Wednesday, April 12, 2006

I thought I loved the back row

Every believer was expected to worship God every day, both in private and in the company of other believers. This did not require a 'worship service;' it only necessitated a commitment to feel the awe of God's magnificence, to express gratitude for His love and authority, to acknowledge His control and power, to follow Him with dedication, and to enjoy the miracle of His relationship with us.- George Barna on Intimate Worship as one of the Seven Passions of Revolutionaries, Revolution

When I was in high school, it was like pulling teeth to get me and my group of friends to sing in youth group, much less 'worship.' Week after week, we were consistently in the back row. Worship was, unfortunately, not even on our radar. I was even from an unchurched family - you would think I would be somewhat grateful for God and what He had done for me. Negative.

We got Em this Hillsong kids CD for Christmas. A few nights ago, we put it in for the girls right after their bath and before bed. We put on the track that has the words at the bottom so you sing along. While Em just jumped around to the music, K used the 15 minutes as her 'reading homework" and sang to it. [And yes indeed I signed her homework paper for it.]

When I first showed up at the Warehouse in the fall of 1997, things were cozy. The group of kids there seemed like one medium sized family compared to today. That first night there was full of games, food and a talk. When the evening was winding down, these two high school girls grabbed two mics, and put in a worship karoke dvd, cranked up the volume and sang at the top of their lungs. I noticed it right then and there, and continue to notice it even today. It isn't singing that they are doing. It is worship. And these kids love it. You cannot stop them.

This generation of students is not interested in sitting in the back row.

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