Downhomiepalooza 2009!

Wow. It has been a long weekend. Yet short at the same time.

Downhomiepalooza 2009 is over. *sniff, sniff* Rather than focus on specific details of things that occurred (because I could type 'til tomorrow and still not have covered all the highlights), I think it appropriate to give a general recap and share my thoughts and feelings on the overall experience (because what else would I do on my blog but share my thoughts and feelings?).

Seeing that it was the first one, I can confidently say that it was the greatest downhomiepalooza ever. We laughed and laughed and laughed until we couldn't breathe and the cows came home. (We did actually see cows on Franklin Road.) There was much loud, raucous singing. (But when we broke into three-part harmony, it was slightly less loud and raucous, and a bit more awesome.) And there was much love shared between everyone in the group.

Aside from a person that I briefly met at a Jason Gray concert (and Jason Gray himself), this was basically the first time I have ever met in person someone(s) I have first talked to over the Internet. It was surprisingly unawkward. Everyone was comfortable with each other soon after meeting, and got along amazingly well. I was surprised. It was said several times over the weekend that it felt like family, and it really did. I rarely ever open up to people as quickly as I did with them. (Now, it can be argued that I could have opened up more, but for me, I did really well. Regardless of how much I opened up, I felt entirely comfortable, and that's saying something being surrounded by people you had just met. In the past, that would have terrified me.) I think it was the deep love of Christ that connected us all. Jesus was there the whole weekend, laughing at our ridiculousness. ;-)

I also got to meet a few of the people of downhere's label, Centricity. Jesus was there, too. They were so gracious and gave us so, so much. Not just physical things, but things like time, and letting us invade their personal space until late in the night. On my MySpace, I talk about how I like every artist I've heard on Centricity, and how unusual it is to be so captivated by a record label. Now I know why. These guys not only look for talent and put it out there for the public to hear, they look for heart. And sharing the message of Jesus is important to them. Just hearing them talk was so encouraging to me. They are officially amazing. Because we all know that nothing's official until I say it.

And of course, I also got to see the boys in the band again. They are why we were all there. I can basically repeat what I've said about everyone so far and say that those guys really do radiate Christ. Seeing them, I was reminded of why I like them so much. This whole, being-in-a-band, touring-the-world thing isn't about them gaining fame or accolades, it's about sharing Christ with everyone they come in contact with. And they have been doing it faithfully for 10 years now, despite many great hardships.

For me, this whole weekend was a beautiful picture of the body of Christ. I feel more and more blessed every day to be a part of it. The backs our downhomie t-shirts say it best, "It's more our homes and not our hearts 1,000 miles apart."

I can't wait to do it all over again! Centricity already invited us back, so there's no question it will happen! And I hope more people can come next time. The downhomie family can never be too big.