Moment: Friday, April 6th, 2023 at 7:39 PM
"This is not a new thing - for generations, people have lifted their eyes to heaven to give thanks for the faithfulness of God. His track record goes way further back than today." - Pat Barrett
A frequently-asked question is why Good Friday is called "good" when it commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. The truth is, we can only call it "good" because we know that Jesus didn't stay on that cross, but he conquered death and rose again on Easter. Although it may have been a day of great fear and sorrow for those who were present that day, for those of us looking back, it is a day of victory.
This Good Friday, my family and friends chose to celebrate this victory in Jesus with a huge crowd of believers in the outdoor Georgetown Square being led in worship by incredible artists such as Tauren Wells, Pat Barrett, Aaron Cole, and Ryan Horton. Unfortunately, it was looking like it would be dark and gloomy with the never-ending rain and cold temperatures for the past few days, but we were praying that the rain would stop and it would be one of those days that we can look back on with joy. As Chet Garner (The Daytripper) so eloquently put it, "This is one of the few times we pray that God would CLOSE the heavens!"
My brother, my friend Hannah, and I arrived at 4 PM in the pouring rain at the Grace Heritage Center for choir rehearsal - we were given the amazing opportunity to sing alongside Tauren Wells in the choir! We were told that the event would proceed rain-or-shine, so we bundled up, embraced the drenched-hair look, and rehearsed the set for the evening.
After rehearsal, we had two more hours before the event began, so we decided to go to a coffee shop next door to get a little shelter and warmth from the elements. Our friend William had brought a hat to hopefully get autographed by Pat Barrett (he wrote Build My Life, The Way, and Good Good Father, to name a few), but he didn't have a Sharpie. Although it seemed a little unlikely that he would get the autograph because there were THOUSANDS of people registered for the event, we didn't really have anything better to do so we left the coffee shop on a mission to get the guy a Sharpie. We went into a few different stores to no avail and were recommended to check the CVS down the street, so we went back out and found a bistro table under an awning where we could take a break while trying to find directions.
We realized that people were already starting to save their spots in the square for the event even though it wasn't supposed to start for another hour and a half, so Hannah and I went to go get lawn chairs to claim our space while my brother and William figured out the Sharpie situation. When we came back, they were still in the same spot and hadn't gotten a Sharpie...because they were talking to Pat Barrett! He was extremely kind and offered to take a photo with us before we could even ask, which definitely outranks an autograph.
After our encounter with him, I realized that maybe getting a photo/autograph was more realistic than I initially thought, so I called my mom and asked her to bring my Royal Tailor poster and some Sharpies (at this point I should get sponsored with this many brand mentions!) so I could get the poster autographed by Tauren Wells.
Still on cloud nine from having a "casual conversation with Pat," we headed over to the event to meet up with our families. They had an arsenal of supplies to withstand the rain: umbrellas, tents, tarps, the works. However, RIGHT when the music started, the rain stopped - it was truly a miracle. They even paused the show at one point to give everyone time to take their tents down and make it easier for those in the back to see the stage.
Ryan Horton, Aaron Cole, and Pat Barrett all went up and led amazing sets (there's a video of everyone singing "Great Are You Lord" together above), and then it was time for the choir to gather in the front in preparation for Tauren Wells' set.
We as a choir did an impromptu performance of "Happy Birthday" to him before he went up on stage, then it was an hour of worship, prayer, music, dancing, and pure joy. I've been leading worship for almost 15 years and it is always such an incredible experience to look out into the congregation to see my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ all praising the same God as me, and I SO wish I could have had my phone out to document the way in which God moved in people last night. There were people of all ages, genders, races, and denominations all singing the same songs of praise, and I know that it is often said that music brings people together, but GOD brings people together in a way that is truly unmatched.
After the show, which went on for three hours without a SINGLE drop of rain from the sky, my friends and I headed behind the stage to try to meet the artists. William finally got his autograph from Pat Barrett and they're on a first-name basis now, and all of my friends made it their mission to get me to the front to meet Tauren Wells (I'm not on a first-name basis yet lol).
I have been a fan of Tauren Wells for the last 12 years, ever since the debut album of the band Royal Tailor was released. He was the lead singer, and I listened to their music almost NON-STOP. They performed at a Winter Jam concert in San Antonio in 2013 and I brought my whole family in tow so I could hear them live - and I got a poster at the merch table! That poster has been hanging in my room for the last decade and has been through five moves throughout high school and college. Needless to say by this photo, they succeeded!
I prefaced by saying, "This might be a little weird to ask, but could you sign my Royal Tailor poster?" I know sometimes solo artists are a little uncomfortable talking about their former bands, so I wanted to give him an out, but his face lit up and he said, "Wow you're a day 1!" As you can probably tell by all the rips and folds, that poster has been through so much and means a lot to me, because Tauren's music has broadened my outlook on what it means to be a worship leader, and the poster gave me the opportunity to share that with him. I know that he's just another person who loves Jesus and wants to proclaim His name through the gift of music, but getting that autograph made for a really amazing memory.
One song we sang towards the end of the event was "What a Beautiful Name" and it honestly summarized this incredible Good Friday on which we rejoiced in the faithfulness of Jesus and the love displayed through His sacrifice on the cross. The bridge says:
Death could not hold You The veil tore before You You silence the boast of sin and grave The heavens are roaring The praise of Your glory For You are raised to life again
You have no rival You have no equal Now and forever God You reign Yours is the kingdom Yours is the glory Yours is the Name above all names
What an incredible privilege it was to proclaim these words in the open air in the heart of the city of Georgetown. Until the whole world hears.
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