Behold the Lamb of God

Most people have something which they define as "My Christmas," sounding vaguely like some kind of cute, frothy computer application (My Pictures, My Hard Drive, My Collection of Nosehairs, etc.). A decade ago, I stood in New City Cafe at 116 South Central and gave Andrew Peterson a geeky grin as he handed me a copy of his new record "Behold the Lamb of God." Since that time, it has been the cohering variation of my Christmas, leading me annually back to that theme from which all variations spring, Christ himself. This year, I've had the honor to participate in a hometown production of the song cycle, in a grand telling of the Story. For the past several months, I met with Greg Adkins and Bill Wolf, a couple of local Creative Arts pastors that I'm delighted to call my friends, to plan rehearsals, draft willing participants, and stand on a pair of stages in a whirlwind of a musical narrative of the Advent of Christ. I hesitate to call it a show, a performance, or even something that we did, even though there was an undeniable element of labor. It is more something for which we strove, and which we found, to our joyous surprise, had surrounded us all along. It was more than the sum of its parts.

Here is a taste of our Sunday morning, an offered handful of vignettes. Enjoy.







(from Greg Adkins' blog...)
Here is the complete list of musicians and singers in alphabetical order:

Adam Adkins - shakers, tamborines, congas, djembe, percussion
Greg Adkins - piano, organ, acoustic guitar, hammered dulcimer, vocals
Kevin Bower - vocals
Chad Covert - drums
Craig Covert - vocals
Burt Elmore - electric guitars, mandolin
Angela Hemrick - vocals
Robyn James - viola
Sarah McAffry - vocals
Grayson Mynatt - violin
Matthew Nelson - electric bass, upright bass
Patricia Peacock - cello
Nathan Sharpe - acoustic guitar, vocals, washboard
Andy Vandergriff - vocals
Mandy Watson - vocals
Adam Whipple - acoustic guitar, piano, organ, penny whistle, lap steel, accordion, vocals
Bill Wolf - acoustic guitar, banjo, accordion, vocals

(from me...)
Also, Kenny Woodhull and Mark Nelson emceed respective Sunday mornings for us. It is truly beyond words to describe what an honor this was. Thanks to Greg and Bill for making this happen in community and for having vision. Thanks to everyone who sang, strummed, stomped, drummed, bowed, hummed, and walloped. And certainly, thanks to everyone who listened and participated in the Telling of the Story with us. Merry Christmas unto you. The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.