This past Sunday, I was blessed to be praising at church with my dear friend leading worship - the last opportunity I would have to see her leading before she's to move out of state. Though New Community is a multi-ethnic church in love with a very gospel-influenced musical style, the set that Sunday included what was to me a quintessential "Asian-church" song - Shout to the Lord.
I first sang this song in 3rd grade when I was just 8 years old. Once a week, our school would have our entire 3rd grade meet in the music and art department's lobby - a place affectionately known as "The Pod." There, we would spend the next thirty minutes of the morning learning and singing praise songs - our school was after all, founded by missionaries. Back then, in 1994, it wasn't quite the outrage for a non-Christian family to know their children were required to attend these praise gatherings once a week in return for some quality education. In any regards, the song's catchy melody stayed in my head until I was re-exposed to it again in church, and then again and again throughout high school. In fact, 10 years later in 2004, as part of my praise choir's last concert, our director asked the seniors to learn the motions, motions I still remember to this day. But never did the words of that song resound with me as much as they did today, following the news I received that my grandmother was in a coma in Korea breathing what is sure to be some of her last breaths on this earth.
I had always envisioned this song to be a song of joyful declaration - Shout to the Lord all the earth, let us sing. But today, I re-imagined the song as more of the fervent prayer of the desperate, lost, and suffering. I imagine the original Psalmist in his darkest days, crying out in faith the praises of a Father who is ever faithful, believing beyond belief that even while surrounded in suffering, and especially so, He is ever worthy of the sweetest of praise.
My Jesus, my Savior...Lord there is none like you. All of my days I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love.
My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength...let every breath, all that I have, never cease to worship you...
....nothing compares to the promise I have in you. Shout all the earth - He is worthy.
One Three Nine
Food & Reflections
1 comments:
hi friend =)
i always loved the words to this song. however, my best memory is when we sang this song in romania. we sang it in english, they sang it in romanian...then they taught it to us in romanian. it just had such deeper feeling to it, singing it in someone elses heart language, and feeling the same words, from different cultures, for the same awesome God. thinking of you =)
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