom either haven't been tested yet, or maybe, better yet- they continue to pass the little tests.

Thanks for reading my spiel on this. You should know that it is basically a copy of my sermon notes from this evening. So the credit goes to God and Pastor Nick at Substance.