everything we do in life is worship.
for worship is not about us, it's about christ!
not about your feelings or music or your consciousness
or your facility or the band or anything else... it's
all about christ!... his love... his peace... his
life... his joy... his grace... totally
undeserved... totally out of our hands!
whether we are in pain and sorrow or joy and
jubilations, whether we have the greatest music that
will able to move us to tears or just a plain sigh of
gratefulness... it's all about christ!

~ Father Mario Quejadas

Ryan Mac went to One Day, a praise and worship event the weekend of May 20, 2000 in Memphis, Tennessee. "It was amazing," he e-mailed, and cited praises to the Lord. He said God is truly all-mighty and powerful, and that now is the most critical time to worship Him with all that we have.

Some members of YFC became interested in worship CDs, and some musicians even released mp3s of their versions of songs sung during conferences and retreats -- "Strong Arm," "Healer of My Heart." Worship always starts and ends a meeting, helps people heal, rallys them into action, leads them into prayer. It sets the mood of the meeting. It's easy to pray in song if the band is well-rehersed and skilled in their instruments.

But like any trend, worship is in danger of becoming stale. Worship leaders in the community say that yes, we do sing the same songs, see the same worship leaders, but we are not singing for each other -- we are singing for the Lord. How can we keep singing in worship from becoming stale, overplayed, blown over? Could worship ever become stale, even?

You've heard this before -- we have to think and feel worship music differently to keep it fresh. "A change in heart and mind." Hopefully it'll help us to look at worship in a different and healthier way. Louie Giglio, inventor of the One Day event that Ryan went to, spoke to Worship Now Magazine's (publishers of CCM Magazine) Wendy Lee Nentwig.

Giglio defined worship as "a full life response to the revealed greatness and glory of God. ... God reveals. He shows us who He is. And the natural thing that comes out of our lives when we see God, in that response, that's worship."

Imagine a room full of YFC gathered for a worship session. The words of the worship song helps us to remember who God is in our lives. When we worship, we see God's greatness in the way that we understand. We can "see" Him in the beauty of the music, in the sincerity of worshippers as they sing. Just the fact that people come together to worship or meet in YFC is enough proof that the Lord lives and He lives vibrantly in us. Knowing His presence in our lives is the beginning of several more miracles He will do in our lives, miracles we will leave to your imagination to conjure.

Some years ago, I learned that our whole lives should be lived in worship. It isn't just confined to gatherings and music. It isn't confined to a schedule and 30 minutes only. I remember feeling a very tiny, slight feeling of emptiness after the last note of voice or guitar has faded after a worship with brothers and sisters. Crestfallen, I wondered if that "high" I experienced with the Lord while my voice was in song and my hands were on the guitar could ever be preserved.

God is merciful, for at that moment I remembered a piece of Scripture, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." His closeness hasn't left after the last song has ended. He's mearly switched gears, toned down, eased slighty so He can sit beside me instead of sit from His throne.

While I listen to a talk, participate in a discussion group, He's become spoken word instead of melodic note. He's become laughs and prayers. It's still a mystery for me, but I see Him in the people around me. And since He created all things, not just people, He is present in even the car that passed by, the streetlights, the church bricks, the pavement.

It's a little strange, but that's how I learned that our whole lives are to be lived in worship. It takes a little practice, but once you pray and think of worship this way, it's always exciting to worship -- no matter who is in the meeting with you. You are singing to the Lord. I think that's exciting beyond words.