How He Loves

Friday night, I had the chance to go to a worship concert by John Mark McMillan. He is an amazing songwriter, and truly writes from his heart. He wrote the worship anthem "How He Loves" which is about how much God loves us no matter what. He also wrote a song called "Skeleton Bones". These are both songs we have played at Wesley, and the students have really responded to them musically as well as lyrically. We introduced "How He Loves" about 3 years ago, and what I have come to realize is that the song seems to be overplayed. We haven't done the song in a while, and I have heard people complain, saying "I really don't like that song anymore". I tend to agree with them for the most part. I believe that when a worship song really takes off at a church, it is really easy to overplay it and for the congregation to become de-sensitized to it. So the question as a worship leader is, "How do I keep things fresh?" I doesn't matter how many times I hear "How He Loves", it always moves me. I do however pray very hard when I feel it should be done at Wesley. It has become such an emotional song to so many people, it is easy to think, I need a strong emotional response at this point in the service so I will play this song that I know will guarantee a response.

The last time I played "How He Loves" in a worship service was for a highschool youth service at a church out on the coast of Florida. The amazing thing that happened that night was that God used that song to reach those kids, and allowed a moment for Andy (the speaker that night) to let the kids know how much God really loved them. As we were ending the song, Andy got up and told them about how he proposed to his wife, and that it was a way for him to tell the whole world how much he loved his wife. He said he wasn't afraid to proclaim his love, and that God proclaims his love even more than that. That is how much God loves you.

I will always love this song, and it will always be a part of my song list for services. The one thing I am becoming aware of though, is that in all services, it is not about what sounds good together or what flows well, but what does God want to say to these people today. I will always spend time in prayer while selecting a set and I try to allow God to guide my choices, especially when he says, "Play this song that everyone is getting tired of, because I am going to speak to someone through this song." The cool thing is sometimes the person he wants to speak to is not someone in the crowd, but me.

Here is John Mark McMillan playing "How He Loves". If you have heard this song, please listen knowing that God loves you. If you have never heard this song please listen and now that God loves you.