Worship Wednesday: Grateful Praise
The new “Worship Wednesday” series is a weekly encouragement to the faithful servants of the Christ Community worship ministry. Our primary author over the following months will be Worship Associate Sylvia Brown. Occasionally you’ll hear from me or other guests. Today, I invite you to reflect on the following devotion and then spend time getting to know Sylvia in the interview after. Let’s begin in the Word.
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
In 2009, freshly graduated from Washington State University, I took my Dad up to Vancouver, Canada, to see a world-famous band in concert. We stood in line for half the morning. The gates finally opened and we ran through the auditorium to the front of the stage. We couldn’t believe our fortune. Our passion had won us a front-row spot.
Hours of anticipation and an opening act later, the moment finally came. The lights dimmed, a primer track began to play, and the band took the stage. A roaring chorus of humanity exploded as thousands and thousands of fans raised their voices in involuntary shouting. The joy was audible, tangible, and unrelenting for the remainder of the evening. Amidst the commotion, my Dad turned to me and observed, “People so long to worship.”
He was right. They weren’t there to praise God, they had come to see a band, but their actions revealed the Creator’s design. People were made to praise and when the object of their desire is in the room, they can’t help it. Our job as worship leaders is to help people place their desire where it rightly belongs; to remember the presence of the God they can’t see; to give praise like Psalm 100. Why don’t you take a moment to pause and read it again?
This song is powerful in its brevity. We could spend the rest of our lives pondering it. Perhaps it would be better to say, “acting it out”, for Psalm 100 is a song of action. I invite you to spend time doing just that. As Pastor Kyle would say, “Get your pencils out and get ready to circle.”
Questions for Reflection:
What does this song say about God? What are we meant to know? What has He done, and who are we in light of that? What is our right response? What verbs do you see? What actions? Who is invited to perform them? What compels them? How might this inform your worship? How might God be inviting you to grow?
Prayerful Response:
Worship is meant to encompass all of our lives, but Psalm 100 is clearly about gathered worship. As leaders of gathered worship, let’s use this song as a missional invitation to pray. Pray for the heart of worship in our church. Pray for gathered praise that looks like what we have reflected on. And when we gather, pray that He will fill us with courage and joy to lead the way.
Meet the “New” Worship Associate!
Sylvia has faithfully served as a Student Ministry Worship Intern for the past two years. I am thrilled to see her step into a fuller role as both worship associate and serve ministry administrator. Over the coming year you will see and hear from her often. She is talented, serious about worship, and loves the Lord well with her life. Let’s praise God for sending Sylvia to this church body, and let’s welcome her warmly! Here’s Sylvia, in her own words.
Name: Sylvia Brown (soon to be Nock!)
Where did you go to School? I just graduated from Iowa State University in Event Management and Public Relations.
When did you start going to Christ Community? I started working at Christ Community my second year of college as the worship intern. I worked primarily with the youth worship and met with Chris weekly and would attend Christ Community occasionally. I started to regularly attend this Fall when I continued working for the church for my second year and came with some of my friends. We absolutely love it!
Favorite Color? My favorite color would be purple but a close second is grey.
Favorite Food? I love enchiladas and sushi!
Fun Fact? I recently got engaged to my wonderful fiancée John and we’re starting to plan a wedding for the end of this year or early next year.
Favorite Worship Song? This one is so tough because it changes constantly but I’d say a consistent favorite of mine is No One Beside by Elevation Worship.
Do you play any instruments? I have played piano for around 12 years now and I love to sing. I also dabble at some other instruments like guitar and bass.
Favorite part of gathered worship? I love the opportunity to help facilitate an environment that allows for the congregation to easily connect to God while also connecting to those around them in the body. I also LOVE music and being able to make it with a team of talented musicians that all humbly come together to serve.
A verse of encouragement?
One of my favorites especially when considering musical worship is:
Psalm 34:1-3 (ESV)
“I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!”