who are we? a.
We here at Women in Worship thought it would be good to introduce ourselves to other members, readers & the like. I thought I’d go ahead & start!
I have been a Christian of nearly a year now, & I’m involved in my church’s music ministry in various ways. We hold both traditional & contemporary worship services. I currently lead our traditional service & choir. In the contemporary service (praise team & band), I bounce between singing, flute & piano/keys depending on what is needed.
God has put a desire in my heart to serve in worship ministry, especially as I grow in my relationship with Him. With my training in music, the skills I’ve honed as a musician are immensely important, & now I feel that God is teaching me what it means to be a musician in the Kingdom as I serve & worship Him in all aspects of my life!
I am extremely passionate for God — I can’t get enough of Him, & want to serve Him in any way I can. I’m still learning, but I want to live for the Almighty Redeemer who saved my life!
I love to read, write, do photography, & of course, play & write music. I’m currently starting to write songs & compose music more than I used to, whenever the opportunity allows.
A book on my list of favorites: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and Darlene Zschech’s Extravagant Worship
In addition to co-maintaining & writing here at WIW, you can find me blogging here: Be Thou My Vision
Mandy’s WC 9.16.07
WC = Worship Confessional
this was a particularly “girlie” sunday for me, namely because i was full of emotion that i could not escape during the service…
it was one of those sundays i didn’t think i could get through… my heart was ripped open this week after getting the news that my sister-in-law was diagnosed with bone cancer. she’s 25. my brother was devastated. the whole family is heartbroken…needless to say, its been a long week.
the songs chosen for the service seemed to hit me like a ton of bricks during the service. i didn’t think i could get through Redman’s “Blessed be Your Name” and it was the FIRST song! closing the service with “Have Thine Own Way” didn’t make it any easier…
i’ve been leading worship for ten years, but i’ve never experienced a sunday like this. i didn’t feel “all there.” i found myself going on “auto-pilot” – just going through all the right motions, as i know i should. saying the things that a good worship leader would say. presenting the songs the way a good worship leader presents the songs. moving the congregation through the verses to chorus to next song with “phrasings” and “cues” that indicates the next part of the song…
even though i didn’t feel genuine about my demeanor and presentation, i felt very genuine in my role. i felt genuine in how i was leading the people… genuine in my desire for us to experience God… genuine in my efforts, even though they were “auto-piloted” and not spontaneously inspired.
how do you handle pushing through a sunday when you don’t feel “all there” – a sunday where your emotions are in your throat and you don’t know how to stay focused?
Order of Worship:
Blessed be Your Name – Redman
Welcome and Announcements
Prayer
Missionary’s Presentation
I Love to Tell the Story (444) – Hankey & Fischer
Enough – Tomlin
May the Words of My Mouth – Terry Butler
Offering/Doxology
Scripture Reading
Sermon
Have Thine Own Way (591) – Pollard & Stebbins, 1907
Benediction
