Thank You, God. We Praise You.
When we are children, innocent in imagination and curiosity for the wide world before us, we have this amazing ability to be so many things: we can, therefore we are. If we ask a child of four years old, “are you a singer?” the answer will almost assuredly be yes, because the child believes they can! Somewhere in our development to adulthood, we compare ourselves to others and base our ability on how well we stack up against the “competition.” We base who we are on what we do best. Our talents are gifts from God, but we are capable of so much more than we know, by His grace.
We are called to be His sons and daughters. We are called to be children of God. In worship, especially through song, we have a chance to grow closer to God as His children, to sing His praise and be grateful for His goodness in our lives. We shed the worries and beliefs of this world and bring Heaven to earth: with the angels and the saints, we join the choir of Heaven and grow ever closer to Jesus. We are called to a life of peace, to a life of joy. We are called to be filled with praise and thanksgiving for the blessings the Lord pours into our lives. How can we keep from singing, from worship, from lifting up His name?
Ever since I was a child, I have known Jesus through music and song. My father was a member of our parish worship team for the contemporary music mass and I was able to get involved as a child. First I shook maracas, then I began to sing and do percussion, then I learned guitar and piano and grew in my passion for prayer through music. Now in my adulthood and career as a worship leader, I aspire to come to worship with that same childlike wonder and joy for praise. Even in the moments in my life where I felt furthest from my faith, music has always been the way the Lord has spoken to my heart and helped me see Him more clearly working in my life. So my call to worship through my music and ministries is built upon community, through serving and helping others to grow closer to God. To speak to Jesus and call Him into our spaces through praise.
In my experience, worship through music is a powerful form of prayer, but worship can come in many forms. Whatever your talents, your passions, your gifts, using your abilities to bring Heaven closer to earth and bring Jesus into the lives of those around you, that is worship. If you are a dancer who prays while you move and invites the Holy Spirit to move through your performance, that is worship. If you are a barber who ministers to those who sit in your chair, who shares stories and fellowship with your community and brings Jesus to the people you serve, that is worship. If you are a teacher, a minister, a caretaker, a coach, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, who brings the Word of God to the communities and families you serve: that is worship. If all you have is a hallelujah in your heart, a “Thank You, God” to say at the end of the day, that is worship.
Know Jesus, grow closer to Him through your prayers and praise, say thank You for your blessings, and the ways that His light and joy will abound in your life become so tangible. Thank You, God. We Praise You.
- Q. Furnald
