CMS2011 In Retrospect and Prospect

Make His Praise Glorious: CMS2011 in Retrospect and Prospect

by the SJBCI PWTeam


I was incredibly impressed by the worship that these artists can exemplify to all that attended the event. You can tell that they are truly blessed, meaning they themselves feel blessed, because people like me were blessed by their act of service to God.

Our Leading Worship session with Paul Baloche amazed me by how much our team simultaneously reacted when shown the difference between the incorrect and correct, almost flawless, way to play. Most of the times, we go into learning an instrument, even vocally, by jumping right in because we have that desire to fast forward to the fun stuff, like playing a Chris Tomlin song that everyone can bop their heads to. Paul Baloche killed that thinking. Many of the musical veterans there killed that thinking. In fact, all the workshops made us do something so basic, it made me realize that rudimentary practice had to include something even more profound, something incredibly simple, yet application-wise, very complicated.

In every exercise, we were to listen.

Paul Baloche taught us that as a band, everyone needs to really hone in and listen to what the other is playing, in order to fill in when a sound is small or absent. This eliminates chaos. Similarly, someone who strives to sing effectively, really needs to listen to the music, to other people singing, and ESPECIALLY adopt the practice to listen to oneself. Listening creates a form of submission, even in singing. We should make it a practice to aurally train ourselves, to spend hours with the basics. It all came down to dedicating ourselves to practicing and desiring to show excellence in this Ministry. We are designated Levites to play, but to play “skillfully.” I do not have to be the best, but I also do not have to be complacent with what I already know.

But it was at the Leadership sessions that I was challenged to be the worshiper that God called me to be. The act of worshiping isn’t strictly singing songs, but everything else can be an act of worship. We are to “Waste our Weekends” in practice, bible study, worshiping, arming our quiver to be equipped for our battle in service. May our lives be “wasted” for God’s glory and honor. Just like the perfume was only released when the alabaster jar was broken (Matt.26:6-13), we too have to be wasted so that we can be used.

“A woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table…Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her" Matthew 26:7,13.

Even when Pastor Jerry Gillis preached about “wasting your life” for God and the idea that we cannot impress God, two things that resonated was, one, "you gain life when you lose and pour out your life to God. That death is the pathway of a well wasted life," and two, "you can’t impress God because God is only impressed with His Son. But you can hide in Christ. So the only way to impress God is if Christ lives in You." This experience taught me how to be more passionate in my worship. It reminded me to die to control, die to pride, and ultimately die to self as to live a life “well-wasted for God.”

Worshiping is an act of obedience. The first time the word "worship" was used in the bible was in Genesis 22:1-5.

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” 
“Here I am,” he replied.

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham refers to sacrificing his son as an act of worship.

I believe worship was at first designed to be done in moments of brokenness. Although as leaders/ a praise band, we may find ourselves discouraged and at a low during times in which we are expected to worship. In one way or another, we take His greatness for granted and we doubt. We worry. We get scared. We try to find contentment on other things or people, etc. And for some reason, I still haven’t totally believed that He can really save me, because if I have, all I need to do is to let it all go, and just look to Him. But these are the times that we must become obedient. We must not view God through our current circumstances, but by what we have always known of our God to be true. His glory, His greatness, and that everything is possible with Him. I can rely on Him with everything. That really, He is enough; all we need is Him.

Even when it’s hard Lord, I will follow.

I also learned with obedience and patience, comes peace and satisfaction. I yearn for Him for him more and more, and serving the Lord turns into a great abundance of joy. I anticipate what He has in store for my future, and while waiting I will serve Him. “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” -Romans 6:13

I’ve come to realize that it is important to let God speak through us. God is the absolute picture of glory, but how can people come to know of his glory?

That’s where we step in. As a Praise Team, we must work together to lift up his name during worship in order to display to the crowd the glory of the Lord as a team; whether it’s instrumentally, through vocals, or even through the technology being used during worship. The Lord has a message for those who have not yet seen the wonders of his glory, so we must let him speak through us.

What I have witnessed and experienced in CMS is difficult for me to articulate because I am still in a daze of the Glory of God. Glorious has become one of my favorite words to be able to say. When so and so happens, it’s going to be Glorious; I think, Wow, this is Glorious. Being at Buffalo was Glorious; I never felt I honored God in such a way. Assuredly, I learned a myriad of things on how to keep the music ministry alive and better sounding for God’s glory. I may not have left as a better musician, sounding better or playing with finesse, but I still proudly left the conference as a worshiper with a changed heart, a blessed spirit to see how God works in people’s lives.

God wanted us to draw near to Him to seek Him, to go beyond our limitations, and respond to His call to come nearer to listen and hear his call. He will draw near, when we let our defenses down and trust Him to lead this ministry. And we must respond to Him long after the song sheets have been folded, the mics turned off, after all this training that we were so blessed with. What will our response be once we go back to Pitman, back in our personal worship at our homes, school, work place? “You Are Glorious.” SJBCI Praise Team, we’ve heard it. We sang it. Now its time to respond and live it.

Abraham started his conversation with God in Genesis 22, by responding, "Here I am.” This is a clear example of how openly obedient we too should be when God comes asking for us.

I thank God for our leaders and supervisors that continue to guide and support us in our walk with getting closer to Christ. Being united with other unfamiliar people under God’s name, singing, praising, and glorifying Him and Him alone is an incredible and uplifting experience. I truly want to thank God for including this event in His plans for this ministry to grow. I am in awe of the great things He continues to do to us and for us. He deserves all the the glory and praise.

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.” Psalm 66:1-2

[ note: this article was the compilation of all the separate articles
written and submitted by the individuals in the praise team. ]

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Tags: CMS, 2011, praise team

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 29th, 2011 at 1:14 am and is filed under Devotions, Newsletter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.