Oh, What a Time!

When I posted the video, "Oh What A Time", last week as a part of my anniversary celebration, I had no idea how profound that would be. Saturday night I took my bride to the Gaither Homecoming Concert in Tulsa,and Oh What A Time!
Those of you who have read very many posts on this blog know that I love music in general and Southern Gospel Music in particular. I like Christian music as a whole, but the past five or six years have found me gravitating toward gospel music. There is a reason for this shift in my taste in inspirational music, as some would call it. As "Christian" music has changed in the past ten years or so to become more praise and worship, or more generic in nature, I have gravitated toward the message that is found in Southern Gospel. Unfortunately much of today's Christian music no longer contains the name of Jesus, Christ, Lord, or God. I'm not sure how you can priase Him if you don't mention His name. The result is that the relationship in the song could be with anybody. The message is pretty obscure in many cases. Anyone who does not know Christ as their savior would not know that some of today's Christian music is about Christ. Again, this change has really only happened in the past ten years.
Gospel music, and Southern Gospel music in particular, proclaim the joy of the relationship with Jesus. The music speaks of the hope that we have in Him. It speaks of that wonderful place that He has prepared for us and that death is nothing to fear, but a method of transitioning from this world into His presense. There is a message of joy, hope, love, peace, and forgiveness to be found in Southern Gospel music. We found all of those things in the concert Saturday night.
We arrived in Tulsa Friday afternoon, checked into the hotel and did a little shopping. We had dinner at a local steak house, then drove over to the Cheesecake Factory for coffee and dessert.
Saturday morning brought more shopping. By about three o'clock we decided to have lunch/dinner, since the concert started at 6:00. Back to the Cheesecake factory for a couple of excellent salads and, of course, more cheesecake! We got back to the hotel around four o'clock, rested for a little while then dressed and headed to the concert a little after five p.m. The concert started promply at six.
Featured groups were the Signature Sound Quartet, the Booth Brothers, Lynda Randal, Russ Taff, and the Easter's and, of course, The Gaither Vocal Band.
As I mentioned the concert started promptly at 6:00 p.m. Intermission was at 8:45! After the intermission it went from being a concert to being a worship service!! It was just amazing. We left the venue at 10:45. That's right, four hours and forty-five minutes of music. If you even think you might like Southern Gospel music, then you must see one of these events. You will not be disappointed. You can scroll through some of my posts and find clips of Gaither Homecoming music to help make that decision. Like I said, "Oh What A Time"!!!!

Glory To God In The Highest - Signature Sound


The River Keeps Rollin' - The Booth Brothers


Lord Send Your Angels - Jeff & Sheri Easter


At Calvary - Lynda Randle


Build An Ark - Gaither Vocal Band