Six months ago, I stood in a stadium full of 55,000 college students worshipping Jesus--looking ahead to eternity while glimpsing heaven here on earth. And I still struggle to find the words for what it was like. Every simile and metaphor, every adjective and verb continually seem to fall short. The closest thing I can think of to describe it is light pouring into a room. Light illuminating the darkness, closing the gap between heaven and earth. The kind of light that warms your skin on a summer day--the kind of light you want to breathe in and never want to go away. Even still, that analogy pales in comparison to what Passion 2024 was truly like.
I think about that three-day conference often, and when I do, I want to be back there again. I long to feel the light flooding Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Stadium. To hear the voices of 55,000 students my age declaring the praises of "He who brought [us] out of darkness and into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9) But the thing is, Passion isn't just an isolated event. Some may view it as that, but others have returned to their college campuses changed, with this movement burning inside their chests.
Returning to San Diego after Passion was a bit jarring. Settling back into my dorm room and my previous routines felt so mundane after seeing the light of Passion. I wanted more than anything to feel the presence of God again like I did when the room erupted in "Agnus Dei." But here's the thing:
Jesus isn't confined to the stadium walls of Passion. He lives beyond Passion and indwells in our very hearts and the air we breathe. He resides in the sound waves of a worship album and the dorm rooms we inhabit. It's up to us to carry the heartbeat of Passion around and to share it with others in our "everyday, ordinary lives--our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around lives," as Eugene Peterson writes in The Message Bible. Passion will continue for as long as we let it when we recognize that the same Jesus we encountered in the Benz is still with us in our hearts, wanting to invade every part of our lives.
Whether you were in the room for Passion or not, you've most likely felt the repercussions of it. When Passion Music released their album from the conference, Call on Heaven, thousands felt the same presence of God that we did in the stadium through these songs. It was an honor to talk with Passion Music's lead vocalist, Kristian Stanfill, about the conference and this new album that's having an impact around the world.
I was in the room for Passion 2024. It was one of the most incredible events I've ever been part of. What goes into preparing for an event like Passion? What was it like writing the songs for this gathering?
We spent a lot of time last year preparing, planning, and praying together. Louie and Shelley Giglio led us so well, and we had a sense from the beginning that God was going to do something unique and special. We didn't know what that would be or what it would look like, but we knew that He was asking us to get ready and prepare ourselves--to consecrate our lives so He could do what He wanted to do.
We were writing songs most of [last year]. You never really know what a song is going to do while you're writing it, but as a songwriter, you write a lot and trust God will find [a way] to use it. As 2023 started to wind down and we got closer to Passion, we started to look at this collection of songs our team had written and sensed that these songs were meant to be for Passion.
There was a [cohesive theme] of Heaven woven throughout the songs. There was a lot of "Holy, holy holy" language--the language of Heaven. There were a lot of songs about what's happening in Heaven right now and songs about Christ's reign as King today. But there were also songs about His return. We could sense that this was something God wanted us to sing about and say.
"Agnus Dei" could easily be defined as the cornerstone of Passion 2024. For 20 minutes, 55,000 college students wouldn't stop singing about the holiness of God. It was so beautiful and overwhelming. Was that a spontaneous moment?
Parts [of that moment] are hard to describe, and parts I think will remain a mystery until we're in Heaven one day. That last morning, we had about 25-30 minutes left on the clock to lead [worship], and I sensed God asking us to slow down and take a breath--to look around and wait. So that's what we did. And in that waiting, "Agnus Dei" dropped down.
It wasn't something we planned on doing or had in our back pocket. We had never rehearsed it but sensed it was what we were meant to sing. So we just started singing it. By the first verse and chorus, it became evident we were standing on holy ground, and God was coming near in a tangible way. The devastation of His holiness and the weight of His glory laid us all flat.
It was a really special moment that I know I'll never forget. I'm grateful we were ready to go with God wherever He wanted to go.
At first, I was nervous to listen to the recording because "Agnus Dei" was such a sacred moment at Passion, and I didn't think that would translate through recorded audio. But even on the album, it still holds immense weight. What were your thoughts listening back to it?
It's wild to us that you can listen to it now and God lives in it. He's put His spirit and presence even on the recording. I still get texts and DM's from people saying, "I wasn't even at conference but I just listened to 'Agnus Dei,' and it laid me out in my kitchen." Or, "I was in my car weeping and worshipping." That's God on the recording. And to think that people are encountering Him in that way--it's a beautiful thing.
As we were making the record and listening [back] to it, I couldn't watch the ["Agnus Dei"] video or listen to it without weeping. It would take me a long time to get it together. Again, that's just the beauty of God's holiness and the weight of His glory. It's too much for us to handle, and that was just a glimpse. It was just a taste of the fullness of His holiness and glory. Even that taste levels you.
Let's talk about the song "He Who Is To Come." It felt like a landmark song throughout the entirety of the conference. What's the inspiration behind it?
Sean Curran, Cody Carnes, and I wrote that song together. It's so victorious and hopeful, reminding us that Jesus is King today, actively on the throne and in control. Which is good news, because the times we're living in are wild. The song reminds us that Jesus is King actively and also that He's coming again. Revelation says He's coming again to restore everything--to make everything whole and new again. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. That's the future we're headed toward--the story has been written. We know how it ends.
[That knowledge] also informs how we live today. When we know that's [our] reality and His kingdom is not only coming one day but is breaking in all around us, it informs how we live today. [It prompts you to ask], how am I participating with God in His Kingdom breaking on the earth?
I love leading ["He Who Is To Come"]. I love how it puts our eyes it puts our eyes, hearts, and attention in the right place.
Do you have a favorite song from Call on Heaven?
I love all of them; it's hard to choose. "He Who Is To Come" is such a beautiful anthem and a reminder of the reality we're living in. "The Lord Will Provide" is an anchoring song to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you."
One song I love and keep coming back to is "Follow," which Melodie Malone leads. So much of what it takes [for this generation] to endure is in that song. When you listen to "Follow," you'll hear some hard lyrics, especially in the bridge. But if we're going to endure and stand, then the posture [needs to be]: "Wherever You lead me, whatever it takes, here I am. I just want to follow You. So yes, to correction. Yes, to conviction. Yes, to the altar. Yes, to confession. In all these things, I say yes to You." In that truth is the key to enduring and standing.
I think it's easy to feel a spiritual high at a conference like Passion, but it's even easier for that feeling to go away. What advice would you give to a college student wanting to stay close to Jesus now that we're between Passion 2024 and 2025?
We have prayed for this generation so much. And what we saw at conference was so special--it was an encounter with God. But we know that [all those college students] are going back, and it can be hard to endure. It can be hard to stand in the face of everything coming against them. We pray that they abide in Jesus and stay connected to the vine, and His life will flow in and through them. And as they abide with Him and stay connected to Him, as they keep their eyes on Him and He leads and gives them the strength to stand, they will see there's nothing better than Jesus. There's nothing better than being part of His story. There's nothing truer than God's kingdom and nothing more real than it.
One of the things we love about these songs and this record going out is that maybe it can help [students] endure and stand in the face of many trials and temptations because, in the end, there's a victor's crown for those who overcome.
So, overcome the evil one. Because in the end, there's a banquet. There's a feast. There's a celebration. Oh, it's going to be beautiful.
How can we be praying for both you and Passion?
I'm married and have four kids so you can pray for our family. We're trying to be good parents and lead our family.
You can pray for our church [Passion City]. We're doing our best to stay ready, listen to God, and go where He's leading. So you can pray for courage, ears to hear, and eyes to see.
As these songs go out and start circulating, you can pray that God uses them to bring a spirit of wisdom and revelation--that God will use it to draw people to Himself. We know He will.
Passion '24 is just a moment, but it's the beginning of something God is doing on the earth right now.
Tickets are on sale now for Passion 2025. For more information, click here. You can also catch Passion Music in concert this fall on Air1's Worship Now Tour. Find out more at PassionMusic.com.
Grace Chaves is NRT's News Editor. She's been part of NewReleaseToday since 2019 and is continuing her journey by majoring in Multimedia Journalism at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
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