Come Let Us Sing (Part 2)*

I was blessed to grow up in a family that loves to sing and worship. My sister’s beautiful voice, along with my dad and brother’s great range of harmony as bass and tenor, respectively, were normal around our home. We can still start harmonizing together spontaneously on songs we sang years ago and not miss a beat. They were an integral part of growing my love for worship.
Worship is an expression of joy, reverence, spiritual warfare, and thankfulness, all wrapped up in musical expressions of unity—for an audience of One. That’s why I want to be a “worship leader.”
Every time I lead singing at College Church, I can’t help but smile at our beautiful harmony flowing through the auditorium. I consider it Christian recreation to be on that stage and hear the heavenly sound of worship.  
I love leading a mixture of our classic hymnal songs and newer songs that have become part of congregational singing.
When I lead the well-known “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” my heart is drawn into worship because it reminds me of God's unchanging character. In a world where everything seems in flux, the Lord remains steadfast and merciful from generation to generation. As we sing of His "new mercies" each morning and confess that "all I have needed Thy hand hath provided," I'm reminded that His faithfulness is not seen only in life's greatest moments but also in His daily provision and sustaining grace. This beautiful hymn turns my eyes away from myself and back to my Father.
A newer song, “Living Hope,” captivates my heart because it proclaims the very center of the Gospel. It reminds me that Jesus is the divine exchange between a holy God and me. His death and resurrection accomplished what I could never achieve on my own: a saving relationship with the Father.
As the song builds to the triumph of the empty tomb, I'm reminded that my hope is not based on changing circumstances but on the living Christ, who conquered sin and death forever. Because He lives, my hope is alive. That truth fills my heart with gratitude, confidence, and awe, making worship not simply something I sing, but the natural response of a heart overwhelmed by the faithfulness, grace, and victory of Jesus Christ.
I desire to be a tender warrior for my Savior, and this doesn’t happen without worship being a vital part of my daily life.


*Second in a series begun by Tom Ritchie, with a third article, by Jordan Laing, to follow in September.