One of the most beautiful things in this world is musical worship. The fact that it does not matter a persons level of skill or the language they are expressing themself in, but the state of thier heart, is so beautiful. My first time worshipping in another country was freshmen year of college in Russia. It was then that it really sunk in that God is Lord over the entire world, that He understands and hears all languages because He created them. Christianity is not just a religion for those who speak English it is a religion for every tribe, tongue, and nation. Since that time I have been blessed to paricipate in worship in many different styles, cultures, and languages. From a chior from all over the world singing in thier own language all at once, to the repectful and simple worship in Japan, to claping and dancing and yelling in Haiti, to the freedom of a worship service for families who have a member with disabilities where pretty much anything goes. Each experience God has used to open my heart a little more to what Heaven will be like one day and what a beautiful thing it will be.
With all of these amazing experiences, one of my favorites was so simple and happened just this past week. On Monday Johnny and I went to our first small group here, we were pretty nervous and tired because of the idea of sitting through a few hours of straight German with our language still being at a low level. But as we sat at the table with four German nationals and begin our time of musical worship, they pulled out the German translation of Open the Eyes of my heart. Something about a tune I know so well, in a language that I do not begin to stir a joy and peace, and then after two times through the song the man leading us switched to English and humed the parts he did not know to allow Johnny and I the moment to express ourselves to God in our own heart language. Something about the words of that song and singing it in our own language and the langauge of those who God has asked us to live among clicked something in my heart. I do not just want to see God, I want this city and this country to see Him and His beauty and His goodness. I do not think that I could actually expression all that I felt or all that God spoke to me in that simple and calm moment, but that is one of my favorite things about musical worship it is both personal and corprate and while outwardly expressing how awesome our God is, He is inwardly guiding and teaching. My prayer since learning we would be moving to Berlin has been to have a true heart for this city and people and it was that moment that He used to begin that heart to grow. To grow a desire to see Him high and lifted up by this city and starting that with individual people's eyes and hearts being opened.