Eucharistic Adoration: A Deepening of My Evangelical Worship Experience

I went as a chaperone to a Steubenville youth conference a few weeks ago. I was very familiar and comfortable with the atmosphere as a former evangelical: 2,500 high school students doing the wave, hitting beachballs, and singing loudly to Chris Tomlin and Hillsong. As the evening progressed the songs became more reverent and the students more intent on connecting with God. This was fairly typical. At an evangelical conference the altar call would have come next.

Then something changed. 30 priests processed down the center of the gym with a monstrance, and we all went onto our knees on the hard varnished floor. The songs that I had memorized and even led church services with took on a new meaning. I was not abandoning my previous faith so much as I was seeing it deepened and fulfilled. It was so much richer–Christ was present in a special way in our midst. When I sang this song, I didn’t have to use my imagination and picture Jesus in heaven (or think of the “falling down” part as metaphorical). He was right in front of me.

We fall down
We lay our crowns
At the feet of Jesus

The greatness of
Mercy and love
At the feet of Jesus

We cry holy, holy, holy
We cry holy, holy, holy
We cry holy, holy, holy
Is the lamb

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