Seventeen Magazine
December 2002
By Alison M. Rosen
Four giddy teenagers, with their hair still wet from a mid afternoon dip in the river, are sitting in a semicircle scoping out guys. "Hey, that one looks like Brad Pitt!" shouts Chelsea Farwell, 16, excitedly pointing at the hottie.
"Where, where?" asks her best friend, DeEtte Martin, 16, looking around. Chelsea points again. "Oh no, he saw me!" she squeals. The girls collapse into giggles.
Best friends since they met at a teen church group a couple of years ago, Chelsea, DeEtte, Lorelei Paul, 14, and Amy Hobson, 14--and 12,000 others-have come to woodsy Lincoln, New Hampshire, for sun, fun, tunes, flirting and Christian fellowship. The lure is the annual Inside Out Soul Festival (IOSF), a four-day Christian rock concert on beautiful Loon Mountain. Last year rap-metal rockers P.O.D. played at the festival. This year the big names are TobyMac (Toby McKeehan of dc Talk), Newsboys, Mary Mary, Delirious? Relient K, and the OC Supertones.
In some ways IOSF is like a regular rock concert, but in many others-people camping out in tents, the youth groups with youth leaders, the young kids-it seems like a big summer camp. Whereas beer is sold during The Vans Warped Tour and Ozzfest, alcohol is strictly forbidden at lOSF (And no one tries to break this rule.) Port-A-Potties at other concerts are usually gross, wet disaster zones-but at IOSF they're sparkling clean. As are the grounds: not a piece of litter to be found.
Even the crowd seems to glisten. Instead of grungy guys in band T-shirts, there are smiling people in shirts proclaiming GOD ROCKS and FREE HUGS. Overall, it's an incredibly friendly place. "Everyone's really nice," says Amanda Cina, 19, who came alone when a friend canceled at the last minute. "I was a little worried about it, but I've made a lot of friends here."
But the biggest difference between a Christian rock concert and a regular one is that the music is just part of the reason people attend. There are also daily worship services, speakers, discussions and lectures (Loving People the Way Jesus Did; Knowing the Father; Overcoming Laryngitis-Regaining your Evangelistic Voice; and Why Are Christians So Lopsided?).
The rise of Christian rock Christian rock has clearly touched a nerve. Over the last year, it was one of only two genres (the other being country music) to report an increase in sales. A number of so-called mainstream bands-P.O.D., Lifehouse, Creed, U2, Sixpence None the Richer, Project 86, Dashboard Confessional, Blindside, Sunny Day Real Estate, Collective Soul, MxPx, 12 Stones and others-have been embraced by the Contemporary Christian Music scene.
Lifehouse, for instance, whose hit, "Hanging by a Moment," was the most played song on the radio last year, used to be a worship team (meaning members would play their music as part of a church service). And many of the songs on the band's debut album, No Name Face, were originally played at the weekly service that the group led on Friday nights.
"This is a chance for Christians of all types to come together,.. says IOSF's coproducer Mark Scarano, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Moby. Mark has been organizing the festival for five years running.
Many of the concertgoers are here because they belong to churches whose youth group leaders thought the festival sounded like a wholesome activity. "With everything that's happening in the world, kids are looking for music that they can connect with;' says Sarah Carpenter, 19, a youth group leader. "They need something that has meaning beyond just the regular stuff of school, boys and parties."
But it's not just a common love of music that the fans share. Nearly all have been "saved," meaning they say they've had a moment when they realized that Jesus Christ was their savior and died for their sins, and they've dedicated their lives to him. It is assumed that all the people at Christian rock concerts have the same beliefs-or, if not, are open to changing their way of thinking.
In addition to the frequent preaching during band performances, there are tents where religious and political groups such as LifeTeen, Youth for Christ, American Baptist Churches and Rock For Life man booths and distribute leaflets. The Rock for Life booth is covered with pink plastic models of varying sizes. From far away they look like oversize lima beans, but as you get closer you realize they're representations of an unborn fetus at different stages of development. Not surprisingly, most people at the festival are pro-life.
"Abortion is terrible, absolutely horrible and wrong. Definitely killing. Murder, no question," says DeEtte. Though some take a broader view: "If it were me, I would have the baby," says Sarah. "But personally, I don't think I can tell someone else not to have an abortion, because I'm not her."
Is Christian rock Christians who are in rock bands? Is it bands who sing about God? Is it both? Even within the Christian rock community there is no agreed-upon definition, but there is pressure to stay true to your roots. Most bands at IOSF make at least a few comments about Jesus. Some read from the Bible. Bands that don't sound "Christian enough" or won't preach from the stage are sometimes seen as sellouts.
Then there are bands like Creed, Lifehouse and P.O.D. who don't want to be labeled Christian--even though they have members who are openly Christian, have roots in the Christian scene and/or sing lyrics that have strong Christian overtones. Instead, they prefer the term spiritual. "Are we a Christian band?" asks Scott Stapp on Creed's Web site (Creed. com). "It's a question we're asked a lot because of some of the references made in the lyrics. No, we are not a Christian band. A Christian band has an agenda to lead others to believe in its specific religious beliefs. Creed has no agenda!" What many of these divergent bands have in common are lyrics that are positive, inspiring, uplifting and often ambiguous (for example, is she or he singing about a relationship with God, or a romance with a boy or girl?). Struggle, guilt and shame are frequently mentioned topics. Many songs are about having the strength to wait until marriage to have sex.
TobyMac's material is explicitly religious-he reads from the Bible onstage and sings about riding on the "J [Jesus] Train." "This next song's about a girl named Irene,.. says TobyMac, his blue eyes barely visible underneath his Kangol hat. "She was a senior. She got pregnant." The crowd, familiar with the song, stirs in anticipation. "This goes out to anyone who feels like they failed before," he announces before launching into the uptempo "Irene." The song, which features the catchy chorus, "Hey little girl with the pressures of the world/On your shoulders/Don't say that it's over," is about an 18-year-o1d teen who quits school to raise her baby and feels abandoned. Then she prays. God answers her prayers and tells her that she's blessed.
Katy Hudson is a charming 18-year-o1d singer-songwriter with big blue eyes and messy hair dyed jet-black. She has an effortless star quality, but she's also the kind of girl who makes you feel like her new best friend by whispering secrets in your ear and grabbing your arm to tell you something when she's excited. Katy recently signed with the Island/Def Jam label (ironically, home to Jay-Z and Ja Rule), and she'll be marketed in both the secular and Christian markets. She's worldly and rebellious in a cool-kid kind of way: When some of the cute, tattooed roadie boys walk by backstage, she flirts with them. "Hey, Ethan," she yells. "We're talking about sex!" This gets Ethan's attention. "I love boys," Katy says. "Being 18, you gotta love boys."
Katy has a steady boyfriend, but she doesn't believe in sex before marriage. "I know what it does to people," she says. "One night my boyfriend and I went a little too far and I felt like I'd fallen so far away from God. I doubted myself and my strength. I was so weak at the time in my relationship with Christ."
If someone is going to have sex, however, Katy absolutely believes that person should use a condom: "Some Christians think that if you use a condom, it's premeditated. So nobody uses a condom at all and they have sex and get pregnant the first time."
Instead of preaching abstinence, Erica Campbell, one half of the Grammy-winning gospel sensation Mary Mary (short for Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalen) extols the sacredness of sex. "Sex is the giving of your soul, even though people think it's just a physical thing like shaking hands. It can be enjoyed way more if you know you're with someone who loves you for you-till death do you part," says Erica. "In my mind, what happens is you give a part of your soul. Then if you're not with this person, you're either dealing with heartache and headache, or it becomes a continuous pattern where you care a little bit less about giving a part of yourself. Until finally, your chance of having this beautifully intimate experience where it touches your soul is lost."
Most of the concertgoers think sex outside of marriage is a sin. Some girls at the festival wear rings that say TRUE LOVE WAITS. Lorelei's mother gave her one of these rings and told her that it symbolized the promise Lorelei had made to God to remain a virgin until marriage. "This is between you and God now," her mother said.
The kids at the festival who have lost their virginity (and admit it) say they did so thinking it would bring them closer to their boyfriend or girlfriend and then, upon finding that it didn't, felt immense depression and emptiness. It seems likely that the depth of their universally negative reaction-many thought about suicide-was due less to disappointment and more to the guilt of breaking the promise they'd made to themselves and God.
Daniel Binette, a 19-year-old punk rocker in a patch-covered denim vest, doesn't look like your average devout Christian. He's at IOSF with his fiancee, Dana Lushinsky, 19, a soft-spoken girl who wears her long brown hair in a braid. Dana estimates that about half of her time with Daniel is spent discussing something related to Christianity, and every night of the week they have a Christian something-or-other to go to. (When Dana graduates from college she wants to go into social ministry, helping homeless people get jobs and get off the streets.) Intending to spend the rest of their lives together, the pair vows to wait until marriage to have sex. "Not until I walk down that aisle," says Dana. She knows that Daniel lost his virginity a year and a half ago ("but if God..s forgiven him, then I should forgive him as well," she says), and admits they struggle with how far they can go physically. ..A few weeks ago, God put into my heart that we've been too far," she says. "We need to cut back."
When night falls on Loon Mountain, it is thick and inky. Quiet time on the campgrounds starts at 11:15 P.M., of the bands are still playing. There is very little light-save for glowsticks, flashlights and camp lanterns. Chelsea is in the tent with her three friends, showing off some of the more embarrassing things she brought with her. There's Binky the Blanket and Willow the Pillow. As she holds up each new item, all four girls start laughing. Their tent is a tangle of blankets, sleeping bags, clothes and pillows. And somewhere in the mess are four Bibles. Someone says something about shirtless boys in the distance, and the girls rush out of the tent to get a better view. In doing so they push one another and fall down, collapsing in laughter once more. In the morning they wake up, lie out by the river and then attend one of the festival's many worship services. "Let's just cry out to Jesus, let's cry out to him!" says worship leader Jason Upton.
The charismatic preacher (and singer-songwriter) is stocky and cute, with choppy, bleached-blond hair and blue eyes. For a while now there's been a movement in Christianity away from long, formal sermons and toward services that are more energetic, fun and youthful. Upton often leads worship with a full band backing him. He even does a sound check before he starts. "We need you, Lord!" Upton calls out, putting out his arms as if he's on a cross. Many in the crowd stand with their arms raised. Some sway slightly. Others cry. Upton again encourages the crowd to call out to Jesus. A few adults mumble "Jesus," but most of the kids remain silent. "The blood of the Lamb will set you free," Upton begins singing, eyes closed. "Pour over us, Lord."
The sermon is held in an area surrounded by the pristine wilderness of Loon Mountain, a site with jutting pine trees and a clear blue river edged by large rocks. (There is even a chairlift-in the winter, this is a ski resort-that concertgoers can take to get to an observation point at the top of the mountain.) The awe-inspiring serenity of the scenery makes this a powerful place for delivering "God's message."
"The river, the mountains, the trees-it's so beautiful," says Lorraine White, 25. "This is what I imagine heaven would look like."