Jars Of Clay Comes To Tallahassee

I’ve got quite an update for you today. Not only has it been a few days, but I since last posting I had one of the best days in recent memory.

Last Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day. While most of my college was drinking green beer and drunk by noon I was celebrating in a different fashion. Okay, so I wasn’t celebrating the holiday at all, but you get what I mean. After getting through class (where most notably we were taught a lesson in bracketology by my Religion & Science professor) I got to hang out with the Joel Helms for the first time since October. He’s going to be here for six weeks, so get in line. We had lunch at Momo’s at around 1 pm and I basically talked the whole time (weird, I know). The Captain joined after about an hour, then Joel took off and I hung out with Dave until around 4 pm talking over some pretty deep theological questions, a few of them that came up in my Bible study the night before. I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but a day spent with both Dave and Joel already makes it a highly ranked day, but there’s more.

That night was a free Jars of Clay concert. Yes, the same Jars of Clay I’m obsessed with. Okay, so maybe obsessed is too strong a word. Well, on second thought, obsessed probably is the best way to describe it. Originally the show was going to be outside on the Union green but because of all the rain the day before the location was changed to Wesley’s bomb shelter. That building has a max capacity of around 700, and I knew more people than that were going to turn out, so I got there at around 6:30. Yeah, totally not early enough. The line stretched from the door of the church to down past the Sweet Shop and into the street. I’m talking a massive amount of people, and at the time I was thinking I wasn’t going to get in. But then I hear two people calling out my name: Elijah and Christy (whom have never been congratulated in my blog for their engagement: congratulations!). So I sneak into line with them and get inside without any problems. I found out that the plan was to have two back-to-back shows so the people who didn’t make it in the first time would still have a chance.

The show itself: so amazing. And it was just the four of them; I imagine their drummer and bassist were with them but the stage in the bomb shelter wasn’t big enough for all of them. They played a lot of songs from their new CD. I think the best song they played was a blending of Hiding Place (off their new CD) and Worlds Apart. Any band can combine two songs that are musically compatible, but to recognize two songs that will combine that way and mean something more lyrically speaking is talented. As far as old songs go they played Love Song For A Savior, Flood, a part of World Apart, I Need You, and a part Faith Enough. New songs included God Will Lift Up Your Head, Nothing But The Blood (sans Blind Boys), Hiding Place, It Is Well, and They Will Know We Are Christian By Our Love. (I think that’s everything.) Like I said, they were doing two shows, so they had to cut their playlist a little. The guys talked a lot about the blood:water mission. At the first show alone they raised enough money to build a well for clean water in Africa.

And this crazy thought went through my head as they were taking the stage: I played bass on that stage at Rez Week 2003 with the Nav band. I’ve played on the same stage as Jars of Clay, and I played on it first! That doesn’t sound like it means much but it gave me a warm feeling at the time. Overall I’m really glad it got pushed into the bomb shelter. The other two times I’ve seen them they’ve been up on a stage higher than me. This time they were just about the lowest people in the room (stadium style seating). I liked that a lot better.

After seeing the first show I came out and saw my old Fish Sister Heather. While talking to her James comes up to me and says that the Nav girls have made the guys t-shirts. I’m a little confused but I go with him to see what he’s talking about. They make me close my eyes and they then reveal that they are all wearing matching green t-shirts that say “I [heart] Nav Boys” on them. I didn’t know what to say. I think I just stood their saying “no way” over and over again (I’m surprised my response was even that intelligent). On the back the shirt has a verse, and I forget what it was (something about righteous men). This may seem like a random cool event, but keep reading - it gets more awesome!

I helped some of the Wesley crew clean up for a little bit. I looked back outside and saw that the whole line was gone. I went into the bomb shelter to see if the next show had started and it hadn’t, so I looked around for those green shirts. I was hoping the two shows would be a little different, but they were exactly the same. I think technically I can say that I have been two four Jars shows now, when as of March 16 I had only been to two. I don’t know; it depends on how you look at it.

So after the second show the band was signing autographs and selling stuff so I decided to hang out. I was hoping they would bring advanced copies of their CD but they didn’t. Liz, Mandi, and James were all getting things signed so I decided to buy a $3 pic just for kicks. I mean, they’re there. Might as well get something signed. We were at the end of the line, so when we got up there we were able to talk to them for a little bit without anyone shooing us away. Looking back on it I’m surprised I wasn’t a babbling idiot or that I didn’t give them a lame hand shake or something like that. But the conversation, that’s the kicker. Both of the girls were wearing those Nav Boys shirts. As they walk up to the table Stephen says something like, “Now wait a minute. I thought Navs didn’t date.” No way!! I thought the Navigator never-dater thing was just a joke among us here at FSU, or at worst a joke among the state. But no, evidently the whole world knows the unofficial rule. Now, of course, being Nav boys ourselves James and I had to get a little defensive (even though it was true). But here I am arguing - the kidding around way I do with everyone else - with the members of Jars. And since the four of us are all kind of like that we’re all doing it. It was so fun.

So I could tell you about my weekend but nothing I did can top that. I will tell you about my NCAA tournament bracket, or what was my bracket. I was doing so good too. I picked 28 out of 32 of the teams correctly for the first round. But come Sunday and the end of the second round I find that I’ve only picked 8 out of 16 correctly. I had GT losing to UNC in the championship game; they’re my only final four team out but it essentially destroys my bracket entirely. Oh well, at least I didn’t submit it to a betting pool or anything.

Random bits of good news: I was accepted to this summer’s National Collegiate Program out in Colorado Springs. So barring anything incredible that’s where I’ll be this summer for about two months. Also, that Christian Tradition test that I didn’t have time to finish: totally pulled an 85. So hot. Alright, that’s all I’ve got for you today. I’m looking forward to a fresh episode of 24 tonight.

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