When worship just clicks
There’s something about worship when it just clicks. Tonight in eXchange I led worship with a great bunch of people. Practice this past Wednesday was a little rough (we scratched a new song cause I didn’t have the range) but Sunday rehearsal went pretty well.
Nothing happened during rehearsal that made me think, “oh, tonight’s the night; we be bringing it tonight.”
Then worship started.
Our great friend Dave Butts shared with us on the power of prayer, his teaching being centered around the Lord’s Prayer. He really brought it and it felt like a lot of people connected with what he had to say. I know I did. Then, he called up the band to begin our time of musical worship.
What got me was how the band worshipped with abandon. I saw hands raised, eyes closed, mouths moving as they sung out to God.
But that wasn’t all.
The church followed suit.
I usually only put one of my in-ear monitors in my ears (the left one; I leave the right ear free) and tonight, my open ear was to the crowd.
They were overwhelming. Overpowering. Their voices rang out and carried deep into my skull.
Our last song was a Third Day Medley (Give, Turn Your Eyes, Your Love Oh Lord; this was also the replacement song for the one I couldn’t sing) and at one point in Your Love, we brought the song almost to a halt. Eric cracked the snare on beat four and we were back in, full on, 100%, driving the song home.
The crowd filled up my head. I could barely hear myself singing because they were so loud. The crowd was worshiping with abandon. And I almost began to cry.
Understand; I’ve never been moved to tears during worship. It’s just not my make-up. But this was something else. It was like a heat wave, and I could feel it radiating from the crowd.
They jammed me up and tore me down. I was smiling ear to ear and I know I missed a couple words and even a couple notes; I was smitten with this crowd worshiping their God.
It was scary and beautiful and awe-inspiring all at the same time. I think we could have went on for two more hours and no one would have left.
The room just felt right.
It felt like home.
Were you in eXchange tonight? Share in the comments below how you felt things went. I’d love to get your perspective.
Jesus follower.
Comment by Justin Hart on August 11th, 2008
I agree…I could definitely feel God moving in there last night. I’ve been in worships at other places where everybody in the audience is not worshiping they’re just singing the words on the screen and that’s it. I’ve often wondered how they can come to a worship service and not worship. At eXchange people worship, they come to worship and they do, and I believe that God moves through those times. I’ve been involved with worships teams for 10 years and I’ve noticed that it does not matter how practice goes, God can and still use you how He needs to. Thank you for allowing Him to speak through you so that so many people can see what worship is really about.
Comment by Andy McMahon on August 14th, 2008
Man. I love when it feels like home! I really do. Great stuff! I actually just wrote about worship/music myself. It’s just amazing.