Worship – Kallos

Seeing the Old Anew

Alina Teo — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:12:00 +0000

WHAT IS LITURGICAL PRAYER?

For a while now, I have been pondering about the meaning and place of liturgy in our lives. Liturgy can be understood as the way in which public religious worship, in particular Christian worship, takes place.

You see, I come from the background of a charismatic church which barely sang hymns, but often rocked the latest Christian hits. Prayer was mostly a spontaneous affair that came “straight from the heart”, not pre-written and read out during the service.

So, liturgical ways that involved prayer books and traditional services were lost on me for a long time. But in recent years, I have been mulling more particularly on liturgical prayer and its significance and place in our lives because of various books I have read, experiences I have lived through, and people I have spoken to.

THREE INFLUENCERS OF FAITH: ELISABETH ELLIOT, RICHARD J. FOSTER, STEPHEN CROTHERS

For starters, reading Elisabeth Elliot’s works has been thought-provoking. Elliot was a missionary to Ecuador who lost her husband to martyrdom. Yet, she went on reaching out to the same people who had hurt her (Read more about her in our article In Acceptance Lieth Peace). Throughout her life, she wrote many books and had radio broadcasts about her experiences and thoughts towards God. Elliot did not mince her words and her works have challenged and influenced me to always live in light of who God truly is and to have faith.

In some of her writings, she shared how praying through the prayers of saints have helped her in her own journey of seeking God and finding the words that she could not articulate herself. Adding on to that, she believed that we are joining in with the long history of fellow believers who have prayed these prayers and have sought and found God. We, who are the body of Christ, are not alone in our walk with God, but are carrying that same refrain to God, who is the same God over all time.

When I was younger, I always saw traditional liturgies — these set lines to recite — as boring and old-fashioned. Using them was as if we could not come up with something better or more relevant for our time. But is that really the case? Or was I perhaps a bit immature and letting pride take the place of a humble heart to learn and grow in ways I wasn’t open to explore?

The heartfelt cries of the saints of old who felt lost, broken, disappointed, or angry, the real anguish and pain they brought to God and penned into prayers to remind themselves of God’s faithfulness, are the prayers that we now have the privilege to also utter as a way of saying, “Yes, God, I need You as much as the saints before me did.” These written prayers are still very relevant to us today.

We, who are the body of Christ, are not alone in our walk with God,
but are carrying that same refrain to God, who is the same God over all time

Another author who has highlighted liturgical prayer is Richard J. Foster. Years ago, my pastor passed me this book as I was searching to have a deeper prayer life. In his book, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, Foster highlights five points for us to consider through liturgical prayer to grow in our prayer life:

1. Liturgical prayer enables us to express the longings of our heart that are at times hard to put into words. Perhaps at times, we do not even want to pray. These liturgical prayers act as a crutch for us to still limp towards God in times of our woundedness.
2. Liturgical prayer helps us to join in with the community of saints. The act of uttering the very words spoken by so many who have gone before us can be likened to us marching to the same beat in the grand marching band of Christ.
3. Liturgical prayer helps us to stay away from the enticement of a prideful show of self. It relinquishes the need for skilful words or any sort of appealing personality. It is simply praying the words that have been prayed. It enables us to focus more on God, rather than the person leading the prayer.
4. Liturgical prayer pushes us to shy away from letting the frivolous concerns of our lives dominate our prayers. Through the liturgy, we are constantly brought back to the Word of God, to open our hearts to the poor and regard the turmoil of the world.
5. Liturgical prayer keeps our reverence for God, remembering that He is the Almighty God our Creator. Through the stately and formal ways that liturgy is presented, we are reminded of the distance between God and us, and we are to fall in reverent awe before Him.

Holding liturgical prayer and our own personal prayer in tandem may be the answer to a greater growth in our own Christian journey.

These liturgical prayers act as a crutch for us to still limp towards God
in times of our woundedness

Stephen Crothers of A Liturgy Collective (a group that comes together to reimagine ways of worship needed in all seasons of life) shared in a workshop titled, “Worship, Liturgy and Seeking Renewal in Public Worship”, about how we should not sideline liturgies in our worship to God but instead see them as a way to deepen our worship of God.

Perhaps for those who have grown up knowing liturgies, this might be a start to look at liturgies with fresh eyes and see how you can worship God deeper through this means. For others like me who have not had much chance to delve into liturgy, there’s always a place to start and reap the riches it has to offer.

Holding liturgical prayer and our own personal prayer in tandem
may be the answer to a greater growth in our own Christian journey

THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

The prayers in The Book of Common Prayer are called Collects and there are patterns and structures set in place in these prayers that model after many biblical prayers. Scot McKnight in his book, To You All Hearts are Open: Revitalising the Church’s Pattern of Asking God, introduces these structures.

Firstly, liturgical prayer often begins with addressing God by a certain quality we know Him by.

Then, it goes on to confession and repentance.

Finally, it goes on to supplication based on related promises and characteristics of God, and the purpose that would be fulfilled through the answered prayer.

SHALL WE PRAY?

As an example of liturgical prayer, I have chosen part of a daily morning prayer from The Book of Common Prayer that we can pray through together. The use of older pronoun forms are simply because that was how language was used in the past and also a way of showing reverence to God. This is a simple prayer reminding us of our need for God and the grace He offers us when we humbly come to Him.

You may join me in prayer together here:

Almighty and most merciful Father,

We have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against Thy holy laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.

But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to Thy promises declared unto humankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Thy holy Name.

Amen.

Louder than My Unbelief

Kallos Team — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 09:01:00 +0000

When ANGIE LIM was called to a year of missions, she knew that convincing her father to give her his blessing would be no simple task. She shares the faith it took to worship louder than her unbelief.

When I was growing up, my father and I were not emotionally close, but everyone could tell he doted on me. In terms of personality, I was my father’s daughter, self-confident and outspoken just like him.

My dad was an agnostic, self-made man. Yet ironically, he was instrumental in my spiritual development, as he would constantly persecute my family for our faith in Christ. He would tempt my siblings and me with permission to watch cartoons if we chose to stay at home and not follow our mum to church. On occasion, when my parents fought, he would taunt me with questions about God that were too difficult for my young mind to process. But his efforts to draw me away from my faith often made me think more deeply about why I wanted to follow Christ.

I ASKED GOD, “WHAT’S NEXT?” I DID NOT EXPECT TO HEAR THAT THE MISSION FIELD WAS NEXT.

After I graduated from polytechnic, I asked God, “What’s next?” I did not expect to hear that the mission field was next. I sniggered, telling God that my dad would never allow it, as if God did not already know. Then at a youth camp that same month, the guest preacher prayed over me that my time was NOW, not years later — not in my old age but now. That preacher did not know me or what God was calling me to do, so I knew that word was from the Lord.

THE ULTIMATUM

With fear and trembling, I wrote a letter to my dad telling him that I wanted to serve in the mission field for a year, and that I would like his blessing to go. I thanked him for giving me a privileged life, but I also opened up about how I often felt the need to tiptoe around him for the expression of my faith. My tone indicated that I no longer wanted to live my faith in fear of his persecution. I placed the letter on his bedside and went overseas for a week. When I came back, my dad did not talk to me. I didn’t dare face the eruption I knew was coming. The silent tension went on for a while.

One night, I had a dream that my dad was seated alone at the dining table, flipping through the sports section of the newspaper. The dream was so vivid I even remembered the angle of the coffee mug to the right of the newspaper. I brought up the topic of missionary work and he said harsh words to me. The next morning, I woke up late, and my dad, the newspaper, and the coffee mug were in the exact position I dreamed about.

I knew I could not drag on our silent war any longer, so I asked what he thought of my letter. He widened his eyes at me with anger and started shouting the exact harsh words I dreamed he would say. I stood there, crying, and did not respond. But he saw the steadfast resolution in my eyes. He then said that he would give me two months to think about it. By 10 pm of 10 March 2004, if I chose to go without his blessing, he wanted me out of his house and to never come back.

I KNEW WHAT MY EARTHLY FATHER WAS SAYING CONFLICTED WITH WHAT MY HEAVENLY FATHER WAS SAYING.

BETWEEN MY TWO FATHERS

I went to my room and cried and prayed. I felt so stuck, because I knew what my earthly father was saying conflicted with what my heavenly Father was saying. As I prayed, I realised that while my dad reacted exactly as I had dreamed, no part of the dream showed me actually leaving the house. An overwhelming peace came upon me. It gave me the strength to trust in God’s faithfulness to make a way when there seemed to be no way.

I went on to pass the missionary interview process and signed up for training in faith. I told my church leadership team that at the end of two months, if I did not get my father’s blessing, I might have to withdraw from the programme. The pastors were understanding and journeyed with me as I exercised my faith.

During those two months, many concerned church and extended family members asked me to reconsider my decision. Their words did not cause me to waver, because God kept assuring me that this was the season for me to step out in faith. The only weak moments I had was when I saw how torn my mother was, standing between her husband and her child.

WAITING ON A MIRACLE

Nine o’clock at night came on 10 March 2004. My pastors texted me, offering to come over to my home if mediation or refuge was needed. With confidence, I texted back that there was no need for refuge. I didn’t so much as pack a toiletry kit, even though I knew my dad was a man who always kept his word. But by 9.30 pm, with no miracle in sight, I desperately asked God to intervene.

At 9.45 pm, my dad came to my room. He knew that my decision had not changed. Neither had his. I remember the hurt in his eyes as he said, “Fine. Pack up now.

ALL I COULD DO WAS WORSHIP LOUDER THAN MY UNBELIEF.

By 10 pm, I want you out of my house.” As I sat there in a daze, a line from a sermon came to mind: “When you’ve prayed all you can pray, cried all you can cry, all that’s left to do is worship.” I reached for my guitar and played worship songs as tears rolled down my face. There were no more words left to pray — all I could do was worship louder than my unbelief.

All this time, my mother had kept silent. But after she heard what my dad said, she plucked up the courage to challenge his decision. Then at 10.15 pm, my dad stood at my bedroom door again. For the first time, I saw him in tears. He said I had his blessing to go. I had never seen such a soft look on my dad. I was speechless, and in my heart, I thanked God. The miracle had come!

REBUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIP

Even though I had my dad’s blessing, our relationship remained tense. He did not see me off at the airport. I knew he was sad and was coming to terms with the first time I was choosing my faith over fear of his opinions.

The year away from my earthly father unexpectedly gave me space to heal and encounter God the Father in a deeper way. By the time I finished my missionary stint and came back, it was with wounds to heal but victories to boast of as well.

My dad and I did not talk much after my return. It was not for my lack of trying; I feel I got the best my Asian dad could give at that time. I knew I was not going to hear “I love you” or receive a hug, but he showed his love in other ways. He went out of his way to buy my favourite food and would often let me use his car even at his inconvenience. He chose to run his errands earlier, so he could come back and silently place the car keys on the table, then watch TV as a sign that he was done with the car for the night.

It was three months later at a dinner with family friends that I heard him boast about my experiences on the mission field — they were stories that he had heard me tell other family members about. When the family friends praised me for my courage to step out at such a young age, he beamed with such pride. After that night, we spoke amicably like old times before my missionary stint. In His faithfulness, God brought reconciliation that I did not think was possible.

4 Things You Never Knew About Being a Pastor

Kallos Team — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:27:00 +0000

What encourages you most as a pastor?
Pastor Melissa Quah, Faith Community Baptist Church
What really encourages me most as a pastor is to see “possibilities realised.” I love baking. Other than it being therapeutic (to me!), I like that something tasty can be created out of common ingredients. It is like seeing the possibilities in the eggs, sugar, and flour being realised in the final product.

Whenever I face difficult people or situations, I will take a step back and ask God to show me the possibilities in that situation — in that person’s life and even in my own life. That process of journeying with God, knowing what is upon His heart and seeing Him move hearts — despite what we see with our physical eyes — encourages me. It is an affirmation that God is with me and I am on the right track in being His vessel to fulfil His purposes.

Pastoring people has its challenges, discouragements and disappointments. But all it takes for me is to see that person take even a step towards growth in the Lord, and somehow it makes every effort and every heartache worth it. That is why I am always looking out for that transformation, however small it may be. I believe that that seed of possibility realised is what fuels my faith to keep believing and my passion to keep going.

God is creative. When we work in partnership with Him, He can create and realise amazing things out of that.

What is one assumption people have about being a pastor?
Pastor Guo Fen, Queenstown Baptist Church
For me, the assumption is that pastors can answer all of one’s life questions.

“Pastor, we have a new friend. She’d like her son to join our young adult fellowship, can I link her up with you?”

Of course, I said, “Yes, sure!” As a pastor, I love to connect with new people.

So I was connected with this lady and she started to share her burdens and concerns about her husband’s and son’s walk with God, as well as her worries for one of her friends, who struggles with her mental health and possibly needs counselling. She suggested that I meet her friend.

Even though I didn’t mind meeting her friend, deep down in my heart, I was apprehensive about it. I wasn’t sure if I could be of good help as I am not a trained counsellor. But we met, nonetheless. We spent two hours sitting in the garden, talking about her life. She showed me her arms, which are filled with scars. She told me she used to cut herself, as it helped her to release her emotional pain.

She asked, “Why is my life filled with ‘bad luck’?” To be honest, I did not have an easy answer for her. Instead of answering her question, I asked, “Can I pray for you?” Because I know that only Jesus can heal and mend her brokenness.

Pastors do not have answers to all of life’s questions, and we do not have
it all sorted out. Many times, I find myself simply being a companion to my brothers and sisters in Christ as they journey through difficult life stages and circumstances. We walk with them, listen to them, and pray with and for them.

What is your biggest struggle as a pastor?
Pastor Wencong, Ang Mo Kio Presbyterian Church
I would say spiritual integrity. Christians (especially pastors) know just what to say and how to behave to appear spiritual. We preach, teach, and guide others in the faith, but can fail to be ministered to by God. Reading the Bible becomes ‘work’ as we prepare a sermon for the congregation. Praying to God becomes something we say only in the presence of other Christians. We lose our integrity when we ask another Christian to read and pray and fail to do so for ourselves.

This has been a real challenge for me, because much of a pastor’s ministry is public, whether it is in a small group or in front of the whole congregation. So when people ask me what a pastor does, I often tell them that the most important thing I have to do as a pastor is to do my quiet time and pray.

First Timothy 4:16 says: “Keep a close watch on yourself and the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing; you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (ESV)

This will be an ongoing struggle as a pastor to keep watch of myself and my teaching — ensuring that it is aligned with the Gospel that I profess, and keeping my faith a personal one as I serve in the public ministry.

What do you wish you knew before you became a pastor?
Pastor Rachel, Hope City Church
I’m not sure if “knowing more” would have helped — it may have even deterred me from pastoring! As a pastor, you see all aspects of human experience, including the good, bad, and the ugly. Honestly though, I do love ministering in God’s kingdom; it’s the best thing in the world. We get to serve God and His people on a full-time basis. The dreams of serving God with creativity, innovation, journeying with people through their ups and downs, making a difference across generations, stepping out in the gifts of the Spirit and being stretched, yet feeling satisfied after… what could be better?

Yet with all the dreams and ideals, I suppose I wish I had known that I needed an experienced mentor who could walk me through the valleys of unmet expectation and stinging arrows of betrayal and disappointments. That really would have given meaning to my many heartbreaks and tears. As I was literally thrown into ministry (think sink or swim), having someone who could have absorbed the blows of leadership and be my shield and support for managing the never-ending expectations from all generations would have strengthened my foundation. Leadership is tough for anyone, let alone a young female pastor. I also wish I had known the importance of my identity in Christ, as it would have made a world of a difference. But even if I never had such a mentor, nor the perfect situation, I have One who is more than enough; a saviour who cares so much for me!

All About Worship

Kallos Team — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 03:41:00 +0000

Worship is a regular part of our weekly church services. But have you ever thought about what worship really is all about? Here are the top four questions about worship that we’ve gathered from our readers!

“How do I worship God when I don’t feel like it?”
Aarksara: I’ll be one of the first to raise my hand and admit that I have had these thoughts go through my mind. I’ve quickly learnt that worship is a non-negotiable in our walk with Jesus. It is part of our DNA as followers of Christ. Worship is our response and expression unto God, in every season.

When we are under the weather and lose our appetite, we don’t feel like eating, but we know that in order for our body to recover, we need to eat and consume the right nutrition to heal. Likewise, we will have down times throughout our lives where we may not feel like worshipping, but we need to be anchored and remain in Him. John 15:4 says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

Even when it is difficult, worship is our response to choosing Jesus no matter what may come our way.

“What makes a worship song a worship song?”
Isaac Ong: Growing up in church, I’ve always believed a worship song to be anything that was sung in church or any song with lyrics that had “God” in it. While that may still be somewhat true, growing more in God has helped me to widen my understanding of worship and what God truly desires out of my song.

God is not looking for lip service, or songs that just have an outer shell of “worship” with no heart of worship, void of devotion and adoration that comes from deep within. He desires that our hearts be not far away from the words that we offer unto Him, lest it be just really a so-called Christian song, rather than a worship song.

To me, what takes a song nominally about God to become a WORSHIP song unto God is the heart and posture of the worshipper. We have a tendency to focus on the outward appearance, but God always sees the heart. *Cue* “When the music fades…” [from “The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman]

“How do you know if you’re cut out to be a worship leader?”
Jonathan Cho: Most of us typically begin with asking if we have the musical ability for this role, but perhaps this is not the most fundamental question. If we truly desire to lead others into worship through song, we would find ourselves disciplined to develop the necessary skill set. Leading worship always involves both the hard-ware (i.e., “hard skills” like technical knowledge) as well as heart-ware. So, what is it about the heart?

What is our truest desire? Would we worship Him in secret — when there is no platform or stage and no one hears our songs? Would we still lead others if no one remembers our names? We can only lead others to where we are prepared to go ourselves. Is it our heart’s deep desire for all to give God glory, to love and adore Him whilst we can be forgotten? Worship is never about the stage; it is always about the heart. Perhaps that is where we must begin.

“Why do we need to have worship as part of church service every week?”
Benita Lim: Singing together is a rich tradition practised by God’s people. The Israelites sang when they were in battle (2 Chr 20:21–22), and when they experienced God’s redemption and victory (Exod 15:1, 21). Together, they assembled to sing praises and laments from the Psalms on days of feasts. Jesus also sang in the upper room with His disciples when they gathered for the Last Supper (Mark 14:26).

In fact, God Himself sings (Zeph 3:17); Jesus is described to be singing praises to God in the assembly of God’s people (Heb 2:12), and Colossians 3:16 refers to songs from the Spirit! The same verse also tells us to let the message of Christ dwell richly in our hearts as we sing spiritual songs to exhort one another and in thanksgiving to God (Col 3:16; cf. Eph 5:19). Through singing together during church services, we experience and recognise God’s presence as one body of Christ, are taught about God’s Word with each song’s theology, and even encourage each other as we sing in harmony.

A Praiseworthy Fear

Jiamin Choo — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year, clumps of hair began to fall out whenever my fingers gently ran through my long black hair. Even when I didn’t touch my hair, strands fell off easily onto my clothes, my food, and wherever I was standing.

“What’s happening? Haven’t I just recovered from a bout of dengue fever which bruised my body with purplish-red spots? Now that the spots have healed, this hair loss issue comes up! I don’t even dare look at myself in the mirror anymore,” I wrestled silently. My soft and thick hair, the very feature that used to bring me pride and joy, was turning into limp, lifeless strands.

One evening, as I sat on the floor in disbelief, staring at yet another clump of hair on the ground, my husband quietly came behind me, sat down and hugged me close. I blurted out, “At this rate of severe hair loss, I’m afraid I’ll become bald.” He said, “You’ll always be beautiful to me.” When I asked why, he quoted from Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

In my mind, I knew that verse rang true, but my heart didn’t believe it fully. It felt like a consolation prize to soothe my downcast spirit. Later, my husband explained, “I didn’t marry you because of your head full of hair. I married you because of your heart full of gold. Because you are a child of God who fears Him, you are a reflection of who He is, and that is what matters most.” It dawned on me that he wasn’t offering me a consolation prize, but a top prize which sparked affirmation and praise.

As I reflected on the God-fearing woman in Proverbs 31:10–31, I realised that little is mentioned about her looks, but much is emphasised about the works of her hands, and her heart behind her actions. She is hard working inside and outside the home (v.13–19), generous towards the needy (v.20) and well-prepared for tough times (v.21). One interesting fact about this Bible passage is that it is actually an acrostic poem, where each of the 22 lines starts with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. To have the description of the woman end with verse 30, praising her fear of the Lord above the transient nature of beauty, reminded me that the most important thing is to value my relationship with God above external appearances.

It may seem strange that the fear of the Lord can be a good thing and even praiseworthy, because the word “fear” tends to be associated with negative emotions or dreadful experiences. However, the root of the word “fear” in Hebrew actually connotes a sense of reverent awe or worshipful respect. According to Old Testament scholar John Goldingay, “Hebrew uses the same words for being afraid of someone fearsome and for respecting someone whom it’s appropriate to revere…. In the Wisdom books, awe is seen as a key aspect of a relationship with God, of crucial importance to understanding God and life.” The praiseworthy woman knows who God is and has a right attitude towards Him.

My hair fall issue continued for a few months, but it healed naturally. New hair grew back as my hair growth cycle normalised, and I was relieved. Looking back, I realised that while I was fearing the loss of beauty, it was more important to fear the Lord. In our world today, where we may easily compliment one another on OOTDs, talents or achievements unlocked, may we be challenged instead to praise one another for our fear of the Lord because that is the most attractive quality that is everlasting

PRAYER
Dear Lord, I desire to worship You in reverent awe. Teach me Your way, that I may walk in Your truth. Grant me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your holy name. Amen.

REFLECTION TIME
1. Is there someone in your life whom you can describe as a “woman who fears the Lord”? Who is she, and which of her attributes do you admire?
2. To what extent would you consider yourself as a “woman who fears the Lord”? What is one thing you can do to instil a greater sense of the awe of God?

DELVE DEEPER
Read and reflect on these passages on “fearing the Lord”:
o Deuteronomy 10:12-22
o Psalm 147:10-11
o Proverbs 14:2

HANDLES
When reading a passage of Scripture, look out for what the passage tells you about God, people, and their relationship with Him. Consider how the passage affects your view of God and people, then think of one thing you need to change in response to what you have learned. For more information about this method, which is known as Discovery Bible Study, visit dbsguide.org

Songwriting Tips From Leeland Mooring

Quek Shiwei — Fri, 24 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000

What is your songwriting process like?

Over the years, I’ve learnt that there are two sides to songwriting. There are moments when you’re just inspired. It could be something as simple as the squeal of a brake of a car that made a melody, and you’re like, “Oh that’s kinda cool!” and you start messing with it and singing it over and over again till something interesting happens. It’s like trying to catch smoke, you know. It’s really difficult, but you get used to it. I call that “the suddenly”, when something suddenly lights up inside of you, and you try to catch it.

The other part is “the gradually”, which is the day to day grind of songwriting. There are fundamentals to songwriting — how to get from the verse to the pre-chorus to the chorus, how to build up the song till it tells a story and how to focus it on something. You need them both.

How would a songwriter get these "suddenly" moments?

As a creative the thing that’s super important is lifestyle. Everything that we watch, everything that we listen to and every word that we say has a seed attached to that thing. So if it’s a good word, it has a good seed, that means there is a good harvest attached to it. If it’s a bad word with a bad seed, it’s a bad harvest.

So if all I’m doing all day long is surface level stuff that doesn’t spark inspiration, like spending all my time on social media, just kinda mindlessly going through it, what happens is as I do that, there’s nothing of value and of depth in my daily life, so it becomes a lot harder to write songs that have value and depth. But if I put in good things, like let’s say reading a good book, taking a walk, or meditating on the word of God, basically changing your lifestyle to expect “suddenly” moments to happen, then when these moments happen, you actually have a lot of good things in you to pour back out into the song.

[WORSHIP] CAN'T BE JUST COMING TOGETHER AND WORSHIPPING AND SINGING FOR NO PURPOSE. WORSHIP HAS TO LEAD US TO ACTION.

What has been your most difficult song to write?

It has to be “While We Sing” from the album The Great Awakening. It was a hard song for me to write because it challenged me personally. The idea of the song is basically saying that our singing has to do something. It can’t be just coming together and worshipping and singing for no purpose. Worship has to lead us to action.

In my city in Houston, there’s a lot of homelessness, there’s a lot of poverty, there’s a lot of drug addiction. Houston is actually the second largest city for sex trafficking and slavery, and that surprised me when I heard that, because it convicted me and made me go like “Man, what am I doing about that?” I’m singing songs about Jesus, I’m singing songs about the goodness of God, but am I living the gospel?

As I was reading Matthew 25:31-46, God moved me with compassion for not just the lost and unsaved, but also those who are helpless and don’t have anyone to speak up for them. As the body of Christ, we are not just called to reach the influential, but also people who are addicted to drug and substance abuse, and people that are sold into slavery and made bad decisions and are just in a bad position. God wants us to reach those people, and that was a challenge to me the whole time we were writing it.

What kind of effect do you hope your music will have on your listeners?

Ultimately, a good song gives language to something in your soul that you didn’t have before. That happened to me when I heard the song “How He loves Us”, and then Jonathan Helser’s “No Longer Slaves”. Those two songs were big for me because I’ve never sang those words to God before. I didn’t know I could sing that. To me, a good song inspires you to move to God instead of moving away from Him. It pricks your heart and it convicts you and it fills you with compassion for the world around you, to love them, and then to love Jesus with all your heart and to pursue Him. That’s what I hope my music does.

Is Worship Only About Singing?

Hannah Leung — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Have you ever met someone who is generous? Not in any regular way, but in a way-over-the-top manner?

I have a close friend who is a serial giver. Every Christmas, he drafts up a list of friends that he wishes to appreciate, and blesses each friend with a lavish gift. Last year, many of us received expensive chocolates. He also never forgets his friends’ birthdays, and he makes it a point to celebrate us, whether with his time or with his money. The thing that humbles me most about this guy is that he doesn’t have much. That means that every time he gives, he gives until it hurts, and he still does so willingly and joyfully.

In response to his lavish giving, I am always scratching my head trying to figure out what I can do to give back to him. What does he really like? What does he need? What does he want? Once I’ve picked out a gift for him, even though I feel as though I’ve settled on a good gift, I know that it is nothing compared to the time and money he has given to his friends. Still, I pray and hope that he will know just how treasured he is as a friend to us.

This friend’s generosity always reminds me of God. God gives us so much, so generously, in a way-over-the-top manner too! He is a God of abundance, and He showers us with so much — His enduring presence, His righteousness, His wisdom, His peace, His joy … the list goes on and on! Yet these gifts pale in comparison to the most precious gift at the dearest cost — His only son, Jesus, because of His love for us.

In response to this love, I can’t help but want to give back to God! But … what can I give to God? God is not in need of anything, and there is nothing I can buy on this earth that the creator God will need! Furthermore, while I want to give back to God to the same degree that He has given me, nothing I can do comes close to that extravagance.

Mark 12:28–34 gives us a clue. The teacher of the law who tried to test Jesus admits that “To love [God] with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” In response to His extravagant giving, all He wants in return is that we love Him with our whole being.

WHEN OUR HEARTS BEAT WITH ADORATION OF GOD, SOMEHOW OUR LIPS ALSO FOLLOW AND WE BURST INTO SONG.

LOVING GOD 101

One of the most common ways that we tell God how much we love Him is through our songs. Beautiful songs have been written all throughout history that tell of the greatness of God. In fact, the majority of the psalms were written by people who could not help but sing about God’s mercy and goodness. The psalmists expressed their love and awe of God through songwriting and singing. As churchgoers, we have made it a practice to sing songs at church too — a time which we call “praise and worship”. When our hearts beat with adoration of God, somehow our lips often follow and we burst into song.

But there is so much more to worship! At the heart of it, worship is about expressing our love, adoration and devotion to a great God. While singing worship songs is a wonderful act of praise that we should continually practise, being a true worshipper is not simply about singing.

TRUE WORSHIP

The concept of “true worship” can be difficult for us to wrap our mind around, but thankfully, Paul provides us with a picture of this in Romans 12:1, where he urges the church, “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.”

In view of God’s mercy. True worship begins from a place of knowing what God has done for us. Just like how I cannot help but reciprocate my friend’s generosity, it is so with God. Because of all the great things that God has done for us, we cannot help but worship him!

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. Worship is not what we sing; it is how we live. When you love and revere someone, you want to become like him or her. You want to live in a way that makes them glad, not sad. A true worshipper is someone who lives and breathes to please God.

Holy and pleasing to God. Take a moment to consider how you live your life. Does it please God? When tempted, do you flee? When you sin, do you allow the Holy Spirit to convict you and lead you to repentance? Take a step back and remind yourself of what God has done for you, repent from your ways, and ask God to help you live a life that is Christ-like.

True and proper worship. I like to imagine that my life is like a worship song unto God. Songs can only be written from the heart, and I want my life to be a heartfelt song to God. All that we say and all that we do should be an outward expression of our inward devotion to God. What does that look like? It looks like considering others above yourself. It looks like choosing to do the right thing even when it is not a popular option. It looks like extending a hand of hospitality and help to those around you who need it. For all that I do to be used to serve and love Him — that is the song I want my life to sing.

DON’T MERELY STRIVE TO OFFER THE BEST WORSHIP TO GOD — SEEK TO KNOW HIM FIRST ABOVE ALL ELSE!

THE MASTER MUSICIAN

Max Lucado has written, “Let God have you, and let God love you — and don’t be surprised if your heart begins to hear music you’ve never heard and your feet learn to dance as never before.”

My encouragement is this: don’t merely strive to offer the best worship to God — seek to know Him first above all else! In knowing God more and loving Him more completely, your heart will grow to become so full that it will no longer be able to contain its song to the Lord, and that is the song that God most desires to hear you sing.

If you are feeling fearful that the melody of your life is not worthy to be called “worship”, remember that God is a master musician, and He is transforming your imperfect tune into a masterpiece in which He absolutely delights.

Confessions Of A Church Pianist

Jiamin Choo — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 16:00:00 +0000

I began learning the piano at a young age. After struggling through years of music theory worksheets, classical music pieces and crazy chromatic scales, I eventually passed my ABRSM Grade 8 piano with merit when I was 15 and joined the church’s worship team and youth choir (to my mum’s delight!). Saturdays were soon filled with worship and youth choir practices.

One Sunday morning, when it was my worship team’s turn to serve, my fingers slipped, landing on a bunch of piano keys I wasn’t supposed to play. Later, I forgot to play the repeat chorus which the worship leader had planned. “Noooooo!!!!” I silently screamed, as the church congregation sang on.

I felt horrible for messing things up for my worship team, and wondered if anyone was put off by my mistakes that day. I wished I could disappear and escape any potential feedback from the church members. But when the service ended, no one came forward to point out my mistakes. Things seemed normal as usual. Maybe I was too harsh on myself. Maybe I was too self-conscious. Then I realised I had lost my focus. I had forgotten that my piano playing was neither about me, nor a perfect performance, but about offering my gift to serve the Audience of One and His people, to bring Him the greatest glory.

God is the masterful Creator who intricately designed us to reflect His image. He is also our Heavenly Father who gives each of His children various gifts and talents to glorify Him. We know through the Bible narratives that God anointed Moses with the gift of leadership to rescue the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. God then put skill and intelligence in Israel’s craftsmen to design gold artisan pieces and wood carvings for His tabernacle. God also showered Miriam and David with the gift of music, to compose songs of praise and worship. He gave Solomon the gift of wisdom, which equipped him to administer justice among God’s people. In the New Testament, God gave Aquila and Priscilla the gift of hospitality, which they practised by opening their home to travelling missionaries like Paul and Apollos.

God’s Word in 1 Peter 4:10 reminds us that we are stewards of God’s grace, and the purpose of our gifts and talents is to serve one another. These are not meant to be hoarded for our own desires, but to be shared with the body of Christ to build His kingdom. And how are we to use these gifts? It’s natural to push ourselves and give it all we’ve got. However, 1 Peter 4:11 tells us that “if anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides.” And the end goal of our gifts and talents is not for human praise or our list of #achievementunlocked. It is something much bigger than we can ever imagine. It is for the glory of God through Christ.

In times when I struggle to serve because of unwillingness or fearing I’m not good enough, I’m learning to choose obedience over feelings. That has translated to opportunities to minister through the gift of piano playing, and I’ve been blessed. Never did I imagine that one day, I would serve God and His people by playing the piano on board a missions ship that sailed around the world, at wake services where the music brought comfort to the grieving families, or in the dusty room of an elderly Japanese couple who hadn’t heard the sound of music in their home for years and broke into wide grins when I played their favourite songs.

God has given gifts to us all, and each of us has a part to play in the body of Christ. May we offer our gifts and talents generously and joyfully to the Giver, to serve others, and to make His world a better place.

PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for being the Giver of gifts and talents. Grant me courage and obedience, that I will not withhold my gifts from serving You and Your people, but will offer them generously for the sake of Your glory. Amen.

REFLECTION TIME
1. What gifts and talents has God given you? To what extent have you been able to use these gifts to serve God and His people?
2. Is your church or community looking for volunteers? Pray and seek God if this is an area where you can offer your gifts and talents. If not, pray for God to raise up others who have the gifts, talents and willingness to answer the call.

DELVE DEEPER
Read and reflect on these passages about offering gifts for God’s service:
o Exodus 35:4 to 36:7
o Romans 12:3-13
o Corinthians 12:4-11

HANDLES
Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Besides silently reading the Bible during your devotional time, why not try listening to God’s Word through a dramatised audio Bible like https:// www.faithcomesbyhearing.com? With the help of sound effects and readers/actors, the audio version can make the Bible stories come alive!

Spotlight: Aarksara – Singing Through Suffering

Quek Shiwei — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 16:00:00 +0000

When I first heard about Aarksara I was intrigued by her unusual name. It was even more surprising to hear her speak in an Aussie accent! Born in Singapore to Singaporean and Thai parents, Aarksara was raised in Australia, where she pursued her passion for music. Now an up-and-coming music artiste, Aarksara has led worship together with renowned singers such as Darlene Zschech (formerly of Hillsong Church), and led in conferences together with Randy Clark (founder of Global Awakening), as well as Heidi Baker (CEO of Iris Global). She’s just turning 26, but Aarksara has already released her debut album “Made it Through”, a testament to God’s faithfulness during the darkest season of her life.

Hi Aarksara! Congrats on your debut album “Made it Through”! How did you get started with singing?

Ever since I was 8 years old, I’ve had an interest in music. My parents, brother and sister were all musically inclined, so I grew up around music and I thought that there was just something so special about singing that I really want to learn about. So, that’s how I started singing — singing in church, in the choir, in school. Any opportunity I had, I just wanted to do it because I felt that it was so fun — there was something in music and singing that made me come alive.

What is the story behind the album?

Music was just a hobby so it was never a focus for me and I expected to get a corporate job. But one day, I found a lump on my tail bone, and it was so excruciating. It caught me off-guard, like literally overnight. I was driving back from Bible Study one night and I couldn’t turn my back. I didn’t know what was happening and I still had another 10 more minutes until I was going to reach home. I was crying and I literally felt locked — I couldn’t move at all!

When I went to the emergency room the next morning, the doctors said that they needed to operate immediately to release the pressure on the lump. The doctor put in local anaesthesia but it didn’t work. So I felt every single cut he did on my body and I was screaming the clinic down. I think the nurses were freaking out and the doctor also felt bad for me. I had a total of three surgeries in the span of one month and the final surgery was a big one where they said that it would just take me two weeks thereafter to recover.

Little did we all know that things were going to go downhill.

I ended up having to see the doctor every morning for 9 months and it got really exhausting. I fell into severe depression and was suicidal too. I had nights crying out to Jesus for Him to reveal Himself because I didn’t see, hear, or feel Him. Every night, I opened my Bible, read the Word over my life and just cried. I had a piano then and I did worship nights — just me and Jesus. Through those nights of worship, I would sing unto Him and worship Him. That was when I really started to write music.

Finally, at the end of 9 months, I got the all clear from the doctor! During that time, I got offered a contract with Integrity Music Asia Pacific. Before I knew it, I was in Nashville, Tennessee recording and producing the album with Rusty Verankamp, a Grammy-nominated and Dove Award winning producer. I remember pinching myself and saying, “Lord, who am I to be here?” The album was released and launched officially at a women’s conference in Perth, Western Australia with guest speaker Darlene Zschech. I was incredibly honoured to be the guest worship leader.

So yeah, this was how the album came about, and the title track is called “Made it Through” because I really felt like, “Wow, God, we really made it through!” I didn’t think that I would make it.

MY ONE AUDIENCE IS JESUS. I REALLY DON'T CARE IF PEOPLE FORGET MY NAME OR FACE.

Wow! Sounds like this album was really an unexpected venture. Where else has singing and worship leading brought you?

It’s been an amazing journey and honour to lead with people like Don Moen and Lenny LeBlanc, and I recently led at a conference with Pastor Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker, and Randy Clark. I have been blessed with the opportunity and honour to lead at big conferences with crowds of 8,000 to 10,000 people, but I have also sung for just two people. Ultimately, it is not about the numbers, because my one audience is Jesus. I tell people all the time that I really don’t care if people forget my name or my face but if they remember the encounter they had during worship, then I have done my job.

How do you find time to worship God privately and not just publicly when you’re leading worship?

I believe that we can have a relationship with Jesus — He is my very best friend. Even when I run errands, I will have a chat with Him. At other times, I will walk, talk, and pray. But I do also have times when I just sit down and read the word of God, especially before I lead worship or go on trips. I bring a little keyboard with me that I plug into my MacBook and just worship Jesus. Ultimately, you cannot lead people where you have not been — the secret place is so precious to me.

I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS — HE IS MY VERY BEST FRIEND

You have led worship at many women’s conferences. What is one message burning in your heart for young women like us?

My heart for young women is to love Jesus completely and to pursue a life of purity, not perfection. As girls, we love having attention and affection from the opposite sex, but God has been telling me that He holds my heart and is the only one who will and can love me completely from the inside out. My heart really burns for young women to be completely in love with Jesus and to pursue after Him. Living a life of purity is possible, but you have to stand your ground and know who you are in Christ. You are a daughter of the Most High God; live like that!