Admittedly, I am the absolute worst when it comes to remembering to make a new entry into a blog. Four years ago I actually started one on my professional musician website, but I’m still only on entry number three. Kind of thinking I might need to rethink my strategy! Nevertheless …
Yesterday was Sunday #2 — of what is likely to be many — that we aren’t meeting collectively to worship. For the remainder of the month, we will posting our pre-recorded sermons and music, but starting in April we will begin live streaming our services so that we can celebrate Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunday in real time—well, virtually in real time. (Does that sound odd to anyone else??)
Here’s the thing.
You might be disheartened that we aren’t meeting as a congregation to worship, and I would even validate those feelings by saying that I have felt the same way. But if there’s one thing we know about our God, it’s that He meets us where we are. Joshua 1:9 tells us to be strong and courageous—to not be afraid—because He is with us wherever we go. This means that even in our living rooms watching the sermons and listening to the music online, He is right there with us.
Yesterday morning I decided to go LIVE on our church’s facebook page to livestream 30 minutes of worship music from the piano before posting Pastor Skip’s sermon on our website. Which …
SIDE NOTE:
If you have not yet visited our church’s
Facebook page, click here to see it.
Next week I plan to go LIVE again to broadcast a Hymn Sing that you can participate in from your own living room! More on that to come later in the week. But I put together a medley of classic hymns and worship songs that have been stirring in my head throughout the week. I’m not going to post all of the lyrics to these songs below, but I encourage you to click on each individual song and read the lyrics. Take them in; let them speak to you.
But before I post these songs, let me tell you a quick story.
Saturday, I was talking with a friend who was celebrating the final day of her 20s. Today she turns 30—bless her heart. As we were texting, she told me that most days she was “ridiculously tired” and that she hardly ever felt pretty. She felt like she yelled at her boys too much and that she didn’t do enough for her husband. She said that she was constantly changing her mind about things that she wanted and that she was not where she wanted to be physically, mentally, or even spiritually.
But then she said this, “But you know, Sar, I’m human. And I’ve just recently learned in these 29 years that it’s okay to not be completely put together. I don’t need to be perfect. I just need to be my true self. Although I have a long way to go, I just thank God for giving me 29 years of living. I’m even crazy enough to believe that he has so much more in store for me—so many things He wants me to do & I’m going with Him all the way!” I just sat there and said to myself, “YOU GO BEONCA, YES!”
Because, friends, we don’t have to have all of the answers to everything. All we have to do is trust God and know that He will always deliver us from every situation in His own perfect time—we don’t have to have it all figured out. We may not understand why we go through the things that we do, but when we trust Him we don’t have to understand.
That conversation with Beonca just put back into focus the songs I leave you with now. I pray that you’ll click on each song, read the lyrics and let them be an encouragement to you. Even though we are entering another week of uncertainty and quarantines, one thing is for certain:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
SUNDAY MEDLEY: