Before I begin my writing piece, it is understood to the highest degree why many people choose not to support Kanye West and any of his creative endeavors. Although I do not agree with the political standpoint of Mr. West, I felt an obligation to view this event from an artistic and journalism perspective. As a Christian woman myself, I went into the Sunday Service utilizing the bible scripture, 1 John 4:1-5, as my foundational guide. Therefore what you will further read depicts my personal revelation.
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On Sunday, November 17, 2019, G&G attended the Sunday Service evening concert featuring Kanye West & The Collective at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. With the expectation of a vast crowd arriving, my early bird internal clock led me to the Lakewood parking garage promptly at 5:15 p.m. in the evening. As a VIP guest, I was fortunate to bypass a group of at least 300 individuals waiting patiently at the main doors of the church. Special guests received bracelets to mark their entry to seats before the general public.
Once seated, I observed how vivid blue signs with the title, JESUS IS KING boldly displayed via technology screens. The hue of bright blue lights permeated the atmosphere, which reminds me that this color is known as an asset to the mind and body, along with a correlation for representing the heaven and faith realm. Thus it is no coincidence that as we sat waiting for the 7:00 p.m. start time, our minds were peacefully at rest.
At the onset of the general public entering the venue, we witnessed droves of people running to their second level seating with haste. One attendee was seen hopping on one foot as he held crutches in his hand. Guests around me could be heard making a comment, “When was the last time you saw someone running to church?” This statement made me ponder on the real significance of this event. People of all backgrounds, races, gender, and unknown religion all came to see Kanye West and this monumental spiritual awakening.
Therefore the time of 7:10 p.m. arrived, and a gracious host of Lakewood appeared on stage to explain that many people were still waiting outside. Lakewood expressed that the goal is to get everyone inside safely, and they took the necessary precaution to do so. I must say that all of the Lakewood volunteers were so kind and continually thanked us for being present. This type of greeting goes a long way in leaving a positive presence upon guests who have never visited a church before. Volunteers openly shared pertinent information while we waited in line, and this helped calm my nerves tremendously.
While observing several members of the band appearing on the stage, I knew it was time for the show to begin. With a start time of 7:36 p.m. Musical Director, Philip Cornish, played a beautiful hymn on the organ as Kanye West and the Sunday Service Collective opened up with a passionate, poetic peace by a member of the Collective group. From there, the roller coaster of harmonic sounds rang loudly with live instrumentation to guide our experience.
Known for taking mainstream R&B hits and placing a spiritual remix upon them, Sunday Service had me and others jumping out of our seats to hear familiar tunes such as SWV’s “Weak,” and Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed.” In honor of their Houston visit, a tribute to our hometown group Destiny Child’s “Say My Name” was my favorite musical rendition.
The Sunday Service Collective took us into praise and worship with their beautiful voices, and you could feel the spirit of God moving in the atmosphere. I was so excited that I forgot all about Kanye West and focused on the main attraction we were singing about, which is Jesus Christ.
One thing I noticed that was quite refreshing was an intermission that included a mini-sermon by Lakewood pastor, Joel Osteen. This moment evoked an authentic church experience for me. If you’ve ever frequented revivals or concerts at a small tabernacle, this pause made sense. During his message, Pastor Joel Osteen humorously explained that he didn’t have anything written down or fully prepared. Nevertheless, he spoke from his heart how his journey to being a pastor evoked fear within himself. The authoritative statement of, “No critique can keep you from your destiny” rang loud and clear that despite the naysayers we have in life, what God has planned for you is just for you.
Another Baptist church girl experience, but to the surprise of myself for a minute and others, was the invitation to present an offering. Once again, this is an absolutely normal tradition in a church setting. However, many guests who are not familiar with the passing of the plate/bucket did not expect to give money at a free event.
Afterward, praise and worship through song were heightened as the children of Kanye West, North and Saint, excitedly ran up and down the stage as their father shared his creative restoration back to the Christian faith. Cognizant of being within the state of Texas for this concert, West gave a shout out to Rodney Reed, a man who his being held on Texas’ death row by faulty evidence, as he exclaimed in his rap version of “Father I Stretch My Hands to Thee” through song.
Throughout the night, tears were flowing, souls were saved (professing your acknowledgment and walk-in Christ), an exhilarating jolt of energy, and an overwhelming feeling of joy, peace, and serenity that enveloped us all. Going back to my John 4:1-5 reference as a spiritual guide for the night, this Sunday Service felt like God to me and that he is doing a new thing within the body of Christ. No, I don’t understand why He’s doing it this way and why He chose Kanye West as the spiritual vehicle; however, God cannot be placed in a box. There are a lot of things that have happened in my life that I do not comprehend, but I trust Jesus.
One thing I am obligated to do is pray for Kanye West as he begins to strengthen his walk in Christ and pray he continues to build a strong biblical foundation that will not confuse new or old believers. I will pray that although his political views do not reflect how I feel at all, he will not force his opinion on others, for God offers us all free will. This faith is yours to accept or reject. Jesus is love, and he will not shove his teachings down our throat in a bitter manner that is distasteful.
In closing, I walked away thinking I was coming to see Kanye West, and I had a visitation with Jesus Christ. God’s mission is accomplished.
