FullCup

Review by: the wandering storyteller



"If you want to see what's inside a blackhole -- look around."

"We are made of star stuff."



These are just a few of the fantastic but well-supported claims that Carl Sagan made in his wonderful science book, Cosmos, that popularized astronomy and astrophysics to thousands.


The scope of the book is staggering -- it's a history of the universe, the formation of galaxies, the birth and death of stars, the miracle of life from the terran primordial soup, the rise of mammals, the development of science, the human voyage to the stars. After billions of years of evolution, Sagan says we are finally coming home.

This theme is echoed throughout the book -- that we humans have always dreamt of the stars. For Sagan, the human race has no higher aspiration than to explore and understand the mysteries of the cosmos. And he says it with such beauty, such hope and enthusiasm that i won't be surprised to find young boys signing up for space camp after reading this book.

Sagan's language is also something to admire. He was able to simplify scientific concepts into explanations understandable by most. The book is easy enough to read that I would recommend the book as required reading for every evangelist.

When I was still a seething agnostic, one of my pet peeves are evangelists who use circular arguments to support their beliefs when they explain things to a non-believer. They argue that God exists and Jesus is Lord simply because the bible says so. Of course, for the millions who treat the bible as just a literary book and nothing more, these 'proofs' are just the babblings of narrow-minded zealots who just spew out what they've been told. The least we could do for people whom we expect to change their worldviews, I think, is to support our claims in terms relevant to them.

As an introduction on how current science explains our existence, Carl Sagan's Cosmos is a great learning tool for evangelists. That way, we can have substantial conversations with non-believers who have yet to put their faith in the bible.

In the end, I fervently wish we at the church will be versed well enough on the science of the world that we will be able to hint of something more than Carl Sagan's opening statement in his book that "The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be."

review by: the wandering storyteller


House of M is a comic book crossover mini-series published by Marvel Comics back in 2005. Lead writer Brian Bendis was quoted that House of M would "shake the world" of Marvel. While this claim may sound extravagant, House of M's far-reaching and lasting effect on the Marvel universe certainly propels it as one of the more important mini-series the publishing house has produced. Unlike Days of Future Past or the Age of Apocalypse which happened in alternate timelines, House of M took place in the mainstream Marvel universe.

Prior to House of M, the number of mutants in the Marvel universe were pegged at millions. Hank McCoy, or Beast of the X-Men, was even quoted in the New X-Men series that the evolutionary age of homo sapien sapiens (humans) are coming to a close... in four or five generations, homo superior (mutants) would take over the globe.

Meanwhile, the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) -- longtime avenger, fraternal twin of Quicksilver and daughter of Magneto - who formerly only had 'probability powers' have been trained by the witch Agatha Harkness. The greater discipline provided by the training, Scarlet's mutant powers, and the magical residue of her place of birth all contributed to the Scarlet Witch's new-found ability to tap into Chaos Magic: one of the most powerful - and most dangerous - forms of magic in the Marvel universe. According to Agatha, the Scarlet Witch could practically do anything with Chaos Magic - a power inherently dangerous by nature.

Certain tragedies in the Scarlet Witches' life, coupled by the volatile nature of Chaos Magic, later broke Wanda's psyche and made her very unstable. In another mini-series titled "Avengers Disassembled," a crazed Scarlet Witch caused the deaths of Vision, Scott Lang and Hawkeye. The Avengers disbanded after these tumultous events.

House of M starts with Scarlet Witch giving birth to twins, and later on the cold voice of Charles Xavier tells her to "put it back" -- showing that the birth and the people around her were just the Scarlet Witch's constructs. Xavier later admits to Magneto that he is close to being unable to control her, and that a solution must be found to her problem.

The X-Men and the newly reinstituted Avengers meet to decide the fate of the Scarlet Witch. The X-Men, most notably Emma Frost and Wolverine, argue that Wanda is lost and with the inability of Professor X and Doctor Strange to help her, the whole world is in danger and that she needs to be put down. The Avengers disagree and eventually concluded that they need to ask Scarlet Witch what she wants.

Their trip to Genosha quickly becomes a fiasco as one by one, the members of the team vanishes on thin air until it was only SpiderMan who was left alone. A blinding light soon engulfed them, and they woke up to a completely different world.

SpiderMan wakes up as a well-loved hero, with Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy (his 1st love) alive and well. Hank McCoy is busy and content with his scientific experimentations. Steve Rogers was never put on ice and grew old. Cyclops and Emma Frost are married, and Wolverine is head of Shield. Storm is the Queen of Kenya, Doctor Strange is a low-key psychologist, and Magneto was ruler of Genosha.

Mutants, not humans, ruled the planet.

It was everything they ever dreamed of -- the friends they lost were alive again, mutants were no longer oppressed by humans, and peace was evident. They were happy -- and all the heroes forgot their past lives... except Wolverine.

Due to the massive psychological traumas Wolverine experienced in his Weapon X days, Logan was able to remember everything that happened in the 'real' universe. He soon found a way to wake up everyone and together, they found a way to confront the "House of M" and battle Magneto.

Doctor Strange, in his quest to talk to Wanda, soon found out that it wasn't Magneto who made Wanda to alter reality, but Quicksilver. When the Magneto woke up to this revelation, he savagely attacked Quicksilver, bringing the Scarlet Witch into the battle. Broken, disappointed and unstable, the Scarlet Witch uttered three little words... and changed the whole universe.

"No more mutants."

A cosmic reddish light soon engulfed the whole world and the heroes soon found themselves waking up to the world they knew -- but only a few of them remembered. It was only the broken form of Doctor Strange that confirmed what all of them was afraid of -- that House of M really happened and the ramifications were only beginning to unfold. Worldwide, the number of mutants who numbered in the millions were snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Now, only a handful hundred remain.

House of M is the 2nd part of a summer trilogy offered by Marvel. The first part was Avengers Disassembled and the 3rd was "Civil War." The effects of the trilogy have been significant -- changing the whole face of the Marvel as we know it. Currently, the most apparent effect of the trilogy is the death of America's most beloved hero -- Captain America himself.

While House of M brought far-reaching effects to the Marvel universe (decimation of mutants, Wolverine remembering his wholehistory), it is important to note that most of the marketable characters didn't lose their powers. The series also provided a convenient way to bring back dead characters (Hawkeye being an example) and solving the conundrum of the impending dominance of mutants in a Marvel universe who has always milked the struggle of mutants in its storylines. Essentially, the mini-series provided a suitable platform where new storylines can be catapulted (Civil War, Wolverine's memories, return of Onslaught).

A particular scene in House of M, however, captured my attention. In their helijet trip to confront the House of M, Jessica Drew (Spiderwoman) urged the heroes to take a minute to consider: should they even try to change everything back? They were, after all, happier there -- everything they ever wanted was given to them, and none of them were cheated. Long-dead loved ones are alive, mutants are no longer oppressed, and the world was generally at peace. Isn't it time, she asked, for something like this to happen?

Wolverine was quick to dismiss the idea, but I'm not so sure if I would do the same thing. Years and years ago, when I was still a kid, I repeatedly asked God why He didn't give me a power -- perhaps something as useful such as telepathy -- so that I could do what I want, such as changing the minds of those who disagree with me.

Logan was quick to decide that it wasn't right to impose what they wanted on the whole world, difficult and as painful as it would be, the right thing to do would be to honor the choices of everyone.

I honestly don't know if I could make that same choice. "If I could do things better... why not?" is a temptation perhaps too much for a selfish being like me. How much more so, for God, who could actually do what the kid me dreamt of doing so many years ago?

Just how great is this love that He allows us to make our own choices, instead of forcing His own on us?

review by: the wandering storyteller


I don't like coffee -- in fact, except for that 90% ice slush, 10% caffeine concoction known as Nescafe Ice Freeze, I don't drink anything with coffee in it. I also abhor overpriced items. But what I really really hate is when these overpriced items become a status symbol.

It is not surprising, therefore, that I end up as a non-fan of overpriced cafe establishments spearheaded by Starbucks. P100 for a cup of vile sludge? Cofee instead of a book or a movie or a full meal? Are you kidding me?

Much as I abhor these establishments, even I cannot deny that they carry some tasty pastries. Dome cake and oreo cheesecake come to mind. Eclairs, Belgian Waffles... I may not agree with the stores stand for, but my palate has its own convictions.

Ida's generous present of multiple CoffeeBean gift certificates therefore came as a pleasant surprise. On my own, I would not have sampled CoffeeBean's treats, and Ida's gift was a fortuitous turn of events -- kinda like meeting your childhood crush just when you've shed your pimples and finally grew and filled out.

The name, of course, immediately drew my attention. Guiltless Chocolate Cake -- images of a tasteless, cardboard fake of a cake assaulted my mind. I wouldn't have chosen it, if not for the girlfriend who was with me while I was looking at CoffeeBean's counter. She was nagging me about my sugar levels - an altogether unreasonable concern given my age, but once that woman sets her mind that she's right about something, you might as well scream at a mountain to hurl itself into the ocean (wait -- isn't that exactly what i'm told i could do?).

I don't know the nutritional facts that back up the name 'guiltless' but I am ecstatic of the idea that some people get the fact that something this good isn't automatically sinful. The cake's like a magical liquid -- it's so soft you have no idea how it's standing on its own. It melts ever so easily in the tongue and lets its perfectly balanced flavor (not too sweet nor bland) simmer in the taste buds. The ample chocolate shavings at the top give it a nice aesthetic look, but once you dig in to this baby, all outside appearances become insignificant.

For my drink, I got the Mango Ice Blended - an altogether unremarkable name for an otherwise surprisingly kickass drink. Understand that I'm a fruit shake junkie -- everytime I'm in a restaurant, I sample their fruit shakes. From the fruit shakes sold on street corners to mid-upscale places like Cibo, there's a range of goodness I have come to expect.

CoffeeBean's Mango Ice Blended trumps all that. Remember the time before marketing managers of corporations in the Philippines adhered to the gospel of cheapness -- where they believed that people would actually pay extra if the quality of a product warrants it? This Mango Ice Blended comes from that bygone era. It's not something as pedestrian as a mango shake -- anyone can do that. It's more than a smoothie, more than a cream-based fruit drink -- I don't have a category for it yet, because I was rendered speechless while drinking it and I was left with only two words on my mouth: "da bomb".

So the drink and the cake were good. really, really good. The price, however, is a little high even for overpriced establishments. P130 for the cake and P150 for the drink.

Should you buy it? That depends, I suppose. If you only have P500 on your wallet and less than a week before the next payday, go eat somewhere else and nevermind that your friends are going out for a latte. There are far more worthy -- and responsible -- things you could do with your money.

Good financial stewardship, however, isn't solely about going for the cheap stuff. It's about handling the money that God blessed you with in a responsible, humble and loving manner. How about grabbing two forks and sharing this cake with your househelp? How about treating the guy in church who mops the floor with this kickass ice blended drink? How about bringing it home as pasalubong to your parents? I know we don't have that big a budget for luxury items like these, but you might be surprised how something so good can turn even better when we bless others with it.

Less for self. More for others. Enough for all. Gawad Kalinga hit the bullseye when they coined that phrase.



[images courtesy of the girlfriend. sorry, we don't have anything better -- our phone camera's not that good and there isn't any on the net]

review by the wandering storyteller


Stranger than Fiction's official website puts the movie's synopsis in perfect british understatement: THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A MAN NAMED HAROLD CRICK.
AND HIS WRISTWATCH.

But the movie is about so much more. Any writer, any introvert -- anyone with imagination, really -- would immediately emphatize with this film. It's not Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or closer still, Adaptation, but Stranger than Fiction has its own appeal.

Harold Crick is an IRS agent -- contrary to popular belief, that doesn't mean he's evil; just... dry, and a little obsessive compulsive. Harold is a man of infinite numbers -- endless calculations and remarkably few words. He counts bathroom tiles, number of brush strokes when he cleans his teeth, even the tenths of a second it saves him when he walks to the bus stop. He is socially inept, ordinary-looking, in a job people loathe, with zero interpersonal skills.

He is a cardboard, a dud, a simple cog in the machine. Harold thinks his life has no point, and monotony pervades his everyday. All that changed, however, when one day, he began to hear a woman's voice narrating his life and innermost thoughts in alarmingly precise detail.

Harold's clock-like life turns upside down when he hears the narrator casually mention his imminent death. From that moment, he began a quest not only to stop the narrator from ending his life in the story, but to actually live the life he has always wanted.

The movie's formula is a familiar one: "live your life to the fullest" isn't exactly new, but it's always refreshing to remember. The fictional twist of living as a character in a book (or maybe the author is just 'reporting' what is actually happening?) has a lot of potential, although the plot wasn't as developed as say, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. What really works in this film are the performances of the main actors.

Will Ferrel, playing the lead character, shows amazing restraint here -- which is exactly what is needed of him. He comes out bland, and common, and unremarkable, just your ordinary forgettable man... until he starts fighting for his dreary life. Suddenly, his vulnerability and mortality make us root for him.

I have never liked Maggie Gyllenhaal, not because she's a bad actress, but simply because I have never noticed her. She tends to be overlooked due to the other luminous (or more beautiful/more famous) actresses she works with in her movies. This movie completely changes that. Stranger than Fiction is Gyllenhaal's Pretty Woman, and with good reason -- she is the perfect complement to Ferrel's character. Despite all initial cynicism, they come out cute and lovable.

Emma Thomson is brilliant as the distracted/tortured author who is beseiged by her inability to kill Harold. Her voice comes out languid and inevitable -- powers she possess simply because she's the one writing the story.

While the movie is endearing and enjoyable, it is not the kind of film that will be frequently mentioned in film classes and studied for its innovative concepts or superb techniques. It is a fun movie, even a surprisingly pleasant date movie - all in all a good way to spend two hours of your time.

What strikes me most, however, is how Stranger than Fiction parallels the story of all people in respect to God.

We are all living dreary lives with the inevitability of death hanging over our heads. It doesn't matter whether you're a farmer or a rock star, the President of the land or a saleswoman no different from thousands of others, we are all living incomplete lives -- lives with holes so big we end up plugging ineffectively at them. We are, in essence, all Harold Cricks -- good at what we do but ultimately living pointless lives.

Until a booming Voice from heaven comes, of course, maybe though a tragedy in the family, a life-changing event, or a strong emotional upheaval. Or maybe it's a quiet whisper -- a passage from a book, a flower perfect in the sun, an ordinary discussion, a lingering question we ask ourselves. But the Voice always comes -- like Harold Crick, we jerk awake from our stupor once we hear the author of our lives. Our reactions may be different, others may pursue the Voice, ignore it completely or even run away from it. But at one point in our lives, we are all made aware of that Voice.

Our reaction dictates the rest of our lives and how we'll spend eternity. As literary theorist Professor Humphrey (Dustin Hoffman) advised Harold, our stories could either be a tragedy or a comedy. Bland as Harold was, he had enough sense to know that ignoring the Voice will bring his inevitable doom.

Like Harold, this story, this plot finds us -- even if we do nothing. It is a question with no escape. In the end, the choice is clear -- do we ignore this Voice, continue living our dreary lives, and in the end die tragically... or do we pursue it and find it despite all hardships, in the hope to live in a comedy?

review by the wandering storyteller


We've been spoiled by Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings.

Watching the movie Eragon is like eating a small cup of congee after you've been starved for a week - you know there's something good there, but it ends up sorely lacking.

The movie has all the elements to make a fantasy buff like me drool - dragons and swords and dark sorcerers and elves and dwarves and tales of betrayal and heroism. There is a mysterious/luminous love interest, an easy-to-like mentor, an even easier-to-hate villain, an inexperienced, reluctant yet ultimately heroic chosen one, and all the magical elements to make a memorably whopping haryuken of a film.

But it all ends up so... underdeveloped. Everything is in small-scale. The battle scene is impotent, explanations and sub-plots are largely ignored, and the characters end up as one-sided linear cardboards.

Maybe it's because the film is just the first part of a trilogy, but reviews of the Eragon book spoke of something far richer -- something the movie was unable to translate. Even Durzag the Shade -- supposedly the Big Bad of this particular installment -- failed to evoke even the slightest fear. I haven't read the book, but judging from the book reviews and then watching this film -- everything i saw on the silver screen seemed like a pale shadow of what they were supposed to be. Durzag and Ajihad's reaction upon seeing the dragon rider Eragon is an apt description of the whole film... we expected... well... more.

Admittedly, there were flashes of brilliance in the film. Jeremy Irons actually looked exactly what a down-and-out former Dragon Rider would look like. Saphira's flight movement was simply breathtaking, and Rachel Weisz's voice is melodious and hypnotic... there really is something... draconic there -- powerful yet gentle, and totally engrossing. The concept that it is the dragon who gives dragon riders magic is new, at least for me. I want to add Arya in this list of praises for looking and exuding an aura of mystery and unreachability even while flirting with Eragon, but visiting the movie's website revealed she was supposed to be an elf -- i didn't even catch that in the film.

Despite all the shortcomings of this film, I'd still watch the sequel if 20th Century Fox ever decides to release it. Maybe it's because i love stories, or maybe i'm just eternally optimistic. Probably, it's the fantasy element that draws me in... it speaks of a world, a reality that is more -- better -- than what we have now. The same pull of a better world, perhaps, that keeps me searching and thumbing through my bible.

In the end, we may have previously seen a lot of what Eragon has to offer in far better sources - Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis' Narnia comes to mind - but the movie is still enjoyable, if only to take us out again on a fantastic, albeit already familiar, ride.

Review by: wandering storyteller

Philip Yancey's writing has a wonderful quality supremely suited to the line of work he has chosen: he can make his readers re-evaluate things they thought they already knew.

Re-reading What's so Amazing About Grace for the upteenth time since I first got a hold of it back in college, I am amazed how little I still know about Grace -- and how Yancey's book clearly presents this often wispy subject.

Every Christian has heard of Grace -- that wonderful gift of the Savior that we all know we don't deserve. Yancey asks, however, "how come Christians often exude the opposite of it?" If the world would be asked on their image of what an Evangelical Christian is like, they would most probably speak on someone who insists on moral righteousness, but not love.

By tracing the meaning of the word, its unique place in the message of Christianity, harrowing examples of the unquestionable need for it, and pointing to its origin, the concept of Grace transforms from its airy and often esoteric shape into the quiet solidity of something real and true.

The world can do everything that the Church can do, except for dispensing Grace, said Yancey's book. The importance of being ambassadors of Grace, and not our pre-occupation on insisting on our morality, is one of the core messages of the book. I cannot help but agree. Virtue can be learned through the thousand philosphy and humanistic books around; only the Grace of God can bestow holiness.

In the end, Yancey's What's so Amazing About Grace? is a great read for both new and old believers. Those young in the faith could learn more about this amazing gift that they have received from their Savior, and those who have been in the Church for quite some time can be gently reminded of how Jesus intended the world to recognize us -- not with our stern condemnations on the evils around us, but with our love.

Dancing to a different beat
Movie Review: Happy Feet
Review By: wandering storyteller



Happy Feet hides as a ‘kid movie’ but don’t mistake that for being bad. While the film is genuinely enjoyable and the plot simple enough to be easily followed by children, the movie nonetheless explores mature themes and concepts.

Again, do not mistake ‘mature’ as automatically ‘offensive.’ Happy Feet delves into questions that may well determine what kind of person a kid could grow into. With guidance, Happy Feet is a good movie for kids – not just because the characters are incredibly cute, but because a parent can use the movie as a take-off point in discussing lessons and values that a kid needs to know.

Technically, the film is a vast improvement over other recently released animations. The landscape is spectacular – you could almost feel your feet having hypothermia with the cold. The motion capture is top-notch, the music thoroughly enjoyable. The shots employed also conveyed a sense of realism – a leap from traditional approaches of animated films.

The movie’s protagonist is mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) – an ‘aberration’ among his clan because of his two-fold handicap: he can’t sing even if his life depended on it, and his heart bursts with innate joy that he can’t stop his feet from tap dancing – a decidedly ‘unpenguin’ thing to do.

I will not retell the rest of the story here, for fear that it would diminish the enjoyment of those who have yet to watch the movie. It is enough to note, however, that Mumble’s journey takes him through pretty serious tribulations: ungrace from his clan’s spiritual leader (Hugo Weaving), image of worthlessness among his clan, rejection by a parent (Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman), the feeling of unworthiness for his beloved Gloria (Brittany Murphy), false teachings from Loveless, the other clan’s spiritual leader (Robin Williams), and the larger-than-life problem of losing their food source due to something totally beyond their control – the overfishing of humans.

And what does Mumble have in the face of these tribulations? only the truth. He knows that there are hints, clues out there that point out to something bigger than them (aliens, he calls them) that could be affecting their world. So he doesn’t give up and searches for these ‘aliens’. But more importantly, mumble knows who he is and he did not allow the expectations of others to dictate who he is.

Happy Feet is a spiritual movie – with significant symbolisms such as the ‘prophet’ (bearer of truth) rejected by his peers; and the ‘messiah’ – the one who intercedes between the supreme beings (aliens/humans) and his people. The movie is also replete with concepts that every little kid needs to learn: that society isn’t always right, that one shouldn’t automatically write off unlikely people such as social retards (the Amigos led by Robin Williams) because they can be really good friends, that one can rise against the shortcomings of the family one came from, and the importance of being true to oneself, even if everybody says that you’re ‘uncool’ for who you are. After all, when Mumble was hopeless and about to lose his mind, it was his ‘handicap’ that saved him.

But most of all, for me, Happy Feet is a story of faith. At the concluding parts of the movie, I must admit that there was only doubt in my heart – for how could one penguin, no matter how adorable he is – change events that are so obviously beyond him? How could one penguin change the set ways of humans? How could one penguin affect the whole Antarctic Circle? I would not have acted like Mumble did. He saw a need so he went ahead and tried to do all that he could to do what needed to be done, despite not having a morsel of an idea what he could do. He walked blindly into the unknown – with only the conviction that something must be done. Despite the pre-knowledge that this was a kiddie movie and that the producers would present a suitable resolution, I only had doubt.

In the end, Mumble was able to triumph not because he is a super penguin, but because of how his Creator made him. He was a weird penguin, an outcast, a simple flightless bird. But he was willing to do something, and that was enough. His heart saw an impossible task, but his love compelled him to try anyway. The rest, as they say, is in God’s hands.

Christians would do well to remember Mumble as a contemporary echo of the stories of Moses, of David, of Jacob, of the Apostles – an unimpressive collection of humans used extraordinarily by the Mighty God not because of their abilities, but because they were willing.

Review by: wandering storyteller

When I first heard that Hillsong UNITED would play in Manila, I must admit that I wasn't as thrilled about the idea as my friends were. Not because I didn't like them; there's a reason why UNITED's songs are a staple at FullCup after all -- they're talented musicians and, more importantly, their songs speak to FullCup's young regulars -- but the thought of going to a worship-concert that is predominantly more of a concert than worship initially didn't sit well with me.

To be fair, I have always been a tad uneasy with corporate/group worship. I'm more of a one-man-raging-at-the-storm-and-his-God kind of guy. Even at church, I always sit nearest to the window, eyes closed or locked to the distant sky. As I sing with the congregation, I'm flung light years away -- to a place where there's only me and my God. As some friends who have witnessed the rare tears I let go during worship ask me why I cry, I always give them the same answer: if I can't cry to my Father, to whomelse can I cry? In short, for me, worship is an extremely intimate and personal event. Having around 30 or so people with me is disconcerting enough -- what more with a couple of thousand?

But it was a concert, so I decided to go. Some might say that it's a praise and worship event and not a concert, but that's not being honest -- we came there for the band; otherwise we wouldn't have needed to pay P800 to get in. Ask anyone who argues if they'd pay that much to watch FullCup Project or Alab or any other worship team in the various churches in the metropolis. Yeah, I thought so too.

So I came into the event with misgivings. If it were packaged as a concert, I wouldn't have had any problem, but the event's tagline pegged itself as "the worship night of your life" -- a tall and presumptuous claim by the marketing people, if you ask me. Besides, I believe one of the must-do's of a praise and worship team is to never NEVER interfere with the worship of the people -- either with botched playing/singing or by the 'celebrity status' by the team. If a guy comes to church primarily to hear the team perform and secondly to worship, the whole point is ruined for me.

As concerts go, UNITED did extremely well. From the get-go, everyone in the stadium was jumping up and down, joining in at virtually every song of the line up. Nevermind that the venue was too small, or that the organizers continued their bad habit of overselling tickets, or that the aircondition was woefully ill-suited for the number of people who came, or that five minutes into the concert and the combined sweat of the throng and space constraints of the venue gave an unpleasant smell, or that the LCD screens were ridiculously small, or that the organizer's spokeperson kept using the Name of the Lord to manage the crowd. The band was superb, the audience extremely enthusiastic. As concerts go, we were having a hell of a good time.

Fortunately, 'a good time' is so... pedestrian, compared to the plans of my God. Sometime after the first two or three songs -- just after letting the people scream out their excitement for actually being in a UNITED concert -- the whispers of the Spirit began stirring in the heart. The circumstances might have been far from perfect, but Jesus did promise that whenever two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there. And as He has always been, that night too, He was faithful to His word.

A little later in the evening, the band gave exhortations and clarified the purpose of their tour -- something that the Spirit was already whispering in our souls. Between shouting and praising and clapping, and singing, some of us found ourselves talking with God despite the stars right before our eyes.

God is in control. I was reminded of that last night as I sang along with the Christian's counter-culture version of the Black Eyed Peas, U2, or any of the hottest bands these days. If I believed that God is able to work through my sins and shortcomings, why shouldn't He be able to do the same despite the complications brought by UNITED's talent and fame and the star-struck attitude of the audience?

Somewhere along the way, we found ourselves worshipping, more than joining in on the concert. Suddenly, the songs were not just excellent, they were true. Despite my initial misgivings, I found myself having the time of my life -- like any other time I was aware of my God's presence.

In the end, as one of my most favorite UNITED song goes, my God saves the day, and His Word never fails. My God made a way... it's gonna be all right. A good time is not what He intended, therefore He gave us an amazing grand time. UNITED's passion and performance was able to usher us into communing with our God -- and that, I think, is the highest praise that can be given to any worship team.


Author notes: Review originally posted at author's site (http://www.wheresmystory.blogspot.com).