For 20-some-odd years, acclaimed Chris Tomlin has been writing music with one simple purpose: to give people a voice to worship. Following a Grammy win for his 2012 album And If Our God Is For Us...", three Billboard Music Awards, 21 Dove Awards and more than 8 million albums sold, Tomlin is now one of the most successful Christian touring artists ever. On April 17, he brings the show supporting his latest album to the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers.
The "Holy Roar Tour" has roots in a conversation that began two years ago between Tomlin and his pastor Darren Whitehead following Whitehead's talk on the topic of Holy Roar. Tomlin was trying to convince his friend to write a book on the message of praise, not knowing he would be swept up in the process of sharing the message himself.
FAQ
‘Holy Roar Tour’
Chris Tomlin
with Tauren Wells, Pat Barrett, Nicole Serrano and pastor and author Darren Whitehead
WHEN — 7 p.m. April 17
WHERE — Walmart AMP in Rogers
COST — $17.80-$96.50
INFO — 443-5600, waltonartscenter.or…, christomlin.com
"It seems to have an incredible marker on the way people see praise, the way people see worship and understand it, and what all this is that we're doing, what this is about. The whole thing is so, so special," Tomlin says of where they are two years later.
"Holy Roar," Tomlin's tenth studio album, and the companion book he co-wrote with Whitehead, were released in October. The tour began March 7 and the live album -- a live recording of "Holy Roar" performed at a small church in Nashville -- was released March 15.
"I always feel like the live albums are what really capture the essence of this kind of music, talking about worship music," Tomlin shares. "I like it better than a regular studio album because you hear the people singing, you're connected with the people, you're in it. It's like, 'Oh my gosh. OK, I can hear how these songs work together with the congregation and the church.'
"We recorded it in a small church and it's just like most people go to church every Sunday," he goes on. "I thought let's capture it that way and it turned out really beautiful."
Those special moments have continued night after night as Tomlin tours the country, he says. Bringing a fresh perspective to the idea of praise as part of worship, the message surrounding the tour has been an immensely powerful one and has led to some life changing connections, Tomlin shares.
"My hope is that my music brings people to an encounter with the presence of God. And when that happens, then it's not about songs anymore. God's presence does that," he offers. "I mean, I just had a lady come up to me a few nights ago, we were in Portland, Ore. I could tell she had a really tough life, really hard. And she grabs me, pulls me down from the stage, gets right in my face and says, 'I was going to kill myself this week. Bought this ticket on a whim. I don't even know who the blankety-blank you are. But God changed my life tonight, and I'll never be the same.' And when you think about what God can do when people get in his presence, songs don't do that. Songs aren't powerful enough to do that. But when people have an encounter with God, it does happen.
"And there's also unity, too, in what we do," Tomlin adds thoughtfully. "We're bringing so many people together, especially within the church. There are so many different streams within the Church. And at a concert, you bring all those people together that, on a Sunday, will go to their own churches. But at a concert, they're all there in one place. And I think it's beautiful to be reminded of unity, of family, one Church, that we're all brothers and sisters. It sends a great message every night."
NAN What's Up on 04/14/2019