Those who know me will attest to the fact that I am obsessed with music. When I was younger I would attend numerous concerts and once a year I would drive to Illinois, camp for a week, and attend a five day music festival. Anything that can get me camping must be pretty important. In other words, I really love music.
In more recent years I haven’t attended many concerts. My stage of life has meant that other responsibilities and other joys have taken precedence over going to shows. And even when I have attended a concert it hasn’t been a rock show. I’ve seen some great jazz performance, and a couple of good folk music concerts. Nothing, however, like the shows I used to go to. But last year I saw, online, that one of my favorite bands from the 90s, a Christian punk band called Ninety Pound Wuss, was getting back together after 20 years to play some festival in Alabama. I had only loosely heard of Furnace Fest but I tracked the festival last year. I saw that all these bands I used to see and whose music I still listen to were playing the festival. So, when they announced that Furnace Fest 2024 would be the final year of the festival I thought I might try and go.
I am so glad I did! Here are a few things I learned after three days in Alabama at an intense alternative music festival:
1. I am too old to do this again. It didn’t take very long for me to realize my age. Standing all day, straining to see the stage, and rocking out are hard on those over the age of 40! It was totally worth it, and I am so glad I went. I got to see bands that I haven’t seen in twenty years, sing along to some of my favorite songs, and be fully immersed in the music just like I was 18 years old again. But I am not 18! By the end of day one my feet hurt, my back hurt, my neck hurt. I haven’t don’t that in a long time and I don’t think my body can do that anymore. No more festivals for me…though I am hopeful to catch more rock shows in the future.
2. Music really does bring people together. It was pretty shocking to be at this festival. I forgot how amazing music is at bringing diverse people together. Furnace Fest combined both the Christian music scene and the secular music scene in a way that no other festival has. Bands of all beliefs and worldviews played performances, often back to back on the same stage. And the crowd was a wild mix of devout Christians and devout atheists. There were conservative Evangelicals and members of the LGBTQ community. There were punks, metal heads, Goths, and cowboys walking the festival grounds. And, from all that I could tell, everyone was polite and kind to one another. Music was the common denominator, and it brought people from all sorts of worldviews together for a few days.
3. There is amazing opportunity to bring more of the gospel into so-called “misfit communities.” The thing that struck me the most, however, was the amazing opportunity this festival presented to expand gospel outreach into contexts like this. There was enough of a strong Christian presence at this festival that it was noticeable to others. There were explicitly Christian organizations with booths set up in the merch areas, and several of the frontmen for various bands made statements of faith at the end of their sets. And this was at least tolerated by the crowd. What excited me most was observing several conversations where people expressed how the festival was making them rethink their faith. One individual expressed that seeing some of the bands they loved as a kid was making them want to reconsider Christianity. Another person stated that watching one band made them “miss Jesus.” There was a memory of Christian faith that was attractive and this festival helped remind them of that.
The Christian rock scene was a powerful tool of God’s grace in my life when I was a young believer. It reinforced my faith in meaningful ways, driving home my love for Jesus and my commitment to following Him. It also helped me feel connected to a Christian community that I could resonate with. I often felt like a misfit and yet I knew that there was an entire world of Christians who felt that way too and I was part of that community. It also gave me ways of expressing my love for God that connected with my personal tastes. I had a worship style that fit my personality and that meant a lot to me as a young kid. Certainly, I have matured in lots of ways since then, but the memory of all of that still resides in my heart. I think that’s true for many so-called “misfits.” I think that there are ways in which the church can expand its outreach into this world and rebuild some bridges (by God’s grace and power) for people who feel disconnected from the church or disinterested in the faith. I want to prayerfully consider what this kind of Misfit Ministry looks like and invite you, friends, to pray with me for God to do a work in that world.
I had a great time at Furnace Fest. I loved connecting with a new friend from church who went along with me. I loved seeing some of my favorite bands from back in the day and connecting to feelings that I haven’t had since I was in my early twenties. I loved making new memories that will last a long time for me. But I was surprised to find my heart stirred for ministry while at a rock concert. But isn’t that like the Lord: to take the most unlikely things and direct us to Him and His work.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 