Maybe not "we." I had never played it before, and the acoustic guitar played a prominent role in the song. So, I had to pick it up fast.
Maybe not "new." I had never played it before, but the song has been around for a while and is familiar to many people.
Maybe not "in church." I had never played it before, but this song has been played on many praise CDs and in many services and gatherings.
It seems my opening remark may need reworking. How about this?
I learned to play a song for church this week that was a new and exciting addition to my repertoire.
Much better.
The song is "You Are Good" by Israel Houghton. It is a great praise song that is very well written. It has a great theme and is a blast to play on guitar or on the radio. Yet, none of those factors is what ministered to me the most.
Rather, it was something else entirely. It wasn't the lyrics or music on paper. It wasn't the audio of the song. It was the video.
You see in working on that and one other song ("Not Ashamed" by Passion) for this week's worship service, I spent a lot of time on YouTube. The videos of these songs give me the chance both to hear the music and study the guitarists' methods and approaches to the various parts.
However, something outside of all of that leapt off the screen at me. The congregations when it was a church setting, and the crowds in the outdoor festival or indoor arena settings were all jumping and clapping and singing. The singers on stage were running, leaping, and spinning as they sang. (Chris Tomlin was particularly energetic in the "Not Ashamed" clip.) (Unimportant but amusing side note: if you try to type "Tomlin" on my iPad, it autocorrects to "Tomlinson." Perhaps I post on Facebook/write/tweet about sports a bit too much.) And then there's Israel Houghton, who not only leaps and dances, but does it all while playing guitar. It is really impressive to watch.
Why were they all doing this?
Is it because they love God? In a word, yes.
Is it because the joy that they've found in Christ is that great? Yes again.
For the singers, musicians, and leaders, is it because they want to usher others into the presence of God through praise and worship? Most certainly.
But there is a much bigger cause to the effect.
I also watched a concert DVD this week called "The Complex Rock Tour Live" by The Blue Man Group. If you've never seen them perform, I highly recommend that you check them out. Their music is innovative, and their stage show is amazingly cerebral. They also do some crazy gags, stunts, and dance moves that they would likely never do in public as their "normal" selves. They even have a song that talks about the metaphorical masks that people put on in their daily lives, sometimes to the point that their true form is no longer recognizable to themselves or to others. It is equal parts epiphany and irony coming from a bunch of guys literally wearing blue masks.
It was watching this performance that showed me what all those people in the YouTube clips had that allowed them to expend such energy in worship.
Freedom.
Freedom in Christ.
When we allow Christ into our lives...when we truly accept him for who he is and what he has done, we are set free. The Bible tells us that "...if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) We are free to be our true selves. We no longer have to put on some misguided disguise or pretend to be someone we are not.
Yes these people love God, have joy in Him, and want others to also experience God's presence, so much so that they feel the need to dance passionately before God. But it's because of the freedom in Christ that all of that gets expressed outwardly. (Is there any other way to express something? Never mind...) Because of Jesus, they are literally free to do what they were created to do.
That's what we witness in these video clips.
In fact one of the comments on the Passion video stated that "Christians know how to party." And you know what? That's ok. We are allowed to have fun while worshipping God. It is why we were given life.
We were created to worship.
What about you? Does your church have a team that dances in front of the church while the music plays? Does your worship team play an instrument or a musical style that's different than you're used to? Are there people in your congregation who bounce, or dance, or raise their hands in worship? What other expressions of praise have you witnessed that may make you or someone else uncomfortable?
I am not one who dances or leaps or spins often...er....ever. It just isn't in my makeup. In the past, I have often been uncomfortable being around people who are able to worship that way. But you know what I've noticed? All of the dancers, leapers, and spinners always give me the freedom to worship in my own way.
Why shouldn't I do the same for them?
Scripture: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17
Quote: "Every morning, I put it on. I walk outside, and I am gone. And I don't seem to mind anymore. I can't think what it was like before I wore it all the time." - from "Persona" by Blue Man Group
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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