Last Sunday evening was our monthly singing night. We have an abundance of song leaders, and what a blessing that is to our worship service. We sometimes learn new songs, but we also sing a lot of old favorites.
Two things happened last Sunday night that warmed my heart. My teenage great nephew directed the first songs and then organized the rest of the service. He isn’t yet sixteen, but he did a masterful job of organizing and keeping things moving.
The second thing was the little four-year-old boy that led a song. He walked proudly to the podium, and his daddy held him up to the microphone. He looked out at the congregation and began the song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World.” He sang every word of two verses of the song. When he was done, he hurried back to his mother with the biggest smile on his face you can imagine.
Now why would these two things touch me? The first was because of what I see in so many teenagers today. There is so much disrespect for adults, for authority, and even for God. This young man participates in other areas of worship—prayer, Bible reading, and as a regular song leader. He and his brother are both active in church activities, Lads to Leaders, service projects, and are willing to do whatever they are asked to do. That is encouraging to see young men that take such an interest in the Lord and His church.
The second is because I am so encouraged by this little four-year-old boy learning to lead at such an early age. I am encouraged by parents that want their child to learn to do what many grown men won’t do.
It takes courage to serve God. It takes courage to do what is right. It takes thought and determination to worship God in the way He has instructed. When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, they talked about worship. She spoke of the Jews worshiping in Jerusalem and her people worshiping in the mountains. Jesus told her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Worship should be special. Worship is to show respect and honor to God. It is not about me. It is not about my wants or needs. It is about obedience to God’s Word.
My prayer is that this teen and this four-year-old continue to grow in the knowledge of the Word, and that they will continue to serve our Lord God in a way that will be pleasing to Him.
Sandra Oliver