Worship Leader Probs

I have been blessed to experience many powerful worship experiences throughout my life. I am grateful for every one of them but there are a few that really stick out in my memory. Interestingly, several of my most meaningful worship experiences have happened while attending the funeral services for some dear friends. I’m not sure why…probably has something to do with how raw my emotions were at that moment.

I remember when a dear friend and fellow staff member of mine passed away. Sylvia Glenn was an amazing woman. Her death was something that affected me on a very deep level. I will never forget her funeral. It was one of the first times I had lost someone close to me as an adult. Sylvia was an amazing woman who lived out her faith in God in such a genuine way. There are 2 moments from her funeral that I can still vividly remember if I close my eyes and think about them. The first came when the congregation stood and, at the top of their lungs, sang the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” My dear friends Ernesteen Scherer and Richard Ramsey were on the organ and piano. I promise you I felt like I was going to float away! The second came when Kim stood and sang “Find Us Faithful.” That is a song that completely embodied Sylvia and the way that she lived her life to build The Kingdom.

Susie McCracken

The second funeral happened about a month ago when our dear friend Susie McCracken passed away after a tragic battle with cancer. Susie was one of the most vibrant and loving people I have ever met. She loved the Lord, her family and her friends with all of her heart. She was a true example of a true friend to both Kim and me. She and her family are very special to us. During her battle with cancer, she embraced the song “How He Loves” as the theme of her life. That is so Susie….it takes an amazing person like her to be able to see through her struggle and circumstances and remind all of us just how much God loves us. Near the end of her service 2 of her daughters, Molly & Haley, walked onto the platform and led us in singing “How He Loves.” If you don’t know the song I highly encourage you to get a copy. Eddie Kirkland recorded it on a new CD called “Orthodoxy.” In that moment I found myself coming face to face with God’s love in a way that permeated my whole heart and mind. It was incredible and it involved so much more than emotion. It was a spiritual truth that radiated through my whole being. It resonated so deeply in my heart that I literally could not sing. I wept and gave thanks to God for His amazing love for me, which is exactly what Susie would have hoped for each of us. Susie, we will never, ever forget you. Because of you we are more deeply in love with Jesus than ever before. I know that they are partying in Heaven and I’m sure that you are right in the middle of it!

I can also remember the First Naz choir singing “My Life Is In Your Hands” and how I felt an amazing sense of God’s presence. I will never forget the first time I heard the congregation at MPCC sing “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” and being overwhelmed by their passion. I am also taken to an incredible place of worship every single time I hear Kim sing “In Christ Alone.” Her passion for God is so contagious.

I am so grateful for God’s presence in my life!

I would love to hear some of your powerful worship experience stories. Please share them with me in the comment section.