The Shelter Tour goes deeper than just a name. It comes from an old Irish proverb, “Ar Scath a cheile a mhoureas na daoine,” translated, “It is in the shelter of each other that people live”.

Jars of Clay front man Dan Haseltine interprets the idea, saying that we need Jesus to remind us sometimes when we stop and look we see we are actually part of a great privilege, a privilege to be a community, a privilege to see God's hand working and moving through us and for us.

So often we (humanity) become caught up in the business of our own lives. We have, in many ways, lost the idea of community that we had generations ago. As Christians, whether we like it or not, we are part of the church, a community of believers. The Shelter project is a renewed invitation to join our stories with the stories of others in community to see a larger picture of God’s grace; to further explore what it means to love each other, serve each other and care for each other.

This theme carried throughout the night as each artist shared their story, struggles and perspective through song and ministry.

 

Audrey Assad opened the evening at her piano, her voice breathing life into songs that seemed to touch the heart of every audience member. Mesmerizing, and with beautiful lyrics speaking to the fragility of the human condition, her short set was the perfect opening to the tour and you can view photos here.

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Matt Maher was up next. His message focused on what it means to be alive. “The whole notion that God became a human should change the way we look at what it means to be human and ultimately the way it lead us back to the cross,” says Maher. This was reflected throughout his set as he performed songs such as “Hold Us Together,” “Alive Again,” “Lay It Down” and “No Greater Love” before wrapping up his set to make way for Derek Webb.

 

Derek started his career with Caedmon’s Call and is now a solo performer who started as a folk artist and is now turning his artistic creativity to instrumental electronic music. Derek’s songs have been labeled as controversial at times, but I really like his lyrics. I don’t always agree, but my thinking is always challenged. He did a number of songs, including “Wedding Dress,” then finished his set with the first three movements from his brand new electronic album, Feedback, based on the Lord’s Prayer. You can view photos from Derek's set here.

 

After a short intermission and a stage change, Jars of Clay were ready to close out the evening. Jars always seem to have an uncanny ability to outdo themselves time after time. They continue to surprise and amaze me by their lyrics and musicianship.

This evening included songs from the past and present:

The encore brought the whole tour together to close out the evening with “I’ll Fly Away.” It was a wonderful evening of worship and community. Make sure you catch this tour if it comes your way.

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