BEYOND COMFORTABILITY

Sunday for me began with the words from Isaiah 40:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

It came as an exhortation because for the first time in my several years as worship pastor, I felt uneasy/uncomfortable with the songs I chose for Sunday's worship! Three of the five songs are pieces I have never ever used until Sunday! The problem with that is a worship leader has to be so familiar with the songs he leads the congregation to sing, and that wasn't my case. I've studied the pieces over the last five days, but there's a huge difference between studying the pieces and listening to recordings from having actually sung them in public. The worship team and I had an hour-and-a-half rehearsal time on Saturday, and yet I was still uncomfortable with those three songs. It was a weird yet familiar feeling.

When I am comfortable with a song, I have no problem leading people to sing it without having the urgent feeling rehearsing it beforehand. My pianist knows this, she and I can grab a couple of music pieces and lead worship impromptu-- without having to run a rehearsal.

And so, on Sunday morning, with the horizon still very dark--the night is darkest just before the dawn- I sat on the edge of my bed with my Bible in hand wondering how to lead the worship songs without messing them up. I read the very word of the Lord spoken by Isaiah:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

I asked God that He would help me be comfortable with the uncomfortable songs. But I realized, God will comfort us and not allow us to be comfortable. We are comforted but not comfortable. The first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah, the Prophet, we find the distresses and the desolation of the nation of Judah under attack by the Assyrians. Then chapter 40 comes with a Good News. Isaiah tells his people that they can find comfort in God--though they may not be comfortable at the moment--they can find comfort in the sovereign God.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

9 You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?

13 Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?

14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?

15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

17 Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.

18 To whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you compare him to?

God does not call us to comfortability, if He did, none of us would have to support missionaries, we would not have to give our offerings, we would not have to be busy on Sunday mornings, we would not have to visit the poor, the sick the down and out, we would not have to share the Gospel and fear rejection, we would not have to lisetn to long sermons. He doesn't call us to comfortability but wants us to find comfort in Him.

Yesterday, as I led worship all day, I was still uncomfortable with the songs but I found comfort in God. And I must admit, at every worship service, there was always a glitch particularly during the singing of the uncomfortable songs.

God wants us to step out of our comfortable zones and explore the uncomfortability of faith and discipleship. When Christ himself took on flesh and born on earth that first Christmas morning, He was laid on a feeding trough! That isn't comfortable. All through his life on earth, He was not comfortable, so were His followers. But in Him we find comfort. Someone has said, "Christ doesn't want to merely make us happy, but He wants to make us holy." Holiness is uncomfortable, but we find comfort in the HOLY!