Tour Day 1 – St. Joseph MO to Ogallala NE

Hi, everybody! I’m Joseph. Or as most of you probably know me, “Emily’s husband”. I get the privilege of writing this little blog where you can hear a little about our day and some of my ramblings and reflections on the day if you care about reading that part.

I really enjoy communion. I have to think about it some to really tell you why.  Maybe its some left over feeling of indulgence from when I was a kid in church, and you got to drink some grape juice.  It was really special when they used Welch’s from the bottle, instead of making it from concentrate.  I could always tell. But it also made me feel important, like I was participating in a tradition that was shared by people all the way back to Jesus himself. I love the way that makes me feel.

But we all sometimes just get lost in the action of it, and it doesn’t hit like it used to – just something we do because we were born at a certain time and place where they tell us we’re supposed to. But it being a tradition in the New G send off always gets me back to that feeling. I know I don’t know most of you very well (though I would very much like to) but in that room this morning I felt connected to everyone there by something truly great and marvelous.

An ancient Chinese proverb says “…when they lose their sense of awe, they turn to ritual”. Isn’t it true that when people lose a sense of being awe-struck by what God has done for them, they turn to rules and rituals to fill the void, because they long to feel amazed again? I long to feel amazed again; don’t you? I think our singers do.

That’s what tour does in so many singers lives. In some it lights that flame for the first time. The flame of the knowledge that being a follower of God can be so much more. It can be something that you LOVE TO DO. Not just something you have to do. It can be something that can absolutely envelope you with awe.

It’s one thing to see people you know clapping for you at a concert, but it is a totally other thing to walk into a room full of people who have know idea what they are in for, and walk out to a standing ovation.  That is what happened tonight in Ogalalla, NE.  WE ROCKED IT!!!! It was just the informal, but man was it a great way to open our tour performances.

Tour is already challenging some of your singers. I know because some of the new singers told me that they were freaking out last night before they left. That is normal, and soon tour will feel all too comfortable. Today was a day of firsts: first time splitting up to go to different restaurants, first performance on the road, first day with a seat partner, first night in a hotel room with some weirdos. But soon you’ll think that they were old pros at this, and emotions will subside and what they will grow to find out is that they have permission to really enjoy serving God.  That they have permission to be deeply awestruck by what God is doing in their lives. I know they already are.

Well, friends, got to sign off and go do some room checks.  I’ll try to be a little more detailed about what we do tomorrow and stay out of ramble mode!