Real Worship

I’m glad to say that we learned from last Sunday’s lessons (see, “redemption church, stevenage, herts, 25/11/2007“). This week was absolutely amazing.

I led the whole of the worship today as Ali was recovering from a throat infection. We had deliberately changed the order of things around slightly. The plan was to have 2 songs, then straight into the teaching from Pastor Mark, followed by a time of worship. So, the “planned” set list was as follows:

• God of Wonders (Third Day)
• Indescribable* (Chris Tomlin)
• —(Word)—
• Who is there Like You (Ali Loaker)
• Facedown (Matt Redman)
• We Bow Down (Viola Graftstrom)
• More Than Words (Mike Ellis)

_______________________

• Your Grace is Enough (Chris Tomlin)

*New song this week

We were “in position” and ready to go a couple of minutes before start time. Pastor Mark started the service by praying while we played the chord progression to “God of Wonders” (slowed & stripped down).

We launched into the song proper and I could see people all across the hall actively entering God’s presence – to quote Charles Wesley, “lost in wonder, love and praise“. The fact that the second song was new this week did not seem to deter anyone from passionately praising God. The great thing about both of these songs is that they declare God’s greatness and firmly focus everyone’s attention on Him.

Pastor Mark spoke about the gospel being the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16); and as he was still ending his sermon, God began to gently, quietly, but visibly demonstrate His healing power over individuals.

The band got back up on stage & began to play Ali’s, “Who is there like You” as others began to stream forward – receiving from and responding to God. That’s as far as we got with the planned set list.

We stuck with Ali’s song while people were receiving from God. It’s such a beautiful, anthemic, minor sounding song (chord progression in the verse is Am G/Am F D) which again, brings everyone’s attention to God, His greatness and ends up in the chorus crying out, “Holy, You are holy, You are holy Lord“.

By the end of the ministry there was only enough time for one more song and Pastor Sandra leaned forward and suggested we sing Chris Tomlin’s, “How Great Is Our God“. This was so appropriate; and wow, the song totally flew! Everyone was giving everything they had, as they sang with all their hearts, with hands lifted and faces lit up.

Mark 16:20 says that “the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.” (MSG). Another translation says with “miraculous signs following” (MKJV).

When God said that He wanted our Sunday morning service to be a “shop window”, I didn’t realize it at the time, but He meant for everyone to be able to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) and to be able to “tell…what you have seen and heard; that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is proclaimed to the poor.” (Luke 7:22)