Tuesday, March 14, 2006
The Journey to the Heart of Worship
I'm leading worship again this Sat. This time to a much smaller group of Mkkies, cos the leaders are away on retreat. Honestly, after the emptiness I felt after being the guitarist the previous time, I have mixed feelings being the worship leader this time around. So many things I have yet to learn, so many things I have yet to discover about the heart of worship. Why did I consent to Suz's request to take up the role then? Guess a part of me really wished for this second chance to set things right with God. A part of me, perhaps a part even I am not aware about, is praying to walk on this journey to the heart of worship. Even as I began to seek God for the answer a verse came to mind..
"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." 2 Tim 1:6
God gave me the gift of worship and singing and I really wanna know how to use it to glorify Him. At present I'm torn between worrying about the technical aspects of worship like transition and timing and key compatibility, and thinking about what it takes to bring out the spirit of worship in Mkkies. I'm wondering what the role of a worship leader is. Even as I began preparing for it this morn, the answer unveiled itself this way. A worship leader leads a community of believers to worship God in Spirit and Truth; being led by the Spirit and God's wisdom, he strives to remove any hindrances that would obstruct himself or fellow worshippers from drawing near to God, through prayer, sharing of the word and perhaps singing a song with such a plea. Somehow I had the notion that the purpose of worship is to give to God the praises that is due to His name, so worship should be a time solely dedicated to Him, casting our burdens aside and rejoicing in the truth that we have a Savior. So it is my guess that the worship leader needs to see the heart of worship, needs to sing of the heart of God and express the gratitude to His faithfulness. Sounds like a really tall order. Really wonder whether I'm up to it. At the end of the day either I end up glorifying God or dishonoring Him. I'm praying for a theme, a message that God wants to spread this season in Mkkaddesh. The conviction that we need in this season. God, you see within us and know the heart of hearts. I pray that you'll reveal in Your time the conviction that we need to have in our hearts, so as to turn from our stubborn ways and seek You. All this in Jesus's name, amen.
Mantou at 7:06 PM