God of the Mountains, God of the NICU: Alathea Sings!

Last night, we went to see the folk duo Alathea at our church.  They sing a fairly even mix of Christian themed music and music that's more secular.  Most of the works they've written themselves, and they play a wide variety of instruments.

In between, they tell great stories.  I loved hearing about the two young women sitting in the NICU, singing to the child who had arrived 6 weeks early.  We heard about the huge windows that look out on the Appalachian mountains.  We heard about the young woman realizing that our God of grand mountains is also the God of the ICU.  Well said!

I love that they sing their own music, but they can launch into Johnny Cash if the need arises.  They told a story of spending 12 hours in a German nursing home as they led groups of youth in singing to the residents.  One elderly German man looked at them and said, "Smoky mountains."  The group nodded.  The man said, "Johnny Cash!"  And the group launched into "Ring of Fire."  They sang it for us too.  They invited us to sing along.  Some of us did.

They also sang some Christmas songs, which fit well with the baby in the NICU theme:  our God of majesty comes to be with us.  We are not alone any more!  How I love Advent and Christmas.

I love that they've managed to make their living by singing and witnessing this way--for 12 years, no less!  I love that they see their work as a ministry.  They tour the country and do a lot of work with youth.  Hurrah!

If you want to find out more about them, their website is here--but be warned, it launches with song, so if you're at work or in the library, you might want to mute your speakers first.  We have all of their CDs, and we love them all.  If they ever sing near you, make the effort to go--they're great!