Worship is my heart’s cry. Leading worship brings me the deepest joy. The possibility of ushering others into a more intentional intimacy with Jesus through the means of timbre and melody is an overwhelming delight.
As I signed up for the World Race, my biggest surrender was stepping out of serving in the worship ministries with my church in the States, and realizing that I might be entering a season where I would not lead worship at all for 11 months. Thankfully, though I let it go, I have been blessed with many opportunities to lead worship all around the world over the past 8 1/2 months of my Race.
One of the sweetest most impacting times of worship I’ve ever led or ever experienced was in the basement of a hostel in Brasov, Romania. The nearly 50 members of my squad crammed into the small community room of the hostel. Accompanied by my squad-mate Jacob on the mandolin, our voices carried the melody as our feet stomped out rhythm. So simple but so powerful.
As we finished singing the songs I’d planned, my spirit kept singing and new songs kept bursting from my lips. All I could say, all I could proclaim, all I could cry out as my voice broke from the magnitude of my sincerity was, “Worthy, worthy, worthy…”
Someone in the room later prayed over the squad, “Just as Erika cried out, “Worthy, worthy, worthy” to You, Jesus, I thank You that You look at us and also cry, “Worthy, worthy, worthy…” “
I’ve continually revisited that thought – the “worthy, worthy, worthy..” from my heart to His and from His to mine. Just as I raise to the Lord my, “Worthy, worthy, worthy,” He cries over us, “Worthy, worthy, worthy.”
Worthy of His affections.
In fullness.
Worthy of His Spirit to dwell in us.
Completely.
Worthy to be called by His very name.
Worthy.
Being made in the image of God, we reflect so much of Him – His heart, His nature. In the grand undoing of ourselves that is worship, as we pour out our hearts in the utmost of unreserved intentionality, God looks at us and lavishes the same – and ever greater – love upon us. It’s as though He holds a mirror over us that reflects back our adoration.
“Jesus, You are worthy. “ “Erika, YOU are.”
I’m overwhelmed by the mutuality of intimacy with Christ.
Here’s a sketch I created a few days ago to bring a visual to this encounter:
Heaven invaded earth for me in such clarity in the basement of a hostel. It stands as such a clear reminder that we can deeply drink of the Spirit of God anywhere, anytime.
Do YOU know that Jesus sees you as worthy?
From my heart,
Erika Venese Wynne
