Silence sounds so good right now. Man. Metal all day is what I do, but Ozzfest is new to me. It's like another language. Anyway our day went as follows. We showed up just as the Showdown was getting started. We've seen some good shows and hung out with some cool folks but these guys are too genuine not to want to hang out with. It's been awesome hanging out with Riley from the Showdown; that guy is legit. His passion to love people is so strong you just can't deny it. After we saw the Showdown we hung out and just watched the people interact with each other here and it definitely is a culture within it's self. We ate and watched the side show act, which at times is sad and at others is pure enjoyment of performance. It was crazy. Now we're getting ready to interview the showdown's lead singer David. It should be good.

Something that has been getting to me that I've seen all over the place, not just here at Ozzfest but at all secular music festivals and events, is that women looking for attention get it in ways they should be. There was a point today where I watched as the stage was being changed over a guy onstage had four girls get up on four guys shoulders and make out with each other. The whole thing was greatly encouraged by the crowd. I've heard this written on numerous times but what I want to key in on is the fact that no one in the church, as far as I know, was here loving on these people who obviously need the love and acceptance they haven't found. The Showdown are guys who follow Jesus Christ and are out here because God has blessed them in this way and their approach to all this is something the church at large would frown on. They have lighters that have their name on them and have shot glasses that were provided for by a major beer company, just like every other secular band here. What makes them different is Jesus. They don't need Christian t-shirts. The people here at ozzfest don't need another person telling them what to do. They resonate so well with the lyrics of these bands because they're full of angst and a lot of the time anger. They don't need anymore upset Christians protesting. They need love. Yeah it doesn't look good on your Christian resume to be at ozzfest but who cares. It's where the people who don't know that they can be saved are. Those people are not at church.

I heard the same guy who did the girls making out thing say, "so you guys didn't go to church today (agreement shouting)... well we have the church of ozzfest where you don't have to leave (more shouting)." People in this circle don't even feel like the church is something that would have them. And as pastor Marvin Williams said this morning, "for a long time the church has been blocking people from Jesus, and it's time to change that." It really is.

I'm not ashamed of the beautiful bride of Christ. Not by any means but the majority of the church has been ignoring these people and no one pays attention to it any more. When two groups of people no longer even acknowledge each other than in a negative way it becomes more then just a gap. If our only goal in the world is to "go" and we sit, how are we ever going to reach any one? We need to step out. The first thing in going is a step. Step out even where things are taboo and uncomfortable. It's how things, real, tangible things get done.