Karen Peck and New River - Concert Recap

Karen Peck and New River - Jeff Hawes, Susan Peck Jackson
and Karen Peck Gooch

I always enjoy the chance to see Karen Peck and New River whenever they are close. Not only are you in for a great night of worship, but you'll find the same sweet spirits behind the product table. They are as real as they come.

Saturday night the group was in Sparkman, Ark. at Holly Springs Baptist Church. It was a nasty night in Arkansas and rained on us most of the way there and back, but it was well worth the drive.

Here's a list of what they sang:

• "Ephesians 1"
• "Mighty Big God"
• "I Want to Thank You" - Karen pulled up a young girl from the church to join them toward the end. She was excellent and apparently from what was said sings several Karen Peck and New River songs at the church.
• "Sustaining Grace" - I love this song that features Susan. Beautiful song and vocals!!
• "Mighty High" - Karen told the story of the movie to intro the song, and they played the clip from the movie as they sang and got the entire audience involved as their "choir." This is always a fun song live.
• "Look What the Lord Has Done" - Jeff was featured on this song and did a great job. They did a reprise at the end that had the audience clapping along.
• "How You Walk the Miles" - I'm glad they are staging this song. It's such a great song from Karen's solo project!
• "I Can See Clearly" - Karen came into the audience to get audience members to sing as she typically does. The song was almost over when she realized that she missed the pastor on the front row. When she put the microphone in front of him, he told her that he was a man who knew his limitations. But he sang anyway, and after she jokingly told him that he should in fact just stick to preaching! :) It was also funny that at this point in the concert you could still clearly hear the rain coming down hard outside. But Karen turned that around to make the point that the song did saying that the rain will eventually be gone. The rain only lasts for a little while before the sun comes out again and encouraged people that no matter what they were going through, the rain would end.

• "This Is What Mercy Does" - Jeff set this song up by talking about how he had the opportunity to speak at a middle school that week. Many times when he gets invited to speak in schools it's to Christian organizations, but this time it was a general assembly for all students so he had to watch what he said. One message that he was able to share with them was that the past is the past. We have today, and we are promised tomorrow whether it's here or in glory, so we should focus on our future. He then sang the song, which is one of my favorites from Reach Out. He absolutely nailed it! Love to hear him sing this one live!!
• "Four Days Late" - I don't care how many times I hear this song, it never gets old. And Karen is always so incredibly spot on with her vocal performance and emotion behind the song every time!! 
• "We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown" - This is always a fun one. Karen again pulled up a young woman from the church who sang in the praise team. 

A couple of people from the church sang during intermission, including the two Karen had pulled on stage to sing. Karen talked earlier about the talent that the people in the church had and she wasn't kidding. A 12-year-old girl sang "Christian in the House" and was great! Another girl who reminded me of Leah Page who has been filling in for Libbi with the Perrys sang several and had the vocals to match Leah as well. She along with two others sang "I Will Praise Him" Isaacs-style, so incredible! I also thought it was really cool how Susan and Karen, both sitting on the front row, were the first two to stand up clapping for all the singers. They were great encouragers for the young singers.  

• "Hold Me While I Cry"
• "He Set Me Free"
• "Saved"
• "I Wanna Know How It Feels" - Love that they decided to sing this one!
• "On the Banks of the Promised Land" - I was beginning to wonder if they were going to sing this one or not, so glad they did! Karen ended this song leading the audience singing "What a Day That Will Be."
• "My God Will Always Be Enough" - One of my absolute favorite songs that Karen sings!!! It's another song that Karen always does so well and with such meaning behind every word. It's a song that ministers to me every time I hear it!

Karen ended the night with the invitation. Another thing I love about seeing this group is that they never fail to let the Spirit of God lead in closing the night. 

It was such a great night. I loved not only getting to hear them sing but also getting to talk to them after the concert was over. They are just precious people who take time to make everyone feel so appreciated after their concert.

Despite the outside being rainy and dreary, inside the church you could see clearly inside how God was glorified and how He was at work using Karen Peck and New River to minister and encourage.