So after this year of criticism and mud-slinging at Parachute it seems God has done everything in his power to show me the absolute opposite in all the people I meet here. This morning I got the opportunity to meet a fantastic band called 'Falling Up'. They've just been signed to Tooth & Nail Records in the States and have a small yet growing following around the world. The amazing thing, they're all aged 17-24! With worldwide exposure and a combined age of less than a hundred you'd expect these guys to be cocks. Quite the opposite is true. I got the chance to grill these boys a little about the state of the American Christian Music Industry and where they see their place in it. I was amazed to hear their response. The guys were very open about how hard it is, about how they're always in this constant battle between business and ministry. They went as far as to tell me that this is the hardest part of what they do, and that they're always keep themselves (and their attitudes) in check.
It got me thinking. The enemy always comes to pervert and distort our areas of strength. Where our giftings are is often a challenge to use them the right way, and to remain humble about having them. So what does this mean for my views on Parachute Festival?...
There is a lot of stuff I can pull apart in the philosophy and administration of Parachute Records. I can't stand the way artists are raised up here, I'm sickened by the way Parachute records switch between charity and business ethics depending on their needs, and I especially hate the fact that the Manna Store is currently selling a dance-mat game with Christian pop songs called 'Get Your Praise On!'
But today, as I watched over a thousand kids raise their hands in worship to Jesus - I start to wonder... Is their praise any less beautiful to God?
Is it tainted by the potentially incorrect doctrines at the centre of the organisation facilitating it?
Does Jesus turn away in disgust as his people come together to praise him?
Does God hate the fact that New Zealand is a place where 25,000 people can come together to fellowship?
Is he repulsed by the goal to see atleast 1,000 World Vision children sponsored in 4 days?
I'll probably get a lot of flack for this, but I can't see any reason to pull Parachute apart. Like Zeal (the youth ministry I work for), we do and say a lot of stupid things. If you only looked at our errors you'd probably say God has departed from us entirely. Amongst all our shit, beneath all the times we make the wrong move or say the wrong thing, God is moving. He is bigger than commercialism, bigger than a lighting show. If Jesus wants to meet with his people he sure as hell will, and bad business ethics wont hold back the heart of a young person who calls out to him desperately.
I'm gonna get a lot of shit for this. It seems it's not cool to support anything with over 500 in attendance these days. Screw it! I'm here to see what is beautiful, what is of God. If you're about writing things off based on their errors then you should probably write me off too.
