Petra is back!
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:42 am
Wow, I am SO tired...and some would say crazy. I logged just over 1200 Petra-related miles on my car between Thursday and Sunday night. And it was worth every last one of them! Sue and I had a blast at Powerfest up in Marinette, WI (or somewhere nearby). Petra was fabulous! I was very impressed AND very relieved.
You see, last summer, the couple of times I saw Petra, they only played for 30 minutes or so, the sound was terrible, it was over 90 degrees, and frankly, the band didn't appear to be enjoying themselves that much. It was great to see Bob again, but I really had not experienced a feeling of worship or closeness to God at either of those shows. And that made me sad. So, I was really hoping that whatever it was that was wrong would be right this year. And, boy was it ever! Petra performed as a band -- they were relaxed, truly enjoying one another's company, very mobile on the stage, and technically excellent as well. Greg and Paul bring a lot to the table, and it is nice seeing their personalities show onstage. But the best thing (at least for me) was that just as in the past, the concert became more than a rock show and truly a moment of worship. It's kind of hard to explain, but I'm sure some of you Petheads know what I am talking about. It is such a cool "God-thing" when the Holy Spirit just sort of takes you by surprise and drops some truth on you, and for those special moments you not only know God is everything, you FEEL it as well, and nothing else matters. Awesome.
And so you don't think that Powerfest was a fluke, I heard from some people who were at the Unity Festival in Muskegon Saturday afternoon that Petra blew everyone away there as well, and that everyone had a ball. At both places, Petra stayed for a very long time signing autographs and meeting people.
The fact that PETRA is back is bittersweet; it will make saying good-bye more difficult,
but the going out strong will be a terrific witness. 
You see, last summer, the couple of times I saw Petra, they only played for 30 minutes or so, the sound was terrible, it was over 90 degrees, and frankly, the band didn't appear to be enjoying themselves that much. It was great to see Bob again, but I really had not experienced a feeling of worship or closeness to God at either of those shows. And that made me sad. So, I was really hoping that whatever it was that was wrong would be right this year. And, boy was it ever! Petra performed as a band -- they were relaxed, truly enjoying one another's company, very mobile on the stage, and technically excellent as well. Greg and Paul bring a lot to the table, and it is nice seeing their personalities show onstage. But the best thing (at least for me) was that just as in the past, the concert became more than a rock show and truly a moment of worship. It's kind of hard to explain, but I'm sure some of you Petheads know what I am talking about. It is such a cool "God-thing" when the Holy Spirit just sort of takes you by surprise and drops some truth on you, and for those special moments you not only know God is everything, you FEEL it as well, and nothing else matters. Awesome.
And so you don't think that Powerfest was a fluke, I heard from some people who were at the Unity Festival in Muskegon Saturday afternoon that Petra blew everyone away there as well, and that everyone had a ball. At both places, Petra stayed for a very long time signing autographs and meeting people.
The fact that PETRA is back is bittersweet; it will make saying good-bye more difficult,
but the going out strong will be a terrific witness. 
