worship time

I recently heard on one of our favorite shows- Criminal Minds- that the music that will forever speak loudest to you is developed when you are 14 years old.  Interesting, huh?

I've never been a hard core music person, but I will say that certain songs will undoubtedly take me immediately back to a different time and place.  I've kind of always enjoyed this on road trips when I usually run across a country station, and my college years fly back and hit me in the face! 

Anyways, this point was driven home to me last night as we attended the Rock and Worship Road Show with Mercy Me.

Andy and I met in a round about way through his job with Mercy Me as their bus driver while he was in college.  As years passed, and we attended different shows to be able to reunite with all of the guys, we liked to joke about people's over enthusiastic spirits at their shows.  We prided ourselves in being "above the buzz" since we were friends with the band.  However, somewhere along the way, we both admitted that we really did love worshiping with these guys.

Last night at the concert, I realized that Dr. Spencer Reid was right.  My musical taste had been developed at the age of 14.  And who did I listen to constantly at that age?!  Yep.  You guessed it.  Mercy Me. What can I say.  I guess I'm a groupie ;)

The band came out onto the stage in the crowd to sing "I Can Only Imagine," and it was pretty awesome.  I was instantly taken back to The Ultimate Youth Camp when the band had originally debuted this song to us during evening worship.  I remembered how that song had moved me then, and re-hearing it again live after all of these years, the effect hadn't changed.

One of my favorite parts of concerts is hearing a stadium full of about 11,000 people belting out the words to a song.  It's my favorite part.  And last night was incredible.  I believe every person in the place was singing their hearts out because we were almost as loud as the band!!!  It was pretty amazing.

As I sung along with the guys at the concert, I was thankful that they were the ones who shaped my worship experience at an early age.  I'm thankful for their songs and their influence, and I can't wait to rock out with Tucker one day to these tunes as well!!!

Who is your favorite worship group?!