How to Go
What: “Behold the Lamb of God” by Andrew Peterson/guest artists
Where: Miamisburg Christian Church, 1146 E. Central Avenue
When: 7 to 9 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 19
Cost: $20, $25 at door, if available
More Info: (937) 866-4893, 1-800-965-9324, www.itickets.com
During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, while we’re desperately checking off our lists, it can be easy to forget what we’re really celebrating. The Miamisburg Christian Church has scheduled a thoughtful reminder for this Thursday evening. “Behold the Lamb of God” will be performed by Andrew Peterson, his band, and guest artists.
“Christmas can be such a gaudy season. It’s nice for audiences to get away from the schmaltziness, to get away from the shopping mall, get away from the glitz of it all, and remember the story at the heart of the season,” said Peterson. “I feel that it’s really genuine. What we’re trying to do is create a moment for the audience. I want it to go deep and create a profound sense of wonder.”
This CD, “Behold the Lamb of God, was named by Rhapsody.com as one of the ten best Christian albums of the decade. The live concert, like the album, is a retelling of the Biblical story of Jesus. The folk and country arrangements will be enhanced with acoustic instruments: guitar, banjo, fiddle, and lap steep/hammered dulcimer. The tour has become an annual tradition for families and churches that attend the concert during the Christmas season.
“I bought ‘The Lamb of God’ CD eight or nine years ago, and loved it. It’s a neat approach to Christmas and I found out about the tour five years ago. I’ve been to four concerts in Milford,” said Adam Young, MCC worship minister.
These are not your usual Christmas carols. Peterson wrote the songs that tell Jesus’s story echoed throughout the Bible.
“This year, we took the opportunity the ask the management if they could come here. This is the first year we’ll be able to have it in the Dayton area,” said Young. “We’re attracting everyone from Indiana, Cleveland, and Columbus, people who didn’t attend when it was in Cincinnati.”
Andrew Peterson and his band have embarked on a lengthy tour of this concert, including venues in Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. There is also a concert scheduled for Dec. 21, at Faith Church in Milford. Kim McKinley is the event organizer, a 13-year member of MCC, and a longtime fan of the band.
“Usually when you go to a concert there is one headliner, and then the band. But so many of these band members are recording artists in their own right; six of them are singer-songwriters,” said McKinley.
The program will be split into two parts. It will begin with a songwriter’s circle that allows the musicians to introduce themselves, tell stories and play some of their own material. The tone changes for the second half, as the performers play the songs from “Behold the Lamb of God” song for song, note for note, with no interruptions.
“What’s special about the program is that it really tells the story of Jesus as it threads through the entire Bible. A lot of Christians don’t grasp that the entire Bible is about Jesus and about redemption,” said McKinley. “This is that story told through song. It’s just wonderful. It’s so well written and well done.”
Miamisburg Christian Church has about 700 members. The doors will open for the show at 6 p.m. There are a limited number of seats available. If you plan on paying at the door, call ahead to make sure the concert has not sold out.
“They’ve been doing this concert for the past 14 years. It’s a big deal. They sell out wherever they go,” said McKinley. “We as a church, we just want to share this really special way of telling the story with the community.”
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