Dr. Lin had another meeting yesterday, so our usually Thursday group meetings got moved to today (friday). Since I was planning to go to 2009 Stream of Praise (讚美之泉) Asia Tour Concert at Dr. Sun-Yat Sum Memorial Hall, I was going to leave NTUH early so that I could explore the area, but I didn't get a chance. =( I was scared to tell Dr. Lin that I needed to leave early and considered not doing so, meaning I would either be late to the concert or skip it entirely. I am SO GLAD I didnt! If you have never heard of Stream of Praise (SOP) before, they are like the Chinese version of Hillsong =)
I get to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall (國立國父紀念館) and proceed to find myself a ticket. What happened was, when I found out about the concert (via FB! haha), the deadline to mail-order (free) tickets was way passed 6/19. But I really wanted to go. At the same time, I was too chicken to call. I even tried convincing my dad to call and inquire about tickets for me. haha. he wouldn't do it =(. So I called and they told me that if I arrived early enough, they would have extra tickets for those without tickets! I was so excited. Anyways, I got my ticket and they told me to get in line. There were two lines that were really long, but its ok, as long as I get in I am ok. I was actually planning to pick up my ticket and then try to find something to snack on for dinner, but since everyone was in line, I decided against it.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial...the concert hall we were in "Chung-Shan Hall" nice view of Taipei 101=)
took this while I was waiting in line
then I asked the lady behind me, Angela, to help me take one!
There were two lines, I was in the shorter one, this picture does not capture how long the other line was
How I met Angela: While waiting in line, the lady, Angela, behind me said "ridiculous!" I turn around and reply "yea, it's alot of people." Her friend, Janna, and some other woman, Hanna, came 5 minutes later and I start talking to them. Pretty nice people. When we got inside, Janna and Hanna rushed to get seats and Angela pulled me along=) The first touch of His love for the night =)
I didn't know I couldn't take pictures, so I snapped one of the stage before it started. hehe. Though this picture of the stage came out bad (as in, you can't see anything really), I think it really captures the essence of the whole night/concert, so I will post this one instead of one without "underexposure," as my camera likes to call it
the banner says"不要放棄
Do Not Give Up
滿有能力
I am Strengthened in Him"
However, a very unfortunate thing happened. Since Angela was very familiar with the stage setting and has been a stage manager, she got very antsy when the concert did not promptly at 1900 like it was supposed to. She kept saying that "so disrespectful to God! stop waiting for people to sit down and start already. people will never finish sitting" she even grabbed one of the usher girls and told her to tell the stage manager to start already. poor girl. the girl comes back and replies, "we are waiting for the seats to be filled" and Angela replies, "this is not how it is supposed to be! when you guys say 1900, you should stay on time! look at the audience, not sitting in their seats and talking loudly. so disrespectful" and on and on and on. She told me that she almost didn't come because it is like this every year. At 1910, she left because she did not want to wait anymore and thought that the audience and the performers were very disrespectful. (I will keep my thoughts to myself). Hanna apologized to me when she left, but I said it was ok. After all, the concert was free, is an outreach, and the whole idea was to minister to as much people as possible. Plus, I love how the entire auditorium was filled. What a blessing it is to see SOO many Christians gathered in one place to worship the one and only King. I have never been in this (big) worship setting before, but I look forward to much more!
We sat in approx? the 7th-10th row? I just snapped a picture so you have an idea of how big the hall was. tomorrow, I will take one with people. the hall doesn't look big in this picture cause I couldn't capture all the seats =(
with one of their banners after the concert
Hanna, Janna, and me after the concert
I think this concert touched me very deeply. Don't really want to spill everything on a public blog, but I would be happy to share otherwise. I have decided to save my Kenting trip to go (possibly) with my mom. Janna told me that each concert they have they play a different set list. So I plan to go to the remaining 4 concerts they have in Taipei this weekend =) Janna even gave me her number and told me to call her if I was gonna go so I have someone to sit with. Before they left, Hanna even gave me a bag a guava/pear that she bought. I was very grateful for it. maybe God told her that I hadn't had dinner yet. =) God's children taking care of one another.On the way home, I prayed that cancelling my high speed rail ticket would not incur any cancelling service charges, or if there was some, that it would not be too much. God granted my request, and I was charged $0 service charge!!!! I check the HSR website for their cancellation policy to see if there is just no charge in general. But nope, it clearly states that there would be service charges for ticket cacellations. GOD, does infact, ANSWERS PRAYERS.
I bought their newest CD, "Do Not Give Up, I Am Strengthened in Him" (不要放棄, 滿有能力) most of which they sang during the concert. The best part was that they invited (and encouraged) the audience to sing along to worship together. While I was buying the CD, some of the singers were outside manning the table because they did not have enough staff. I wanted to take pictures with them, but they said they couldn't because the whole concert, and their purpose is to give glory to God, and they could not take credit for it. Therefore, they don't take pictures like stars. What humble servants of God. I hope that one day I could bow down to the King in such manner. As for now, I think that my pride/self-ego is too much. I pray that I could lay down my life 100% for Him.
This concert has made me realize how far/distant I have been from God, especially this past year. Please pray that I will go to church not as a chore, but because I cannot live without Him. Angela to me that even though her parents are Buddist, from the very first time her teacher brought her when she was little, she loved going to church and worshipping God.
And finally, I think that the concert has opened my eyes to worship. Though I have been on several worship teams, mostly playing flute, I have never seen this side to worship before. SOP's worship team had an oboe and flute player (both of which I play). I realize that even though they sound so elegant, they did not stick out in the sense that they were "showing off." They were using their God given talents to glorify Him. I think that over the years, its because of the complements that I have received made me feel like I was showing off, even though it wasn't really my purpose. But eventually, it got to me that I was really there to "show off," to the point where I even switched instruments and refused to play flute to be less "show off." I hope that by the end of the SOP Taipei concerts, that I will be able to get over the barrier so that I could return to glorifying Him with what He has generously gifted me.
Actually, these are more like worship nights, rather than concerts. I have been to a few since I have been at UCSD. I love singing with the congregation. This is my first time singing (like every song with lyrics reading) in Chinese. If I stayed in TW longer, I think I would remember/learn/improve my Chinese reading/writing skills ALOT. I don't even bother to sing in Chinese at my home church in San Jose. That will change when I return in December. Mental note: I need to go to the Chinese congregation instead of the English one.
There is one line in one of their opening songs, "I Am Strengthened in Him" that I want to share with all my special readers!
有耶穌在我裡面活著
我勇敢站立
translated into English:
I know that the King lives in me
I am strengthned in Him
耶穌愛你!
>.<
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