Come, now is the time to worship...by Tony C

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend filled with love, family and most importantly God. We are all truly blessed beyond any possible means of expressing or demonstrating our appreciation...but I believe effort does counts.

This last week of Decemeber, each of your Kingdom Bloggers is going to share a frequently pesky hindering to our regular worship. While not limited to a weekly corporate worship service, that's where I will be in my post today.

A few years ago, I shared on Kingdom Bloggers my rough beginnings joining the Praise Team for the church where I attend. Often during that time, my focus during church worship services were far from thoughts of my beloved Savior. While I've settled into the role and completely relish the relationships I've developed in my 'small group', there are still times that my focus drifts more to the mechanics of the task at hand and are less on making a joyful noise for Him.

Satan surely knows exactly which buttons to push...

Over the course of the past few years, there have been regular occurrences where I'm playing a hymn for the very first time. Not just playing...but often hearing it for the first time too. Who would have guessed there are a number of differences in hymnals between denominations?

Our band plays two services: a traditional service at 8:30 am and a contemporary service at 11 am with Sunday School sandwiched in between. While our second service is often planned and practiced prior to Sunday morning, the traditional service music is never that way. As a matter of fact, the hymns are often chosen mere moments before services start.

I actually feel a bit of anxiety just typing that stated fact...

Here's where my worship hindrance can often be found. I earnestly try to prepare for worship services each week by praying and focusing on my 15 minute drive to church. Many times, that drawing close to my Father is quickly evaporated when the anxieties come with the loss of confidence in the abilities God has given me to play drums.

My focus shifts to me and away from our most worship-worthy Creator.

There's a continuing effect at times too. During a service where I know I've...well...been far less than stellar (a nice way of saying I stunk it up), my mind is often fixated on the proverbial water under the bridge and less on the message God wants me to hear that morning.

God deserves my very best effort beyond all doubt. What I need to fully accept and realize is my best effort to Him most likely involves the condition of my heart when I worship...not the perfect timing of my drumming.

Pa, rum, pa, pum, pum. 

Jenna's Dance of Life by Jenna Vick Silliman

Jenna’s Dance of Life

by Jenna Vick Silliman

I turn to You, Daddy, at the break of dawn.

We talk things over as the day goes on.

Your love is sweet, my God, my King,

I love You more than anything.

I read Your Word till You speak to my heart.

You give me grace and a brand new start.

I give You my burdens, so I live carefree.

You show me favor; I dance with glee.

You stay right with me, I stay right with You.

I give You thanks the whole day through.

I keep the music going and praising Your name.

Ever since I met You, I’ve not been the same.

I dream about the future and to You I pray.

Now I have hope and I live life Your way.

I leap for joy and dance and twirl.

I’m glad I am Your little girl.

www.TheDanceofLifewithJenna.blogspot.com

Go ahead, touch Him...I dare you!

This has truly been one of my favorite weeks on Kingdom Bloggers. While we are all here to serve our loving God, our very essence and nature is to be awed and in worship to the Almighty. I love the time each week I'm privileged to spend in fellowship, in prayer, preparing for my Sunday School class, in devotion and even writing or speaking for the Kingdom. But, nothing can replace the moments when the world around me seems to stop, and my focus lifts to Heaven in praise and worship to Him.

Just on Sunday mornings? Absolutely not! If I could spend every one of the 604,800 seconds in a week in humble gratitude, praise and worship...it still wouldn't be worthy enough for our Father. I worship whenever and wherever I can because I'm addicted to joy I receive from His love.

When it comes to my very favorite worship song, I'm going to surprise some of you expecting this Praise Team drummer to throw out something with a thump. I'll admit it was hard to pick just a single song, but this one immediately jumped out to me:

He is here, Hallelujah,

He is here, Amen

He is here, Holy Holy,

I will bless His name again

He is here, listen closely

Hear Him calling out your name

He is here, you can touch Him

You will never be the same

I long to be in His presence. When I sing this praise chorus in church or alone in my car, I cry out in thanks for His Spirit being with me, saturating me and that I might be used in some way to share His awesome love with others around me.

Even writing this, I get teared up just typing those last two sentences...because I know I will truly, honestly never be the same again. He pulled me from the dark and into the Light. Thank God!


Look Joyce, I found a Gaither version! You just knew this southern boy would...I'm sure. God bless y'all!!!

God said do...so I did.

Okay...this is the first one of these I've ever done, but I felt lead to do it. I have to admit, it was a real blessing working on this storyboard video searching for pictures and related videos while listen to Chapman's compelling praise song.

So, what about the change? I had to ask myself that dozens of times during the process. Maybe this was meant for me, I don't know...but I hope you are as moved as I was to self-reflect on the lyrics.