Red Rocks Worship “Right Here Right Now” Day Three (Devotional)
ΓÇ£You have our attention; every eye is fixed on you.ΓÇ¥
The past couple of days weΓÇÖve talked about the power of GodΓÇÖs presenceΓÇöthat itΓÇÖs the destination for healing, for life change, and for Heaven to meet earth. There are those moments in songs where you feel the transcendence of God become immanent, and you realize just how personal and profound our faith is. What I love about ΓÇ£Right Here, Right NowΓÇ¥ is that the focus isnΓÇÖt just personal, itΓÇÖs communal. Notice the collective language throughout the song: our attention, our affection, we wonΓÇÖt hesitate, we seek You, our worship pouring out.
We echo the psalmist in praise because ΓÇ£we are fearfully and wonderfully made; His works are wonderful; we know that full well.ΓÇ¥
Time Magazine says that singing releases beneficial hormones, one of which is called oxytocin. Oxytocin has been found to reduce anxiety and stress, and also enhances feelings of trust and bonding. Even in the secular field, singing together is considered exhilarating and transformative, and when done long enough, can actually change the networking of your brain. Our time of musical response isnΓÇÖt just for entertainment value, but the power of our words to song was a special detail designed by God. We echo the psalmist in praise because ΓÇ£we are fearfully and wonderfully made; His works are wonderful; we know that full well.ΓÇ¥
You can begin to imagine the implications of this neurological study for a body that is energized with the living, breathing Holy Spirit. It is clear that the life of a Christian comprises body, soul, and spiritΓÇöall of these avenues affecting and informing the others. But something we often forget is that the Christian life isnΓÇÖt just my life, itΓÇÖs our life.
In a society that focuses on a preferential ΓÇ£me firstΓÇ¥ mentality, the Jesus of the Gospels was especially concerned with how the Community transacts the Kingdom.
We believe something profound happens when followers of Christ sing together, united behind a common theme. Matthew 18:20 says, ΓÇ£Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.ΓÇ¥ In a society that focuses on a preferential ΓÇ£me firstΓÇ¥ mentality, the Jesus of the Gospels was especially concerned with how the Community transacts the Kingdom. Jesus equates loving Him to loving our neighbor. Paul tells the Romans that belonging to Christ is like being a part of this one body, where each member belongs to all the others. ThatΓÇÖs a strong concept! If you and I are in Christ together, I belong to you, you belong to me, and we are all gathered up by Christ.
Let me encourage you: next time you gather with the community of believers, think less of ΓÇ£youΓÇ¥ and more of ΓÇ£us.ΓÇ¥
When youΓÇÖre singing ΓÇ£Right Here, Right Now,ΓÇ¥ think about your brothers and sisters in Christ standing next to you. Think of the camaraderie, think of the unification, think of the bonding that takes place when we agree together. We know when we are assembled that Christ is amongst us, but we also know that when we come together we are completing the Body. Let me encourage you: next time you gather with the community of believers, think less of ΓÇ£youΓÇ¥ and more of ΓÇ£us.ΓÇ¥ What if your singing is doing something transformative for your neighbor? What if something chemical is happening in their brain, speaking to their heart, and settling in their spirit, confirming that they never are not alone, but bonded to a community of believers?
Every word of the song is true. The floodgates of heaven are opened in response to our collective worship. The spaces we sing in become thinly veiled places where we see the wonders and miracles of God; healing takes place, lives are changed, and the valleys of life are lifted up into mountain splendor. May the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we join our hearts and voices together!