For God Alone

 

I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. ~Psalm 9:2

One of the most gratifying experiences Danny and I share as a couple years ago is singing together in our praise band, Crossroads, at Kennesaw United Methodist Church.  When we are assigned a new pastor, the last thing we expect is to get asked to step down from our positions.  Well, not in so many words, but the writing on the wall is loud and clear.  Se don't know to this day why or how we rubbed the pastor the wrong way, but we decide to leave without casting blame or badmouthing her decision.

When I first arrive at Shiloh Methodist (pictured above), before Danny starts attending with me, it isn't long before I'm telling folks what church I used to attend, and how we were involved in the music ministry.  Shiloh is too small of a congregation to have a choir, so much of the music is led by our amazing lay leader, Sandy, at each service.  When I tell her about Danny, she doesn't hesitate to jump on the opportunity to ask him to participate in the music on a rotating basis.

This coming Sunday will be our debut!  Danny has selected the song, "How Great is our God," by Chris Tomlin.

It is one of my favorites, and I'm so blessed to be able to sing harmony with him on this number.  During our practices, all the joys of singing God's praises with him come flooding back to me.  I'm overcome by emotions I haven't felt in way too many years, and I'm so grateful to God for the gift of song to honor Him with the praise He deserves.

Oh, and why are we practicing in what we call our "middle room?"  Because it is sparsely furnished and uncarpeted, the room mimics the great acoustics found in our church sanctuary.  It allows Danny and I to develop a better feel for what the real experience will be like.

In the pre-electronic days when our little church was originally built, sound had to carry all on its own, allowing everyone to clearly hear the hymns of joy and worship, receiving the Word of God with unmistakable clarity.

When I look back on those years of wires, ear buds and microphones, I sense that our desire to draw closer to God and His people was hampered by the illusion of performance.  That's antithetical to the concept of worship, even when our outward signs would have us thinking otherwise.

I pray that we will know this coming Sunday that our presence in that holy place is for God alone and for His faithful people.

Amen!