Passion::Boston

Hey everyone...long time no blog.

Passion came to Boston on Oct 12-13...and it was incredible. The experience was just amazing...right up there in my mind with Passion07 in the ATL. The thing about it was...there were honestly not that many people...I remember walking into the BU arena and seeing only a few sections of seats full and a few rows on the floor...and it floored me. Just a few months earlier, I was worshiping with 23,000+ in Atlanta's Phillips Arena at Passion07. And I just was let down by the lack of people at Boston....at first. But that feeling very soon dissolved. Chris Tomlin led in that Friday night, and the place was rocking. Chris taught us a new song called "Sing Sing Sing." You are all going to love it (i think it'll come out on a Passion album soon!)...but the place was loud. LG was amazing that night. He was incredible all weekend. I love Louie. His words reach out to me and pull me in like no other speaker's. I tried to go meet him at one point, but the guards wouldn't let me by. Bummer haha. Anyways...on Saturday, satan really tried to knock me down. My alarm clock magically didn't go off...let's put it this way...I was supposed to be leading my group of friends to Passion on the T at 8:30. I didn't wake up until 9. It really upset me, but God took the day and just used it as a wonderful tool in my life. Steve Fee led that morning, and I had never heard Steve lead before, but the guy's music is SO anointed! I thought he led worship in a beautiful way. Charlie led later in the day, and that was amazing. I love Charlie and his lyrics. He is so creative. When I lead worship, I love using his songs because they reach so many people.
That night, I ran with two of my friends from Eastern Nazarene to the floor. I was fifteen feet away from CT! Chris led beautiful worship that night...and being on the floor....WOW. THE PEOPLE IN THE CROWD WERE SO LOUD! The 1,500 of us honestly sounded like 10,000. I'm being totally serious. Chris sang the theme of Passion::Boston that night. He sang a song called "God of this City." In the background of the words on the big screen were pictures and videos of Boston, and the people in the audience went nuts. "That's our city! That's our mission field! And God is COMING!"

The chorus of the song went like this:

"For greater things have yet to come,
and greater things are still to be done in this city!"

So powerful! The weekend was beautiful. God is already doing great things in Boston. When the Sox won the World Series a few days ago, Mike Timlin praised God in the lockerroom afterward and talked about his faith and what God was doing through a guy like John Lester, who battled back from cancer to win game 4 of the WS. Wow! He's here. He's moving right now in Boston. Believe it.

It's time for Boston to adopt the Sox slogan:

Keep the faith!

-Joe
(p.s. I'm trying to get a bunch of people together to go to Passion::Washington, DC in Feb. I can't wait!)