I want to give thanks today, but first I’d like to explain where my sense of gratitude really comes from.
For a few years, I’ve been steadily taking courses at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS), working away at a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies. As a student in their Global program, I can take my classes on any of their physical campuses (which I have done in Orlando), and I can take classes remotely. These courses have been so spiritually rewarding, I often joke that after each course, I realize I’ve learned so much that I ask myself, “Was I even a Christian before I took that class??” If I had to sum up what I’ve taken from this program so far in just a sentence, I’d say, “It’s made me more worshipful, and it’s helped me commune more with God.” I’ve been truly grateful for this program and its impact on my sanctification.
The very first course I took, after the Orientation seminar, was “Introduction to Pastoral and Theological Studies.” I took this course remotely with Dr. James Anderson, whose classes I would start to take intentionally because of his approachable, thorough, organized lectures and communication styles. In the first lecture, “What is Theology?”, Dr. Anderson said something about theology that renewed my mind and refreshed my soul:
Theology is comprehensive…There is no area of human life that is not affected by theology and that does not have theological implications of some kind. At the most general level, the Apostle Paul tells us that we should do everything to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Well, there’s a theology right there! Why we’re doing things. Or, think of this verse: Romans 11:36, speaking of God, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” It’s all about God: It’s all from God; it’s all through God; it’s all ultimately to God, and for the glory of God.
Dr. James Anderson, “What is Theology, Part 1”
The implications he continued to draw out may seem simple and obvious, but as it’s continued to process and sink deeper into me, it’s really grown my worldview:
What that means, then, is that there is a sense in which there is a theology of computer programming. There is a theology of music. There is a theology of hiking…of parenting…of dishwashing…of golf, and on and on it goes. Anything you can name in life, there’s a theology of that thing—unpacking what the implications are, what it means to do that thing in God’s world, under God’s authority, in the presence of God himself. So, theology is comprehensive: It speaks to all areas of life. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work to see what the implications are, but they are there.
Dr. James Anderson, “What is Theology, Part 1”
I took that class while still living in Japan, back during the height of the pandemic, and I remember taking a long weekend to go to Kyoto to write a paper and study for my final exam. I spent hours walking through the (relatively empty) city streets and sitting in different cafes, working on writing little jingles to memorize Scripture verses for the test. Reviewing this comprehensive theology while there made me really absorb my surroundings with profound gratitude. I remember the way the air smelled while walking along the canals as it rained. I remember hopping across large stones in the river—stones shaped like turtles, dotted across the river—finding one out on its own little island so I could sit there while listening to course lectures. I ate vegan curry in a café overlooking that river. It was one of the best weekends of my life, despite it being “finals week.” Since then, I’ve had so many more experiences that similarly move me to be so deeply thankful. Because November is a month during which many people in the US reflect and give thanks, I wanted to take time this month to share some of the experiences I’ve had over the past year for which I’ve been most deeply thankful.
These experiences are marked not only with thanksgiving, but with worship. That’s another word that has taken on greater meaning for me through my studies at RTS: worship. This summer, I took a systematic theology course on Scripture, Theology Proper, and Anthropology. In the introductory lecture, the professor, Dr. Scott Swain, defined worship: “Worship, in the strict sense, is when you turn away from this ‘thing’ that you’re doing, to the glory of God. The object of your attention—for example, the changing of a diaper—and the direct object of your activity is the LORD Himself.” Dr. Swain joked, “I’ve changed many diapers for the glory of God.” That statement is memorable because it’s so unexpected: Doesn’t it sound a bit crude to discuss changing diapers alongside the glory of the awesome God of the universe? But no, not at all. God calls us to love him with all our heart, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5), and that includes even the moments when we are changing a diaper.
So, every moment of our lives can be theological and worshipful. In fact, that ought to be our goal, as we seek to fulfill our life’s purpose: to glorify God and enjoy him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 1). I’ve really been trying to intentionally focus my thoughts on this, and there have been some standout moments that have come, by God’s grace, as a result.
One of those experiences was another weekend that made a deep impression on me, much like that weekend in Kyoto. This time, I flew from Detroit back down to Florida in September, to go to a music festival I’d bought a ticket for back in May, before I ever knew I’d be moving to Detroit. It was the Sing Out Loud festival, taking place up in St. Augustine, in the northeastern part of Florida. My friend Cristina and I drove five hours from Fort Myers to go there to see Mumford & Sons, Lord Huron, Maggie Rogers, and some other artists that I liked (but wasn’t as hyped about).
Back in May, I’d also booked a rental home that was a five-minute walk to the venue, so I (along with any of my friends who wanted to go) wouldn’t have to worry about traffic, or about transporting ourselves at all. I wouldn’t have to be planning in my head how all the logistics of that would work. I could really be in rest mode and enjoy the festival.
To make everything that would happen that weekend even better, at the last minute I learned that a third friend would be joining Cristina and me at the festival: A girl named Molly, who studied in London on the same program as me back in 2013. Molly and I didn’t get many chances to connect in London, but we did bond over our mutual love of the Beatles (and of London in general). I admired her spirit from the start, and we kept up via social media and mutually supported each other’s life adventures and travels: She’d love my posts from Japan, and I’d love her posts about the theatre shows and concerts and festivals she’d attend (in particular Paul McCartney and Mumford & Sons). But we hadn’t even seen each other since our Florida State days. Now, she wanted to go to the festival but couldn’t find reasonable accommodations, and I told her she could join us at the home I’d booked. She said yes, and I’m so glad she did, because the merging of our paths after so long would make the weekend, well, like I said—even better.
It was a two-day festival, and we had tickets to both days. I was looking forward to seeing Lord Huron on Friday, and then Maggie and Mumford on Saturday. We went on Friday in time to catch other talented artists. I enjoyed Lola’s “Starlight,” and her cover of Elton John’s “Yellow Brick Road.” (Lola is the artist pictured here.) Amos Lee’s “Sweet Pea” was an easy-listening hit, as expected. Friday night’s headliner, The Black Keys, was solid, too.
But Lord Huron was the highlight of the evening for me. Their set was long enough that I could really sink into the experience, and I was completely content. As they played extended instrumental segments and harmonized in their signature style, I found myself becoming meditative and prayerful.
One song I really connected with was “Ends of the Earth,” with lines like these:
Oh, there’s a river that winds on forever. I’m gonna see where it leads…
Oh, there’s a mountain that no man has mounted. I’m gonna stand on the peak…
Oh, there’s an island where all things are silent. I’m gonna whistle a tune…
Oh, there’s a desert that’s size can’t be measured. I’m gonna count all the dunes…
To the ends of the earth, would you follow me? There’s a world that was meant for our eyes to see.”
As I listened, I thanked God for creation—for making this entire universe, and for providentially holding it all in place. For loving me personally, and for aligning circumstances so that I could be there in that beautiful moment, enjoying beautiful music on a beautiful evening together with beautiful people. The beauty was overwhelming, and I found myself reflecting alongside the psalmist who writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (19:1); and, “[M]y heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (28:7b); and, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (34:1-3).
I found myself with my arms extended in front of me, palms open toward the sky, looking up and saying, “Thank you, LORD” and receiving each moment with gratitude. I repented of my anxiety—for the times when I’ve worried about planning my way, fearing that things wouldn’t turn out as I imagined. I wanted to trust in the LORD with all my heart instead of leaning on my own (extremely limited) understanding. I wanted to acknowledge him in all things, trusting his promise to make my paths straight. These reflections were both healing and refreshing (Prov. 3:5-8).
In fact, the entire evening was restorative. I reflected, this is the purpose of “vacation”: I could step away from my normal routines and stresses and just be in the moment. Any potential annoyances bounced off me, because I was in vacation mode, and I was going to have a good time no matter what. “This is the theology of vacation!” I thought. Vacation ought to be restful and worshipful.
This train of thought continued, as I asked myself, “So the Sabbath is kind of like a little vacation God gifts to His people each week? The fourth commandment says that the Sabbath is for worship and rest (Ex. 20:8-11), and that’s exactly what this is, and this is incredible…God designed our weeks so that we could experience this regularly, as a built-in part of our rhythm? How cool! I was so thankful. “How great is our God? Sing with me.”
When the music ended, we got to walk casually back to our beds for the night. What could be better after a big, crowded event? As we walked, I thought, “Wow, what a perfect evening. And two out of the three artists I came here for haven’t even played yet! I can’t imagine tomorrow being any better, but somehow I already know it will be.” And I was right: It was! From start to finish, that Saturday would be another day for me to be content—to sing a new song (cf. Psalm 40:3, 98:1; Isa. 42:10), and to sing it out loud.
The day started out with a run. For the past couple months, I’ve been training to run my first half-marathon (an event that is now less than a week away, as I write this). Saturday mornings have been my time for my longest run of the week, and that particular weekend, my training schedule called for me to run 9 miles—my longest run yet. It would have been really easy for me not to run, but I found myself wanting to go. I wanted to explore historic St. Augustine on foot, and I wanted to be consistent in my training. So I went, and I genuinely had fun.
I listened to a lot of Lord Huron, Mumford & Sons and Maggie Rogers for the first few miles, reliving some of my favorite moments from the previous night and getting hyped for that evening’s lineup. About a mile and a half into the run, Mumford’s song, “Below My Feet” played, and as I ran, it hit me in a new way, deeper than before. Marcus sings the chorus, “Keep the earth below my feet. For all my sweat, my blood runs weak.” As my feet alternated hitting the pavement and I started to sweat in the Florida sun as my blood pumped harder and harder, the song really reached my inner being. I found myself in prayerful meditation again. The song, the prayer, combined with the growing runner’s high, made me feel truly alive.
I ran over the bridge, separating the two main peninsulas of the city—down to the alligator park, around to the lighthouse. It got hotter and hotter, and I ran out of water, so I stopped at a gas station along the way and refilled my bottle with their free ice. I kept running and drank water as the ice melted, and I thanked God for putting that gas station there to provide for that need. What a providential blessing!
Back across the bridge, I ran to Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest European fort in America. It was open for the day, and it normally costs $15 to go in. I didn’t know that until looking it up later, so I just ran up to the fort, and I was waved on through by staff. (They may have been thinking, “What kind of crazy person would be running in this heat right now? You deserve this free admission, go ahead girl…”) I got to run through the fort, along the water, and that was pretty cool. When I exited on the other side, I had just under two miles left in the run, so I turned back toward our little home for the weekend. As I approached the last mile, I ran past the festival venue.
On top of the music I had playing in my ears (by that point an EDM remix of pop hits), I heard a familiar melody playing in the distance. I took out a headphone to pause the remix, and I recognized the local music as a Maggie Rogers song. “Oh, how cool,” I thought, “They must be playing her music through the sound system while setting up for the day.” As I got closer, however, I realized it wasn’t a recording at all. It was actually Maggie Rogers, and she was doing her sound check for the day! I got to listen to her sing live, and I was able to finish my record-length run strong. I was so thankful for the whole experience—what a gift!
After showering, Cristina and Molly and I went out on a little adventure, which proved to be another delightful little chapter for the day. I’d bookmarked a craft beer spot called Auggie’s Draft Room, a local joint with self-pouring taps—something I really enjoy, so I can taste test different local beers and find new favorites. Cristina and I had decided on the drive up that we wanted to try to check that place out together, since we’ve bonded over craft beer over the course of our long friendship. Molly and I also really wanted to find a place to watch college football. Our alma mater, FSU, was playing Clemson that day, and my favorite team—the University of Michigan—was playing at the same time. Auggie’s happened to double as a sports bar, I found upon further research. We all agreed it sounded like a fun time, so we walked down the road half a mile to check it out.
It turned out many others had the same idea: The place was packed. We were told to walk around and confirm we could find a seat before ordering, and as we did a lap it didn’t look there was any space available.
We did see one high top with three empty chairs, but two guys were sitting there watching the Georgia game. Desperate for this to work out, we approached them and asked if they minded if we took those seats. They enthusiastically agreed, and we all sat down to eat and drink and be merry. The food, the beer, and the company were all great, and both Michigan and FSU ended up winning! I was thankful for this chapter, too.
Maggie and Mumford were nearly incredible that night (in that I almost literally couldn’t believe how amazing they were: it was not credible). Maggie has a graceful, ethereal presence, and she has a voice to match it. I danced my way through “Burning” and “Love You for a Long Time,” and I sang as loudly as I could with every word of “Light On” and “Fallingwater.” My heart was truly smiling through the whole set.
At one point, Maggie introduced a song by voicing a political opinion that made my heart hurt a little, but that didn’t interrupt my experience. In moments like that, I thank God for common grace—for the ways he blesses all people, gives gifts to all people, and especially how he uses all sorts of things to bless his elect. Despite any differences between Maggie and me personally, her incredible talent and human warmth has been a true blessing to me. I’m thankful for the different perspectives I encounter that give me the opportunity to expand my mind and appreciate God’s blessings in nuanced lights. (For the record, the only “downer” of the weekend was that Maggie didn’t sing “Back in My Body,” nor “Overnight,” two of my favorite songs!)
I didn’t think my night could get any better when Maggie left the stage, but it did. Mumford & Sons was truly a joy to experience live. As Marcus, Ted, Ben, and Winston jammed out on guitar, drums, keyboard, banjo, and mandolin, it was so obvious they were friends who were having a blast playing together. Song after song, the crowd cheered as they recognized each one and sang every word. I remember turning around to Molly and saying loudly over the crowd about halfway through the set, “It’s ALL hits!!” They opened with “Precious Time,” followed by “Snake Eyes” and “Babel” and “Little Lion Man.” Then came “Holland Road” and “Guiding Light,” and by this time I was close to tears from how purely content I felt.
And then came “Below My Feet,” my running song from that morning. The lines that capture Marcus celebrating his salvation hit me right to my core every time: “Well I was lost, and now I sleep—sleep the hours that I don’t weep. When all I knew was steeped in blackened holes, I was lost.” He remembers his previous life, when his eyes were still closed. I remembered my morning run, and the feelings of gratitude came flooding back up, from my feet to my eyes. He followed this line by singing softly, “Keep the earth below my feet.” Lord, keep me grounded. Establish my steps. “For all my sweat, my blood runs weak.” Apart from you, God, the ‘heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9). I am weak, but you are strong…You understand it, God, and you understand me. ‘For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Ps. 139:13-14). Thank you, LORD.
In the second verse, Marcus recalls, “I was still, but I was under your spell, when I was told by Jesus all was well.” He continues with a remarkable line, “So all must be well.” I sang that line as loudly as I could, with my eyes closed and my head tilted toward heaven. I was surrounded by thousands of people singing along to the same words, with all their might. Many listeners have pointed out that this line adds poetic depth to the song without explicitly endorsing the Christian faith, but that argument doesn’t really ring true to me. Regardless, what a moment of common grace, and what a beautiful tribute to the experience of awakening.
I found myself praying over Marcus, as I stood there. Lord, if this is one of your children, bless him and draw him closer to you all his days. Thank you for his gifts, and for his diligent use of those gifts and the blessing that is to me. May he be truly blessed for it. Later in the show, he ran up the center aisle and jumped into our section, running so close to us that Molly could reach out and touch him. Everyone remained respectful and simply happy. I felt so much joy.
It ran through my head again: “I was under your spell, when I was told by Jesus all is well, so all must be well.”
Through Jesus and in Jesus, you have moved me from ‘the domain of darkness and transferred [me] to the kingdom of [your] beloved Son’ (Col. 1:13). Thank you for opening my eyes, Lord. Thank you, thank you. May any of your elect gathered in this space be blessed and experience your presence like I am right now. Open the eyes and soften the hearts of your people.
The whole night was filled with moments like that. Molly and I said between Maggie and Mumford’s sets, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if they brought her out to do a song together later?” The odds seemed to get better, as Maggie mentioned how thrilled she was to be singing at the same festival with Mumford & Sons, as she’s the godmother of a band-member’s kids. As Mumford’s set approached the final songs, Marcus praised Maggie for her maternal leadership in the band’s inner community. He did call her out on stage, and they sang another of my favorites, “Awake My Soul,” together. They sounded absolutely wonderful together, and I thought, “Wow, what a line to end a concert on: Awake my soul. You were made to meet your Maker.” I was completely satisfied. And then they sang what to me was truly an encore: “I Will Wait,” their mega hit. I turned to Molly and Cristina and said, “I forgot about this one!!” Their biggest hit, and I had forgotten it even existed—that’s how great the entire set had been.
I cried, hard, so moved by how good God is and how ungrateful and untrusting I can tend to be of Him, when He’s so obviously sovereign and so obviously loves me.
After the show, I tried to describe my feelings to Molly by saying, “Truly, what a worshipful experience for me. That was spiritual.” I’m so glad I got to experience Mumford alongside people who also connect deeply with their music. Cristina says, “Their music just speaks to me,” and Molly says, “Their music opens up a part of my soul.” My reply is simply, “That’s exactly it!”
The whole weekend struck a chord in my soul. I’d felt a bit guilty for taking off to Florida so soon after moving to Michigan, and especially as our small groups campaign at my new church was preparing to launch (with me as its director). I went anyway, knowing I had paid for the tickets and accommodation long ago, and I had used rewards miles to get a free flight for the occasion, and I had even mentioned this weekend in my interviews for the church job. I had been given permission to go, and I needed to give myself that same permission. I trusted it and went, hoping for the best. Boy, did God deliver beyond what I could have hoped. To top it off, I got to connect with Cristina by talking about God stuff for several hours on the drive back to Fort Myers, and we got to stop in Orlando and meet one of my best friends for lunch on the way back, and we made it back in time for me to attend a meeting at my Fort Myers church home, where I previewed my talk for an upcoming weekend retreat. Really, I couldn’t have planned or designed a better weekend.
Praise the LORD for the theology of vacation, and for showing me what it means to attend a music festival in God’s world, under God’s authority, in the presence of God himself. That music festival was a gift to me from God; every detail of that weekend was orchestrated through God’s providence; and I give thanks and glory to God for it. How great is our God? Sing with me. Sing out loud!
Up Next: I’m grateful for the gift of endurance, reflecting on my experiences with two major endurance activities in the past year: my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and my training for a half marathon.
Detroit, Reformed. 
Leave a comment