This will be my second post already regarding worship music...Am I tipping my hand as to one of my passions and a reason that I love about being a Child of God?!?!
Last summer, I was a chaperone on a Youth Choir trip to New York City. Being from Alabama, let's just say, I had never seen anything like NYC. Times Square is one of the most amazing places I have ever seen! Times Square at night is 100 times cooler than that! It was alot of fun. We were able to share the gospel with hundreds of people through our street concerts, and in the schools around Brooklyn. The good people of New York were drawn to this traveling band of 96 teens and adults all wearing the same colored shirts, sporting ridiculous Southern accents, Y'all, and singing outdoors in 95 degree heat!
One of the songs we sang is "Today is the Day" written by Lincoln Brewster. Fun little song...we even had hand motions!!! Yippeeeeeeee!!!
I looked up the lyrics, and this is how they begin:
"Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
(Here we go)
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh"
You can probably tell, if you haven't heard it, it is a very upbeat, kind of pop-style song! Not necessarily my favorite of the songs we did, but it was fun, and probably an attention grabber for the people wandering by. When listening to our CD of songs we would be singing, I would skip it most of the time, because it is such a teeny-boppy-little diddy (at least the version we did) that I didn't pay it much attention.
Fast Forward to last Sunday at MY AWESOME CHURCH we sang this song as a corporate worship song. Sang it through, with lots of clapping, good vibe....then our amazing Worship Leader slowed it down a notch. No drums. No Bass. Just her voice and the keyboard. And I think for the first time EVER, I listened to what the song said:
Today is the day, You have made.
I will rejoice and be glad in it.
And I won't worry about tomorrow,
I'm giving you my fears and sorrows.
Where you lead me, I will follow.
I'm trusting in what You say.
Man. What a powerful song.
We are at a time in our lives in my family where we are consumed at times by worry. Bills. My job is ending soon. And Bills.
I need to live this chorus.
So my challenge to anyone who is out there is this...Listen to the Words! And not just the words from a popular song, although they may speak to you as well....but listen to the Words of God.
His voice:
Through a time of meditation.
While reading the Scriptures.
Hearing a sermon.
Fellowshipping with a believer.
Ministering to an unbeliever.
During the praise and worship time at your church.
Resting after work.
While getting dressed in the morning.
All day, everyday....
HE IS SPEAKING!
Slow it all down...and Listen.
Loved the post! I'm very glad that you are being ministered to on Sundays and that God is speaking to you. "Slow it all down...and Listen." Great, great thought! My only question is how to slow down.
ReplyDeleteI once read that Martin Luther would rise early in the morning and spend the first three hours of his day in prayer and meditation upon the Word. If his day was especially busy, he might even spend up to five hours alone with the Lord. He did this at one of the busiest times in his life when the Reformation was in full swing and when people were constantly wanting his attention and/or his death. This seems like such an odd thing to spend more time with God and slow down even more whenever you are the busiest. However, when we are the busiest, that is when we need the Lord the most.
Anyways, great post. Thanks for taking me on the trip with you.