At first I wasn’t so excited about web design being the kind of ministry we were doing for our last month. I like building relationships with people, not having to be business-like with them. But then I got the best branch to oversee and gather information on: Worship, Creative Arts, Media, Radio, Youth Outreach and their Extreme Band! All the things I am passionate about! I met my contacts and found out more about the church and their ministry and I was sold.
Let me tell you a little bit about what they do. There are over 60 volunteers that serve in worship arts. That includes singers, musicians, dancers, and technicians in sound, lighting and projection. They have a weekly music class for people interested in becoming musicians, they run seminars, raise up worship leaders in their church and in other provinces, play at all sorts of events nationally and internationally. Not to mention that they write their own songs in Khmer (the Cambodian language), translate other worship songs from English into Khmer and record albums twice a year. They even make the occasional music video! Their vision is to create resources that other churches can have access to.
They are ridiculously talented and even more passionate. Their worship times are powerful. Being here working with them and seeing their heart for God and their desire for his presence in their worship times has re-sparked something inside of me.
Over the last few months I’ve been feeling a major lack of passion and inspiration. I haven’t written a new song in ages and if I’m being completely honest, worship has more often than not, felt like a chore. I’ve prayed about it and asked God to at least give me the desire to desire him more. If that even makes sense. I’ve hated feeling this way and have consistently been praying for more passion and inspiration.
Through working with these passionate, gifted and anointed people, I am blessed to say that it has begun to rub off on me! I’ve found myself waking up with joy in the morning, no matter how hot, muggy or short the night may have been. As I walk to “work” at “the office” there is a spring in my step and I can’t wait to meet with the staff and volunteers who have become my friends and hear more about what God is doing in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
I have been so inspired that I picked up my guitar the other day and began to write new songs. Now don’t get too excited yet, I’m notorious for not finishing my songs and just leaving them as a chorus or verse, but I’ve been learning the value of speaking life over myself and so I say that they will be completed in Jesus’ name!
I realized that my worship has felt stagnant because the creative element was missing. I just kept playing the same songs the same way every time. But being around people who are constantly creating to worship their Creator has inspired me.
Isn’t it amazing how the body of Christ works together to strengthen each other? We thought we were an answer to prayer for them, turns out that they’ve become an answer to prayer for me too.
