Worship at Bible college

I have never picture myself as a worship/song leader. Right from the outset, I would think of myself primarily as a musician in the music ministry. Pianist? Definitely. Acoustic guitarist? Well maybe. But since entering Bible college, I have been called to lead worship on two occasions. The first time was at a recent spiritual retreat. The second time was during the Christian Spirituality class today.

Having attended children's Sunday school in the 1980s and going through my teens in the 1990s, I do have a certain fondness for many worship songs from that particular period. I remember that as a musician in a charismatic church, I used to have a dislike for hymns. However, I gradually grew to appreciate them over time. Now whenever I attend services where hymns are sung, I would savor the rich and wonderful truths penned by Christian men of old who had a deep reverence for the centrality of the cross, the sovereignty and the grace of God.

This Bible college is rather conservative when it comes to worship. Whenever we have chapel services, the songs are mostly hymns from our college hymnal. If we do incorporate contemporary songs in chapel services, they would be of the slow variety. Personally, I prefer a balanced mix of both fast and slow songs. So when I was asked to lead worship, I wanted to incorporate fast songs. As I do not want to alienate my classmates too much, who come from a wide spectrum of denominations, my criterion for these fast songs is that it must be familiar to my classmates. Needless to say, the songs must also be doctrinally sound.

During the spiritual retreat, I have deliberately chosen worship songs that were popular in the 1980s and the early 1990s. I decided to repeat the same thing today. I avoided songs from Hillsong, which seems to be the rage in churches nowadays. And I do think “Lord I lift Your Name on High” has been done to death everywhere.

All in all, I have chosen eight songs. Children's Sunday school songs like “The Butterfly Song,” “Walking in the light of God,” and “In His Time.” Coincidentally and to my delightful surprise, during the chapel service following the Christian Spirituality class, we sang “With Christ in the vessel,” another Sunday School song.

I have also chose songs like the evergreen “As the Deer,” “How Lovely are Thy Dwelling Places,” and a fast “O Magnify the Lord.” I thought of ending with a fast “My Life is in You” but eventually decided against it during the worship. Of course, the highlight of the worship session would be the amazing hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” which ministered to me, and I believe, and to everyone a lot.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.