Yesterday was the staff outing of the church in the Philippines for which I work. It was a truly enjoyable day: my kids made new friends and I am closer to many of my colleagues in the faith. I really enjoyed it.
One of the activities available at Resort Yamaguchi was a karaoke machine that had an enviable roster of songs. (I tell you: the song roster was substantial, especially when you consider the resort was a cozy albeit tiny one in Laguna.)
I sang Nakapagtataka, a Tagalog song that did NOT succeed in making my nose bleed. However, I did sing a track from the 80s, the classic power ballad More Than Words Can Say by glam rock band Alias.
I realized, midway through the song, that I am, at best, a mediocre singer. My range isn’t wide, I sing through my throat and not my diaphragm, and I make the funniest faces while aiming for the high notes.
Why on Earth could I, of all people, manage to lead praise and worship?
One word: God. There is no other plausible reason for how everything falls into place during praise and worship. God can empower the weak to move mountains: He tells us that with Him by our side, we can command mountains to jump into the sea and they will. We can move mountains! What’s a little roster of five to six songs?
Every time I sing at a worship service, I find myself during the first 30 minutes before the praise and worship, as well as the fifteen minutes after it’s over, in pain. It’s usually a headache, or acidic reflux. I’m used to it, yet we never stop praying for it. It’s because I know God is fixing things up so I rely completely on Him.
The minute Christians think we can do things on our own, especially in the areas of work and faith, is the minute we flirt with disaster. That’s because we have a relationship with Someone who can give us the power to make things happen. We know there is a power source we can latch onto; why in heaven’s name shouldn’t we tap into that power, especially when in our success, the name of God is glorified?
We may be mediocre on our own, but with God, we can do incredible things. What can one do when one is ordinary? One turns to the extraordinary.
