Watching the One Who´s Worthy

If you ever come to our church, don't watch the worship group.

Oh don't get me wrong! I think that Beth and her team do a great job, as do Brad & Sandy, or Sally and Lucy. It's not that at all.

Watch as the gal at the front of the church plays “air guitar” during the worship choruses. In fact, she plays every other instrument the team at the front plays too – air drums, air organ, air shaker or egg, air violin, air piano.
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Here we are, here we are*
the broken and used, mistreated, abused
Here we are
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Something is not right. She is homeless, I believe. Her shock of black hair, self-cut it appears. Her green polyester, stretch slacks and the home-made, padded vest. It is the same. The instruments change; the clothes are pretty much the same. My wife leans over and says, “I want to give her a pair of shoes; those have had it.”

But something is also very right. She worships freely, abandoning inhibitions about what others may think. I recall a Sunday we sang about That Day –one day in the future of all who follow Jesus -- when we shall find our completeness in Him. I watched our air musician and rejoiced. She has as much available in eternity as I do. And she may be better practiced at freely worshipping the One who deserves all of us – mind, emotion, body, and will.

Here You are, here You are
The beautiful One who came like a Son
Here You are

Someday, she will not seek overnight shelter in our hospital nor desire to live on the streets. In Christ, there is hope for something better. Something glorious.

But there is more than just hope for a future Kingdom. There is hope on Earth, although all solutions won't appear here. In Air Musician's home country of Indonesia, our organization has assisted in the start-up of a couple dozen radio stations. Our brothers and sisters press on with the message of salvation as the world watches. Their eyes are fixed on the beautiful One who came like a Son.

Their faith encourages me. Our friend, Ty,** knows the price that some of our Indonesian brothers and sisters pay for their faith in Christ.

Here we are, here we are
Bandaged and bruised, awaiting a cure
Here we are

Here You are, here You are
Our beautiful King, bringing relief
here You are with us

So we lift up our voices, and open our hands
Let go of the things, that have kept us from Him

Things. They can be thought patterns, habits. And then again, things. Just all the stuff that we think we want. I know I do. Maybe someday I can be satisfied with just an air guitar, instead of a collection of guitars.

In May in a rural field near La Cygne, Kansas, more than 3,000 students gathered for “Paradise”, an event to worship Jesus through Scripture, prayer and singing. Erin Roach*** wrote about it for Baptist Press. She said, “much effort was made to ensure that all attention would be on Jesus, the only name promoted at the gathering. Nothing was sold or advertised, no one made money, and no agenda was advanced.”

Kinda reminds me of the late Keith Green, so passionate that people would hear that he instituted a “whatever you can afford to pay” policy on his LPs. Here's the after-concert agenda for Casting Crowns: “Melodee DeVevo prays for marriages, Chrs Huffman for those who are in ministry, Megan Garrett for mothers, Andy Williams for those who battle addictions, Juan DeVevo for fathers and families, Hector Cervantes for men to walk with God, and Mark Hall for those who are “still on the outside looking in.” ****

Don't look at the worshippers, whether they're on stage or in the front pew. But listen to the words, as they sing:

You are the one who has come
and is coming again,
to make it alright
You're the remedy
Oh, in us You're the remedy

Let us be the remedy
Let us bring the remedy

*song lyrics by David Crowder Band. The link is http://www.davidcrowderband.com/
***see full story here http://www.baptistmessenger.com/a/search/author/Erin%20Roach
****see full story here http://charismamag.com/cms/printPage.php?id=17191