#AtoZChallenge: Exhortation

In Extravagant Worship, Darlene Zschech talks about a time when their worship team was given 12 minutes to just get up on stage and start an unscheduled service, “to take people from chaos… to being aware of the presence of Almighty God.” She concludes by saying this:

“If you don’t have the revelation about the power of praise and worship and about living as a worshipper, you can’t do that in twelve minutes because you can’t just get up and hope somebody is going to worship. It is just not going to happen. We have to lead people. We have to take them by the hand and say, ‘I know that it is tough out there but let me take you to the answer for your life.’” (pg. 82, emphasis mine)

Exhortation is defined as “an address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.” And that’s exactly what you, as a worship leader, need to do. You need to exhort the congregation to come and worship. You’re calling them into the presence of God, you’re issuing a clarion call that now - right now - is the time to set everything aside to come and worship God. That’s your duty. That’s your calling as a worship leader.

It isn’t easy. There are going to be days where you don’t feel like worshipping. You don’t feel like going through the motions. You don’t feel like anything you do is making a difference. That’s normal. That’s human. That’s probably where 90% of the congregation are at 10AM on a Sunday morning, because they haven’t quite woken up yet or they’ve just quarrelled with someone in their family. Even if you’re at an evening service (like I attend), you’re dealing with people who are possibly angry and cantankerous for any multitude of reasons - they’re hungry, hurt, someone just cut them off in traffic, they were just laid off, or they’re PMSing or… well, anything and everything, really.

And that’s when you exhort yourself - and them - to worship. Because that’s what you’re called to do.

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About the book:

Jane Hays has been told all her life that it’s dangerous to be out in the forest past sundown. At fifteen, she’s quite sure that it’s all old wives’ tales... yet, why does her village bar the gates every night? Why do they even have gates? When she is caught in an unexpected rainstorm on her way home, Jane ignores all the warnings and seeks shelter in a cottage in the middle of the forest. Soon, she is caught up in a world of magic and beauty – and in the storm of the Fairy Queen’s wrath.

The Fairy Queen is out for blood. There have been intruders – human intruders – in her domain and she will stop at nothing to find them and kill them. After all, it is only fair. She is only seeking retribution for the death that humans leave in their wake.

But Jane isn’t all that she seems to be. And the events of the night aren’t as innocent as they appear.

A tale of magic, fairy creatures and family, Coexist is a novella for the young and the young-at-heart.

Get Coexist on Amazon or Smashwords. Check out Book Depository or Createspace for paperbacks!

Today, we're back again at Rebekah's for her review of Coexist.

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