My mother texted to invite me home since I hadn't been in a while. She sent me a picture of a newspaper clipping about the conference, and since she and I have done a Beth Moore written Bible study with the women of mom's church before, I was familiar with Beth and enjoyed her presentation style, her take on things. My mother said she would pay for my gas and ticket if I chose to come, since I was currently unemployed.
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| The very picture I received |
I left a little before lunch for Memphis, in my mama-sponsored vehicle, and arrived only about 45 minutes before we had to head out again to get to the Forum on time. Although neither of us typically enjoys spending time in traffic, one of my favorite parts about the trip was the car rides since they allowed my mother and I some quality time together. It was just the 2 of us, conteplating what we were about to hear or what we'd just heard, catching up on those little tidbits about our respective daily lives that it doesn't occur to you to call and share, but you miss none-the-less, making jokes and laughing, and just enjoying each others' company in a way we hadn't had much time for lately.
We were able to do some of the same once we arrived since, if you paid attention to the photo above, the doors opened and hour and a half before the event began on Friday and an hour early Saturday. We decided to arrive early both days so that we could get good seats - 9500+ women with no assigned seating is a bit of a mad house - plus we had to pick up our tickets from will call the first night. We got a bit of a snack from one of the many overrun concession stands, and waited.
It is impossible for me to describe the emotional impact of the worship in which we participated. The musicians and vocal performers were truly talented and obviously passionate. This tour meant a lot to them, you could tell, and they worked their tails off to deliver a meaningful, worshipful sound. Both mama and I were moved to tears more than once, especially with their performance of the Newsboys' song, "In Christ Alone."
Seriously, it was magnificent. Near the end, they softened the other instruments dramatically and played some deep, reverberating, powerful drumbeats for the lines, "There in the ground, His body lay. Light of the world, by darkness slain. The bursting forth [BOOM] in glorious day [BOOM] up from the grave [BOOM] he rose again [BOOM]!" It was like listening to the beating of my heart in time with thousands of others.
Then came Beth. You guys, if you haven't heard her speak before, I highly recommend it. She is funny and passionate and down to earth. She's also incredibly intelligent and well-read and studied; she knows her stuff. Perhaps most significantly, she is extremely compassionate. The entire last hour the second day was spent taking prayer requests from members of the audience. She would immediately stop and fall to her knees, pleading with God to offer the women his comfort, mercy, grace, and help. She also called us to turn to our neighbors and pray for them, aloud, as one group. I said it before on my Smile post but, "I'm not sure I've ever heard anything quite as beautiful as 9500+ women singing together unless it was 9500+ women praying together." It was a truly overwhelming, powerful experience. I left feeling refreshed and renewed and hopeful.
Part of the reason I wanted to talk about LPL is because I want to encourage you, dear reader, to experience it for yourself. It is so worth it, and it can be a relatively cheap experience for you. In a couple of weeks (September 13), Beth Moore and Living Proof Live will be airing their annual simulcast performance. Check if your local church has signed up to participate and what it would take for you to be there. If they haven't, there is still time to sign up!
The other reason I wanted to talk about the event is because of the impact it had on me personally. Beth's chosen topic was titled "The Other Side." She was addressing passages in Mark and Luke that dealt with Jesus saving a demon-possessed man. Beth used the passages because she wanted to show us what it looks like when we allowed the devil into our lives. It hit me profoundly because, as you may recall, I'm currently working on a series about abuse. I realized that a lot of what was presented at the conference related, and it's part of why (in addition to severely limited time and energy) I chose to wait to post this now and postpone my final installment in that series.
I don't want to rob you of the experience of listening to Beth's presentation of this material, so I will simply lay out the 8 points she made and leave the discussion to her (seriously, go see her live!). I'm including them because I think they are meaningful in their own right, but also because I plan on referencing them tomorrow when I finish the abuse series (which is why this post is included in the series despite not being directly related).
Where the devil has his way:
1. People live among tombs (literally or metaphorically - living in the past)
2. People have no voice
3. People do self-harm (physical or emotional)
4. People are out of control and out of community
Where Jesus has His way:
1. Demons have to flee (again, literal and figurative)
2. People find a sane place in His presence
3. People are robed in worth and dignity
4. People go and tell their stories.
Some of these points will be more relevant than others when we come back to this tomorrow, and you might even be able to tell which ones.
[I want to share a bit about Beth before I go. Her bio doesn't mention it - but she freely will - Beth experienced abuse in her childhood. She's been through depravity and pain, and she will share that story with you readily to show that you are not alone. One of the best things I've heard her say time and time again is that it is impossible not to fit with Jesus. You can not go so far, or be buried so deep that He does not want you back, and she has put that to the test!]
We'll wrap this sucker up tomorrow, dears!
Part of the reason I wanted to talk about LPL is because I want to encourage you, dear reader, to experience it for yourself. It is so worth it, and it can be a relatively cheap experience for you. In a couple of weeks (September 13), Beth Moore and Living Proof Live will be airing their annual simulcast performance. Check if your local church has signed up to participate and what it would take for you to be there. If they haven't, there is still time to sign up!
The other reason I wanted to talk about the event is because of the impact it had on me personally. Beth's chosen topic was titled "The Other Side." She was addressing passages in Mark and Luke that dealt with Jesus saving a demon-possessed man. Beth used the passages because she wanted to show us what it looks like when we allowed the devil into our lives. It hit me profoundly because, as you may recall, I'm currently working on a series about abuse. I realized that a lot of what was presented at the conference related, and it's part of why (in addition to severely limited time and energy) I chose to wait to post this now and postpone my final installment in that series.
I don't want to rob you of the experience of listening to Beth's presentation of this material, so I will simply lay out the 8 points she made and leave the discussion to her (seriously, go see her live!). I'm including them because I think they are meaningful in their own right, but also because I plan on referencing them tomorrow when I finish the abuse series (which is why this post is included in the series despite not being directly related).
Where the devil has his way:
1. People live among tombs (literally or metaphorically - living in the past)
2. People have no voice
3. People do self-harm (physical or emotional)
4. People are out of control and out of community
Where Jesus has His way:
1. Demons have to flee (again, literal and figurative)
2. People find a sane place in His presence
3. People are robed in worth and dignity
4. People go and tell their stories.
Some of these points will be more relevant than others when we come back to this tomorrow, and you might even be able to tell which ones.
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| (source) |
We'll wrap this sucker up tomorrow, dears!
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