Tear Down The Walls

Hey all,

Just thought I'd post a quick thought about worship here, since this is after all a worship blog.
On a very long bus ride today, I plugged in my iPod and had somewhat of an epiphany (Jared's new favourite word) about worship.

I sat there and wondered why TMC YM's worship is so tame. Why is it that we come every Sunday to worship, yet we look nothing like we're worshipping. We look more like lamenting to God and asking why we are out of our beds on a Sunday morning singing songs of worship. We sing "Jesus, we celebrate Your victory." But are we really celebrating His victory? And if we think we are, why do we celebrate it with glum faces and just lukewarm (ok, more like icy cold here) clapping and singing. We sing for his "Fire to Fall Down", but yet in our hearts we are probably thinking, 'Maybe not today Lord. I'm not in the mood..." We sing that "God is awesome in this place", but in our hearts, we think what would be even more awesome would be for us to get this done so I can go for lunch with my friends.

Sometimes, when i go down to visit the kindy kids, I think the kindergarten kids downstairs are having more of a worship moment with God than we are. They seem so happy to be there and to be singing the songs, be it how simple it is or how childish it may seem. They seem to mean it!

So as I sat there in the bus today, I asked God, and myself, what makes our worship so different from others? I'm sure we all have our worship moments there, but shouldn't the worship moments be happening every week.

Since this is a team, let's begin with the team. Over the past 5 years overseas, I've had the opportunity to learn more about worship from touring bands like Parachute and Hillsong United. And one thing that has hit me is that all these guys spend 9 months on the road, touring around the world and leading worship 3-5 times a week. And when they aren't leading worship, they are off recording an album or writing new songs.
But everytime they step onto that stage, they bring their 100%, they bring their everything unto God. And they worship. They don't just sing and put on an act for a concert; THEY WORSHIP. They go up there, and sing their hearts out to the only audience in the room: GOD.
EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. WITHOUT. FAIL.

Yet, coming back to us, and myself included. We lead worship at most twice a month, yet twice a month we sometimes look like we don't want to be up there leading worship. We sing about celebrating, but we look like we're mourning. We sing about surrendering to god, but it looks like we're surrendering to tiredness instead. How are all of us, as worship leaders, supposed to lead people to worship.

If we want to Worship in Spirit, we need to develop a Spirit of Worship!!

This phrase itself explains everything to do with us as worship leaders and band members. If we want to lead the people to worship in spirit, we need to develop a spirit of worship.
Everytime we speak, vapours come out of our mouth. The atmosphere is created by what comes out of your mouth. And as worship leaders, we need to use the atmosphere to set the mood for the congregation. We have the responsibility to live in a realm where we can stand on the stage in the toughest of times, and worship God. Cos we know that we have God there for us. We want to take people into a place where their burdens can dissolve away as they focus on the one thing that matters. We need to come with faith, and believe that God can and will do something supernatural in that place!

As I mentioned before, thermometers measures the atmohsphere, while a thermostat changes the atmosphere. Are you going to be a thermometer or are you going to be a thermostat and change it?!
The more we praise God, the more God comes and more people's lives will be changed. Put Your Belief into Action, next time you step up on stage.

I think our youths all have a heart for God and all want to worship God. But yet, it takes a 'Fusion' or an 'Encounter' or a 'Hillsong United Concert' to bring out their worship. But why can't they worship every sunday? That's something I ask myself every Sunday. And that's something I'll continue to search for an answer for. And try to bring it out in all of us.
Look forward to working with you all to bring us into the next and deeper level of worship. In us,and in the youths. To God.

xoxo
Hernshung

Btw, I love this song. My Song of the month. Actually past 2 months....

Tear Down The Walls by Hillsong United

Tear down the walls see the world

Is there something we have missed

Turn from ourselves

Look beyond

There is so much more than this

Look to the skies hope arise

See His majesty revealed

More than this life there is love

There is hope and this is real

And I don't need to see it to believe it
I don't need to see it to believe it
Cause I can't shake this
Fire deep inside my heart

This life is Yours and hope is rising

As Your glory floods our hearts

Let love tear down these walls

That all creation would

Come back to You

It's all for You

Your Name is glorious

Glorious

Your love is changing us

Calling us

To worship in spirit and in truth

As all creation returns to You

Oh for all the sons and daughters

Who are walking in the darkness

You are calling us to lead them back to You

We will see Your spirit rising

As the lost come out of hiding

Every heart will see this hope we have in You