“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”(NIV, Hebrews 12:22-24)
Feet stamping and hands clapping, we made our way around the church in a sort of congo line, circling the chairs. There were no lights and even if there had been a sound system, the power was probably out. The only instrument in the room was a worn drum with a stick leaning against it to beat it with.
I had quickly learned in my first week here that though it might appear that the drum was the only instrument in the room, their existed an entire orchestra. Every voice, hand and foot was a heavenly instrument, perfectly tuned to glorify their Creator. As we continued to circle through the room, I got this picture of us approaching the mountain of Joy, Mount Zion. I was walking and worshiping with these beautiful saints who are faithful when they have so little. Some of these people have nothing and yet the most authentic worship proceeds from their mouths. I want to live in the same simple contentment as these men and women. Passion and Encouragement flooded through me as I walked physically and spiritually with the people of God.
Every night there is a gathering at the church. Each evening, it follows the same basic pattern: pray loudly and passionately, worship exuberantly, listen attentively and pray passionately again. When we worship, it is from a place of humble gratitude. When we worship, we worship like Jesus is in the room and has saved us! There is clapping and dancing and singing and shouting. Now, dancing takes lots of different forms. It might be a sway that eventually transitions into a shuffle stomp. It might be a run in place, arms swinging sort of dance. Sometimes, all the women gather in a circle and dance with each other and it is such a humbling and beautiful experience. It is a moment where women affirm and encourage one another and get excited about worshiping Jesus. Sometimes, worship is still. It is standing with hands spread wide and a heart full of love for God or falling on your knees as the holiness of God overwhelms you. Worship takes many forms, but it is never passive.
I think that as I step into this abandoned worship, I have to drop my high opinion of myself and just celebrate Jesus. He is in the room! He saved me! I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow or in the next several months, but my Shepherd does and He loves me beyond the love of anyone in this world. We serve the living God and get to approach the mountain of joy. Let’s worship God like He is alive and has given us eternal life!
Life Updates:
I am feeling…much better and am no longer sick. Praise God!
I have developed…a deep appreciation for fresh pineapple?
I am reading…The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Laurence
I went to…a Rwandan wedding and saw traditional Rwandan dancing! It was amazing!
