Tuesday, October 26, 2010

A Letter to My Worship Team...



Here's a letter I wrote to my team, at the end of our worship rotation...I know it can easily apply to worship leaders, but I pray it ministers to you as well...xo G


Hello lovelies...

I just wanted to say what an honor and privilege it has been worshipping with you guys the past 6 months.  Man did it fly by...I've learned so much from you, and am always in awe by all of your talents.  

Thank you again for your flexibility this last week, I know some of you weren't happy with us getting there earlier, but God worked everything out beautifully, just like I'd hoped!  We have a good God! 

Also I don't know if you guys noticed but I never have my left in-ear monitor in my ear.  I do this for two reasons: first to see if anyone in the back needs to get my attention; secondly, to hear the body's response to the worship.  I was so moved this past Sunday when the body of Flipside started singing How Great is Our God.  I couldn't help but get choked up, and it took all of my being not to break down crying.  In that very moment I knew that, THAT is what worship was all about.  It's not the two hour practices, or learning harmonies or chords, or which beat sounds better...yes those are all important; but worship is realizing that God alone is our hiding place, our Alpha and Omega, our complete and total keeper.  

Emotions and experiences can be expressed through song in ways spoken words can never satisfy.  In James 5:13 it says, "Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises."  Can I get an amen?! In Psalms 63:5 it says, "You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy."  I can't help but think brothers and sisters that God does not accompany our lives without music.  I got a glimpse of that on Sunday.  

I know not all of us had the easiest time the last 6 months, heck the last couple of years; and let's be honest, it might not get easier in the future.  But I can't help but think of Job's story, when all was taken away, all he could do was give God praises even in the darkest nights. Job 35:10-But no one says, ‘Where is God my MakerWho gives songs in the night."

Often times as worshipers we can think a song is beautiful and memorize its words yet remain completely unaffected by what it says.  Consider the relevance of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 14:15-I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.  God wants us to worship Him with our souls, but are we truly taking in and reeling through our minds what we are singing and playing?  We have to make a mental and spiritual note TO SING AND PLAY! A song can change our entire perspective, and a song can also greatly affect the heart of God.  When I have been greatly challenged in my life, I've had to learn to stop and worship him.  When I've been tempted, or wanted to go down a different path, I have literally had to sit my butt down and say to myself, Jillian, just sing to your God!  In the Psalms it says, "Let everything that has breath, PRAISE HIM!"  Let us do that my friends.

I pray that God makes us true psalmists, and may there never be a rock that has to cry out in our place!

Love and Peace,
Jillian