A full moon peeking through the clouds greeted the apex of The Calling conference, with Grammy Award winning band Switchfoot running on stage Saturday at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison.
It was an ideal setting for the third annual conference started by a 22-year-old college student with one purpose in mind: to let people know that they are capable of achieving their dream, a dream that God designed for their life.
What was just a dream for Colorado Christian University student Chrysandra Brunson four months ago became a reality with the help of RGeneration Ministries and Brandon Heidemann, who stepped in and pulled off the finishing touches for the conference/
concert.
Along with the Foreman brothers of Switchfoot, The Calling featured acoustic rockers Chasen, local musician Lindsy Morton and speaker Rex Crain. An interesting mix that appeased the crowd of youthful tweens, high school and college students, parents and baby boomers.
Rex Crain, a former baseball player for the Boston Red Sox organization, entertained the crowd of 5,000-plus while conveying life lessons. Lessons of hope when you say yes to a new way of living — living your dream by living in Christ Jesus.
One story Crain told was of his adventure aboard Air Force One. An adventure made possible from a lesson he learned from a young female basketball player who had gained favor in this world because she had the favor of God upon her.
Lindsy Morton followed Crain with several worship songs, the first being a tribute to Mary the Blessed Mother of Jesus. A fitting song for this Lenten season as it conveyed that Mary was the only person at the birth and crucifiction of Jesus.
As the moon rose above Denver and the red rocks, Switchfoot hit the stage running with some of their earlier hits such as “Gone,” “Learning to Breathe,” “This is Your Life,” and “Stars,” even asking for the lights to be turned off so the stars could shine on the venue craved by nature. Jon Foreman also reached into their latest offerings with “Mess of Me,” “Needle in a Haystack Life,” and “The Sound,” a tribute to civil rights leader John M. Perkins.
Apologies to Chasen, I missed the band’s set — for some reason, I keep missing these guys. And for some reason I decided to take an even more scenic route to the venue and proceeded to hit a road closure and had to double-back.
I caught that full moon on video during a Switchfoot number — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ2YE9U-mHU
A small note: “crucifiction” should be crucifixion