Did any of you sense the spiritual release that shook our congregation during last Sunday’s 10 AM worship? As Kimberlyn began to sing “Place of Freedom”, I felt heaven enter. At the chorus – “I’m gonna lift my hands till I can reach heaven” – the congregation connected in a tremendous way, as if the words came directly from our own hearts and our own experiences. After the service, several folks told me they sensed angels joining us at that moment. Brenda N. told me, “Last Sunday was off the chain!”
“Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3 NASB)
Could you hear and/or see the response? I liked it. I enjoy touching heaven. How about you? Isn’t it awesome that God does something unique every time we come together in worship? Every worship service is an irreplaceable event.
In his excellent book Following the River (2004), Bob Sorge employs the imagery of a tapestry to describe corporate worship.
Each event of congregational worship is an unreplicated, one-of-a-kind, never-been-seen-before-in-the-history-of-the-planet, never-to-be-seen-again, breathing love exchange with our Beloved. Why? Because never before, in the history of the world, has this specific group of people gathered together in this way, with all their existing mindsets, attitudes, and the emotional trappings of their current life issues. So when we express ourselves together before the throne of God, the nature and themes of our expressions will be different from any other worship service that has ever transpired. When this group of saint touches the heart of God, a tapestry of worship will begin to emerge that will be absolutely unique in its emphasis and flavor. (p. 43-44)
The tapestry is a terrific metaphor for corporate worship. A tapestry consists of individual threads combined into one. In the hands of an expert artist the individual threads are woven together to produce something beautiful. Every believer has his or her own thread. The Holy Spirit is the worship leader that connects and weaves and stretches and twists our individual life threads into a worship tapestry for the Father’s glory.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT)
For the tapestry to be complete, we need everyone – pastors, elders, worship leaders, singers, musicians, and the congregation – to lend their threads. For our Sunday worship tapestry to have full expression of color, glitter, and shining beauty, we need everyone’s life thread. The corporate tapestry lacks the fulfillment of its splendor if everyone is not available. Everyone one has a vital role, but a person’s thread can be withdrawn from being used by the Holy Spirit because of complacency or passivity or tiredness or anxiety.
“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)
If I am disengaged or withdrawn, my thread will be missed. I must press in for myself. I must yield the thread of my giftings, my anointing, my posture, my thoughts. I must yield myself. By yielding I surrender my thread to be woven into a tapestry of love, affection, and worship for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our congregational worship is significant and our worship is powerful. It impacts people with the power and presence of the Lord.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
I can’t help but have excitement about what the Lord may do this weekend. It’s time to connect with God in Real Worship! What the tapestry will look like on Sunday?
