FRIDAY

CREATION FESTIVAL 2003

Friday ran smoothest out of the five days I was at the festival. After a quick breakfast of dry Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I arrived at the main stage by about 8 am, stopping for an iced coffee from one of the stands nearby. I came just in time for the sound checks from Rachael Lampa and Rock & Roll Worship Circus. Rock & Roll Worship Circus opened the day with a few worship songs.

Joshua Harris is the guy that authored I Kissed Dating Goodbye, although I never always agreed on everything he wrote (who does agree with everything ANYONE says?), but a really cool writer, but an even better speaker. I found him more interesting this year than last year. Although he mentioned nothing of dating, well... (clears throat) at least nothing of dating the girl or guy of your dreams on a Friday or Saturday Night. His message was about not "dating" the church, meaning not to make an idol your church or what you're involved in it, but use that as a place to fellowship and to lead people to Christ.

I've seen them last year at the Creation festival at Agape Farm, and this was a very impressive band with an arrangement of great songs. Their style is neither too hard or soft, but it's a great way to start Friday morning.

I waited over a year to see one of my most favorite Christian pop singers, Rachael Lampa. In case you're wondering how this beautiful singer seemingly has a natural tan, Her father is Fillipino, and her mother is Irish and Hungarian. I picked up her latest CD, "Kaleidoscope" about a month before Creation 2002, and it instantly became one of my most favorite Christian CDs packed with astounding songs like "Savior Song", "Lead Me", and "Sanctuary", "It's about You", and "No Greater Love". Her show includes the songs that I mentioned, and a few songs from her first album, done at the age of 15, Live for You.

A fairly interesting speaker that speaks about going to a Pacific island to help their people come to know Jesus. He also helped get the bible translated in their language. Very interesting stuff...

Not long after Steve Saint spoke, I thought I would treat myself to a funnel cake from one of the nearby stands, and afterward, I arrived back on the main stage behind a lady who I thought was a complete stranger at first, but she introduced herself as Karen. She asked me if I had been on the Creation forum, and I said to her that I did. She then mentions her daughter, Jennifer, who I've met on there are about two months before the festival! Around the middle of the Skillet set, she called Jennifer, on her cell phone. During that time, me and Karen broke a piece of funnel cake in the Doug (the "Old Bald Guy's") honor! About 5 or 10 minutes afterward, she came with her friend, Maricella!

A very cool techno-rock band that I've really gotten into over the past year or so. Their message behind a very unique and impressive rhythm makes for a band that I really wanted to see again! I always like seeing their cute drummer who always keeps a low profile.

They played songs from the two CDs I have - Invincible and Alien Youth. The songs include "Best Kept Secret", "Alien Youth", and "The Thirst is taking Over". In the middle of their set, the guy on stage right broke his guitar, so he had to finish the set with another one. All in all it turned out fine! I was very impressed with their set this year.

I never had the intention to stay for this duo until my friends, Karen and Jennifer told me about how good these two are. They're long-time fans of Stonehill-Keaggy, and I've never heard them before until today. We along with Maricella hung out throughout their set, and took tons of pictures of the two. Jennifer and her mother Karen was snapping pictures on their cameras, while I took nearly 30 pictures of Stonehill-Keaggy alone - the most I've ever taken from one band! I can't post them all on here because of space limitations.

Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy did several songs together, in which i was really impressed with. Their style is a more of a very interesting mix of folk and blues, while still being a spiritual influence. They both did a few songs solo, but I was definitely impressed with Phil Keaggy's guitar performances. He can play many different styles very well, including jazz, blues, salsa, and many others. I've heard contemporary Jazz and New Age guitarists like Craig Chaquico and Ottmar Leibert in my lifetime, and Phil Keaggy will have them crawling back home like roaches in the night! I liked the duo so much that day that I could listen to them all weekend long.

Afterward, me, Jen, her mom, and Maricella went outside of the main stage, awaiting autographs from Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy. When it was our turn, we met the both, and they were so nice and down-to-earth people. They also were even nice enough to sign my notepad that I brought with me.

Me and the gang awaiting autographs from Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy.
From left to right: Maricella, Karen, Jennifer, and me)

After Stonehill-Keaggy, Jen was Baptized near the Creation Tent - a very memorable and life-changing experience.

I've gone through so much just to see this powerful and talented rap group known as Cross Movement. I've heard several songs from them including some from their newest CD, Holy Culture. They present themselves with that straightforward, no-nonsense approach. They really want you to know that they're doing this music for Christ and for Christ alone, and not for the fame, glitz or the money! That is what I admire about this group.

After leaving the fringe stage at the Giant Center on the way back to the main stage at the Stadium. the wait just to get across the foot bridge was about 5 minutes because of the extra-heavy congestion. The wait for a tram would probably be about 20-25 minutes because of the many people waiting, so I walked back to the Main stage, and jogging a part of the way in order to save a few minutes. I arrived a little into the Supertones performance since they started earlier than scheduled.

During the Supertones concert, I met up again with Maricella, Jen, and her mom. We spent this concert together, and we really enjoyed this performance with a big-band style.

Josh McDowell is a very powerful speaker with a troubled childhood. He spoke about his father, who was an alcoholic, and one of his brothers committed suicide. He told us about being in high school where he was made fun of because of his troubled childhood. He tried to take it as humorously as he could, but he knew he was hurting inside. Then he told us about his father becoming a Christian some years later, but soon after his father accepted Christ, he died because he stomach lining was worn out from drinking. Afterward, many of the town's people came to the place where he hung around, and accepted Christ afterward. With Josh's powerful message, over 1500 people came to accept Jesus as their personal Savior, including some people that went to Hershey Park for the day, and came across this life-changing festival! HALLELUJAH! GIVE THE LORD A PRAISE!

A very talented and spirit-filled kids group, very well known as Sandtown, is from Baltimore MD, and did a extra-powerful 10-minute set filled with praise and worship songs.

TobyMac is one of the band members from DC Talk. He is also the guy behind the very successful Christian music label, Gotee Records, which is now home to many other prolific artists, like Relient K, Jennifer Knapp, The Katinas, and Out of Eden!

He is a dynamite performer as a solo artist, and backs himself up with two other extra-talented signers. He rocked the main stage with powerful hits like, "Irene", "Lets Get This Party Started", and "What's Goin' Down". I could definitely say for sure that his performance was "off the chain"!

I was very impressed with his music when I first listened to his music last year before Creation, and was even more impressed his performance last year at Creation. This year, he was coming back from a tour in Europe, and it seems like his energy and zeal was still halfway between Europe and Hershey. Although he did a cool set, although I like him better at last year's Creation.

This is the HIGH LIGHT of Friday night. You must be wondering what I'm talking about. It's like you're getting this spiritual high by seeing some 70,000 other people light candles and raise them up late that night. This tradition started in the early 80's when pop sensation, Amy Grant performed, and had a power outage, and it was a very memorable tradition ever since. With so many other people fellowship and trying their best to keep their candle lit, and for me - trying to keep the candle lit (which I had some trouble doing), fellowship, and take some decent pictures without lighting up my $250 camera! This definitely goes down as one of my most memorable experiences at Creation.

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share Christ if we hold firmly until the end the confidence we had at first.

Hebrews 3:13