Making a Joyful Noise Together

bởi Andrew Han | Diversity

A Worship Ministry Update

In the music ministry at OVF, one of our greatest blessings is also our most formative challenge: our diversity. As a multicultural team, we are constantly learning that worship isn’t about asserting our own cultural or personal preferences. Instead, we’re discovering the beauty of setting aside what we think is right in order to truly listen to and harmonize with one another. In this process of embracing and understanding our brothers and sisters, we are tangibly learning what it means to love like Jesus.

This journey comes with unique challenges. We regularly navigate different languages and unfamiliar musical genres, which stretches us beyond our comfort zones. Yet, we see this not as a burden, but as a God-given opportunity to expand our world and learn more about the global body of Christ. A constant and worthy challenge is balancing deep theological truth with musical accessibility. Our desire, rooted in our Reformed convictions, is to lead the congregation in songs that are rich in doctrine and faithful to Scripture, while also being heartfelt and singable for everyone. This requires continual discernment.

As we continue this work, we need your prayers for these specific things:

• For Unity in Diversity: Pray that through our differences, we would beautifully reflect the multifaceted glory of Jesus Christ, not simply our own diversity. Pray for an ever-deepening unity among us.
• For the Congregation: Pray that our music would faithfully serve the church, helping everyone to worship God more fully in spirit and in truth.
• For More Musicians: Please pray that the Lord would send more faithful and gifted musicians to join our team and serve the church.

Thank you for your partnership in the gospel! We are excited to see how God continues to build His church through worship at OVF.

Multilingual Doxology

bởi Naomi Sicks | Diversity

When Chris first shared his idea about singing the Doxology in different languages, I was skeptical. The thought of our international congregation singing simultaneously in all their languages sounded heavenly. But, why do it with the old-fashioned Doxology? The idea made my hippie-Christian skin crawl. When I was a child visiting my grandparents’ liturgical churches, I never understood all the standing up and sitting down. The responsive readings sounded like a sea of monotone voices that seemed insincere about the words they were reciting. So why sing the Doxology at a church like One Voice?

Well, you can imagine my surprise at the tears running down my cheeks as I began singing it for the first time at worship team practice. Andrew’s arrangement is moving and beautiful. We sang the Doxology once in English before repeating the stanza twice in our own languages: Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, Urdu, Dari, Amharic, and English. Suddenly, I couldn’t even sing! My throat closed up as tears of joy ran down my face. Nothing prepared me for the gorgeous sound of many languages praising God together with one voice.

As we sang it in worship the following week, I looked around at the faces of my dear friends from all over the world. Their expressions changed from concentration as they sang English, to delight when they switched to the languages they grew up speaking (what we call their heart languages). The moment truly was a glimpse of heaven. People from many tribes and tongues singing together with one voice, with heart, worshipping our one Father in heaven.

I was humbled and honored to go back to my dear husband and say the words, “You were right!”