Let it Rain!

After two days He will revive us;
   on the third day He will raise us up,
   that we may live before Him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
   His going out is sure as the dawn;
He will come to us as the showers,
   as the spring rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:2-3




I was outside on our front porch playing guitar( yes, I play guitar but I use the word "play" very sparingly.) It had been a day full of typical Ohio weather- rain, sun, rain, cloudy, more rain... you know how it's been the past few weeks. Well, it looked like it could rain again- the trees around our house were beginning to sway and the sky was looking full. I was just sitting there worshiping and singing a great Jesus Culture song with the following lyrics: "Let it rain, let it rain, open the floodgates of Heaven. We feel the rains of Your love, feel the winds of  Your Spirit, now the heartbeat of Heaven, let us hear. We want to see You, show us Your glory, we want to know You more." 


As I was singing, it started raining. The rain started off as a sprinkle and then quickly turned into a downpour. The boys and Jarrod came running to the dry shelter of our front porch and I had to stop playing the guitar and singing because it was raining so loud that I couldn't even hear myself play! Now maybe this was God's way of telling me I should stick to piano :) Actually, I think the rain and the song were coincidental, I sing it a lot whether it's rainy or sunny. But the lesson God had for me in that moment was not. 


For so long, the church in general has relied on music as entertainment or as a vehicle of emotion to give them a feeling of God's presence. As a worship leader, I know as well as anyone the power of music and how it can set the atmosphere for worship, and when combined with the right words, it can create a powerful tool for us to respond to God- and He often chooses to reveal Himself to us as we praise Him with our voices. This is a truth that I wholeheartedly embrace- in fact, worship through song is my life's purpose- it's what I do. 


But we have to understand that music isn't the necessary component for worship- God is the most necessary component for worship. The secondary component for a powerful worship experience is the heart of the worshiper being open and surrendered to God. I would list music as an option that could certainly compliment the two necessary components I've stated above. Without the recognition of God's presence in our lives and surrendering our hearts and lives to His presence, we get people staring at the walls with their hands in their pockets during the worship time at church-it doesn't matter whether the music is good or not. 


As the rain began to pour the other day, forcing me to put my guitar down,  God began putting all these thoughts in my mind.  I realized in that moment that I want His power and presence way more than a moving musical encounter. He can come in power, with or without any soundtrack I can provide. Though music is a nice component for an encounter with God, it's not always necessary. God wants our worship at all times and can operate with or without songs. That being said, I do want our songs at LCC to be a powerful vehicle for us to say to God what we wouldn't say otherwise. But a love of Jesus has to overshadow any love of music and how it makes us feel if we truly want to feel the rain fall. We have to enter into our relationship with God wholeheartedly if we want to connect with Him completely. 


I am praying for the Spirit to rain on our church, our communities, our nation. I want the songs that we sing to be lived out in our everyday lives. I want the supremacy of the Holy Spirit to drown out our music until we're all left standing in silence, in awe, and in wonder- just like the other day when I had to set my guitar down and just watch the water pouring down, soaking everything in it's way. That's what I would love to see at our church- a moment so powerful that the music simply can't continue- where we are brought to our knees in humble adoration and our voices and instruments are set aside just for one moment.  I truly feel the rain of the Spirit is gathering. What we've seen at LCC so far has just been a sprinkle of what's to come! Be expectant and be prepared- I can feel the rain coming!