The trumpeters and singers joined I N U N I S O N in unison, as with one voice, to ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ give praise and thanks to the LORD. -2 Chronicles 5:13 A devotional series for the choir, the worship leader, and anyone desiring to experience or lead in a deeper worship experience. [See the end of this file for more information on the complete series.] The In Unison series is written by David S. Lampel. #5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ T H E S P I R I T A N D T H E F L E S H Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." -Mark 14:37-38 NIV Worship of God does not come naturally to a people preoccupied with self. And there is no natural predilection toward worship in those who have been designated as its leaders. Like a healthy marriage, praise and worship require effort for success. Like the disciples waiting for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, our spirit may want to worship but our natural body-- and inclination--will not be in that direction. Worship and the leading of others in worship are developed, practiced skills. They do not happen accidentally; they happen because we have set our minds on them as something worthwhile and profitable--first for God, then for ourselves. __________________________ So what are some practical ways we can prepare ourselves to be good demonstrators and prompters of worship? It may come as a surprise to learn that our preparation for Sunday should begin on Saturday. * Don't make your Saturday so busy and hectic that you are worn out and frazzled for Sunday morning. * Give yourself a time of quiet and peace Saturday evening to calm your spirit for the next day. * Get organized on Saturday evening for the next morning, so that you will arrive refreshed and expectant. The best way to prepare yourself for leading the worship of others is to worship God on your own. * Sing praise choruses as you are driving. There are many excellent tapes and CDs available for this. * Spend some time with your heavenly Father, asking Him for a heart and spirit filled with praise. God is interested in people who worship. The very best way to prepare for worship on Sunday is to be a worshiper every day of the week. Look for opportunities during the week to praise and worship God for who He is. Don't wait for Him to do something for which you are grateful. We thank God for what He does; we worship Him for who He is. Because God's character is constant--and consistent--we can worship Him at any time. The time is always right to praise the Father. __________________________ The choir member who is well-rehearsed in worship will truly be a Spirit-filled leader of worship in others, and will approach Sunday morning with a sense of expectation and awe. __________________________ As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. -Psalm 42:1 NIV "I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain." (A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God, Christian Publications, 1982) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Supplement to #5 Ah, how can we go wrong with Tozer . . . On this business of `even the praise comes from You,' Tozer says "The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him." (This and following from The Pursuit of God, Christian Publications, 1982) I am drawn to Tozer's remarks on "Following hard after God" as pertains to this idea of Spiritual preparation for worship, because, in my opinion, that should be our preparation: we must actively pursue Him, seek His face, welcome His touch. We have fallen into this damnable complacency as regards our God! Would that He would periodically pick us up by the ankles and give our bodies a good snap to jolt us back into a sensible, rewarding relationship with Him. "Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking." Then he continues: "How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of `accepting' Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him." Copyright Information --------------------- All original material in IN UNISON is Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel. This data file is the sole property of David S. Lampel. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel."). This data file may not be used without the permission of David S. Lampel for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes all of its content. Brief quotations not to exceed more than 500 words may be used, with the appropriate copyright notice, to enhance or supplement personal or church devotions, newsletters, journals, or spoken messages. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture is from the New International Version. NIV quotations are from the Holy Bible: New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. NASB quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Unison was originally written for Music Ministers and Choir Directors to use in conjunction with their weekly rehearsals. It was syndicated in printed form, camera-ready for inclusion in choir newsletters or to be read to the choir as a devotional. It has also been used by Pastors and lay-leaders in many capacities. In Unison is evangelical, and speaks from the position that the choir does not perform for its own pleasure--nor for the pleasure of the congregation--but is, instead, a "prompter" leading and demonstrating the corporate worship for the pleasure of God. Each choir member--as well as every other leader standing on the platform--is responsible to do everything to point the congregation upward to God. In Unison also encourages individual and corporate excellence, based on the premise that after His sacrifice for us, our Lord deserves nothing less. Most issues of In Unison consist of two parts: * The main article has been written to be the "public" portion--either re-printed for each choir member or read to them during a devotional time. * The Supplemental material (accompanying most issues) has been included for the director or leader to use as background to further his or her own study. There is a total of 19 issues making up the complete In Unison series, representing by the following outline: 1. With One Voice 11. Because He Deserves It 2. Up Words 12. A Longing to Be Near Him 3. Loving One Another 13. Excellence: Beginning 4. Demonstrating Praise 14. Excellence: The Debt 5. The Spirit and the Flesh 15. Excellence: For the Prize 6. Three Little Words 16. Excellence: Why? 7. Obeying Our Parent 17. To Be Like Him 8. A Fragrant Offering 18. In Spirit and Truth 9. Worship the King 19. Honesty 10. His Wish, Our Desire ------------------------------------------------------------------- In Unison is distributed free-of-charge, without obligation, in service to our Lord and to His glory. Reader opinions are always welcome, as are insights into the published material. Send all comments to the address below. We always appreciate hearing when someone has been edified by this work. ------------------------------------------------------------------- To receive the complete series via e-mail, inquire with questions, or comment on the material send your request to: "dlampel@dlampel.com" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David S. Lampel "For from Him and through Him Winterset, IA USA and to Him are all things. dlampel@dlampel.com To Him be the glory forever. Amen." 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