STM's 'praise and worship' session

MENGEJAR HADIRMU (PSALM 27)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7RAbGVuYgk

Last Friday we had a wonderful worship session, something that is VERY RARE in STM. I’m telling you, it really was. Rajan, for the first time did come for the BM service (but that is NOT the reason why the worship felt so blessed and pleased The Lord) because he was supposed to handle the OHP. Anyway, let’s go back to the real topic.

Jacob was the worship leader that day. Lee Yng was on the 1st guitar, Sritaran on the conga and bongo, Chin Ying played the piano and Widos on the bass. I played the drums but I had to switch to guitar as soon as the third song finish because that was the plan. The fourth song was ‘Mengejar hadirMu’. I am not saying that we are good.

God’s presence was very much stronger that day compared to the ‘half-day prayer and fasting day’ or any of the strenuous STM Quiet Day. I am not denying the importance of these two ‘long-awaited’ days but last Friday was an experience worth sharing here. People just came with the worship that was required by Jesus in John 4:23-34. I am not saying that we are good.

Perhaps STM needs more of this. Every week students just SIMPLY choose a song that they want or like or just to fulfill their ‘duty’. Worship leading is NOT JUST A DUTY; you are held responsible for the rest of the people of God in preparing them and lead them into a time of true worship (thus the term ‘worship LEADer’ is introduced). I am not saying that we are good.
We are there to please The Lord and to sing out from our hearts but then, because of certain circumstances, our IMPORTANT praise and worship session every week felt just like a singspiration and dry. I am not saying that we are good.

Not many can easily worship The Lord that way, I mean in a worship that was simply prepared because the leader was told to do so (reluctantly accepted the ‘task’). At least (beforehand) pray over the responsibility that you have been entrusted and connect it to the sermon that would be preached soon after the praise and worship session. Some people need the ‘right’ atmosphere in order to be engaged to the entire service. As a worship leader, it is his or her job to make sure that all this things are ready and in tuned with God’s message. I am not saying that we are good.

I do desire to have a quality praise and worship session in STM and for it to be more often and consistent. We don’t have to be a good singer or a gifted musician in order to become a good worship leader. The most important thing is the anointing from above. Some people ended up annoying people with their worship attitude. I am not saying that we are good.

It is wonderful when we all can worship God in the right manner, offering ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice. One day, all this will come into a realization. I am not saying that we are good.

As the psalmist had heartily expressed in Psalm 27:4, he was yearning and I can feel the sense of longing there (or should I say ‘I can sense the feeling of longing there???) anyway, the psalmist desires to dwell in the temple of God for the rest of his life. The temple was the visible expression of God's presence and was sought after by the godly. While sitting in God's temple, he planned to "gaze" on the Lord's beauty and to "seek" (inquire after) him in his temple. In the act of gazing on the Lord's beauty, the psalmist submits himself fully to experience the beneficent fellowship with God. God's "beauty" is an expression of his goodness to his people. When Moses saw his glory, the Lord revealed his perfections of love and compassion.

God bless you all, true worshippers!