Last Sunday half of our team went to a service at a church called Victory Outreach Church North. After watching this congregation worship, I cannot help but think we are missing something in our American churches.
This church probably isn't what we picture when we think of "church." It looks more like an outdoor shelter house. In this church there are no lights, no projectors, no videos, no special effects. They have a basic sound system with two small speakers. But they certainly are not lacking in passion. I have never heard "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" sung with so much excitement, and I have been singing that song since I was about 6. It is evident that they truly mean every word they are singing. They don't just sing about God's love making them want to dance; they actually dance. They don't look around to see what everyone else is doing. Their eyes are closed and their hands are raised as if it was just them and Jesus. When these people sing about the joy of the Lord, their faces radiate pure joy.
I found this slightly ironic, because if any congregation has reason not to be joyful, this one does. In this church, there are people who have AIDS. There are malnourished children. There are families living in tiny mud huts. But there is no lack of joy. They are not angry with God because of their circumstances. They do not feel entitled. Unlike me, they do not think God owes them anything. The joy of the Lord really is their strength. These people showed me what it looks like to worship with reckless abandonment. They let nothing come between them and their fellowship with the God of the universe. Like them, I want to praise my savior, not half-heartedly, but with everything in me.
