I raise my hands once again as the song soars... The keyboard, electric cello, and electric guitar has the crowd swaying when the guitarist pulls out a violin bow and begins to gently slide it across his guitar strings. "Led Zeppelin style," my brother whispers. All I know is it sounds like ecstasy...

Strains of "O holy night" strike my ears and I melt again! Then they start into another song--only this time with xylophones, tambourines, drums, cymbals, ukuleles, and a myriad of other instruments I could not even name. This time it's "Joy to the world." And this time I'm giddy while trying to decide if I want to enjoy the moment or capture it as a video on my phone.

Splicing Christmas Carols, adding hymns, recreating arrangements--the music is simply overpowering. Then one of the artists brings it down. He's on his acoustic now and the music is much simpler once again. "We are still in need of a Savior. America is oppressed--if it is in small ways like our economic crises, or in the injustice of human slavery. We need hope just like the Israelites. And these are our songs of hope..."

"Silent Night" has everyone singing along. peaceful yet profound :)

And I have to sit down at this point--to take it in, and to rest in the peace of the moment...

How do I describe the way the music moves me? These aren't just songs--they are Christmas songs! And not performed any old way... it's worship, pure worship! Music raptures me to somewhere simply indescribable.

This Future of Forestry Christmas Concert reminds of that. Their incredibly-gifted, opening act, Josiah James, reminds me of that. The Sacred Sounds of Christmas Concert I was at just a few weeks ago reminds me of that. Breathtaking! There comes a point as the music crescendos and I just don't want to ever leave... And it makes me so grateful! I'm so grateful that God created a world with music and flavor and color and aromas and sensations--we could have survived without all those things, but He gave them to us anyway! And I'm so happy for that!

And I really do think about all these things as Future of Forestry wraps up another Christmas Carol... :)