As I submit my last blog post for my Worship & Media Internship, I reflect on all the love, knowledge, support, wisdom, and guidance I have received during my time at Identity Church. I have learned so much about what healthy spiritual leadership looks like and how to practically do things such as running sound\/creating an in-house mix, cueing tracks, leading rehearsals, and more. I am excited to continue serving at Identity after my Internship has ended and continue to grow as and individual and contribute to the continual growth of the church during my gap year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the rest of this blog post I will be completing a prompt that was previously assigned to me: Research and present a brief on favorite worship song(s)<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of my all time favorite worship songs is How He Loves by John Mark McMillan released in 2005. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How He Loves is a Christian Alternative Rock song written by McMillan after his best friend passed away in a car crash. According to him, \u201c the love that he sings about in \u2018How He Loves\u2019 is not a pretty, \u2018Hollywood hot-pink’ love. It is a kind of love that is willing to love even when things are difficult and messy. He says, \u2018This song isn’t a celebration of weakness and anger. It’s a celebration of a God who would want to hang with us through those things, who would want to be a part of our lives through those things, and, despite who we are, He would want to be a part of us, our community, and our family.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n What I love about this songs is the deep emotions conveyed through its rich lyricism as well as its versatility. Here is an example of the lyrics within the verse of the song: <\/p>\n\n\n\n He is jealous for me The poetic visual description and comparison of God\u2019s love is like a\u00a0hurricane, and we are bending trees so profound and creates a powerful image of just how much the Lord loves us, with intensity, passion, and incredible depth. Although it may seem as if God\u2019s love for us is a simple truth, many believers and unbelievers alike who may be overcome with things like shame, guilt, and distrust, struggle to accept that the Lord really loves them. This song reminds us of the powerful love of God shown within the Bible, one that is sacrificial, selfless, and genuine. I also love the versatility of this song. It has permeated the world of Christian and Gospel music and has been recorded in the genre of Christian rock (ex: the David Crowder Band), Contemporary Christian worship (ex: Jesus Culture), and Contemporary Gospel (ex: Anthony Evans). The 6\/8 time signature contributes to flow and feel of the song, as well as the instrumentation in the various versions I have listened to. They start with anticipation and a sense of subtly, emphasizing the lyrics of the verse at the beginning and then build to the bridge where the instrumentation fills in and increases as the vocalists exclaim ” He loves us, oh how He loves us” as like a confession from the depths of the soul. Finally, this song was originally released in 2005, almost 20 years ago, yet it is a song still sung by believers and shared in congregations today with conviction and passion revealing its value and timelessness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I submit my last blog post for my Worship & Media Internship, I reflect on all the love, knowledge, support, wisdom, and guidance I have received during my time at Identity Church. I have learned so much about what healthy spiritual leadership looks like and how to practically do things such as running sound\/creating … Continue reading Worship & Media Internship – Internship Reflection & Worship Song Brief<\/span>
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath, the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how you are beautiful you are
And how great your affections are for me <\/p>\n\n\n\n