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Alcala 1
Armando AlcalaEnglish 11011/27/09Dr. AdamsA Good Worshiping ExperienceMost of us listen to it wherever we go. It accompanies us in every circumstance, in everysituation, and in every moment. It stays with us through the best moments of our lives and eventhroughout the worse, through thin and thick. When we are happy it is mellow, when we areangry it is loud, and when we are sad it is soft. It adapts to every mood we show and express, andit reflects what we hide inside ourselves. Worship music has come to form a very important partof our lives; it can affect us and influence us in many different ways. I have seen in chapel howstudents experiment and experience more intimacy with Christ when they are listening to theworship songs, and when they are singing the lyrics to their savior, to the Man who gave themthe breath of life. For this reason I believe that we should have more worship based chapels, sothat students can experience the love and presence of God in their lives, and have more intimacywith their creator.The Bible says that we were called to worship God and to give him praise. “Butye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye shouldshow forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1Peter 2:9). So there is a reason why God called us, and it is to praise him. “There is a worshipthat expresses the heart, and worship that involves the mind, and a worship that involves the body. There is a worship that is giving praise upward, a worship that is receiving instructionsfrom above, and a worship that carries out instruction in the world around us.” (Morrison).
 
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According to Morrison, there are various ways to worship God, but I’ll be discussing the worshipthat involves giving praise upward, which is praising him with worship music. Worship music or song singing is what students at Azusa Pacific including myself enjoy the most during chapel.I do not have statistics that could actually prove that students enjoymore worship based chapel than the regular one that is offered most of the time. But I believe Ihave the most powerful source that could prove it, which is to see so many students cry out totheir God when they are worshiping. Hands rising, heads bowing, tears rolling down the cheeksof many students, and the presence of God Slowly descending upon them. Students walk fromone side of the campus to the other, everyone doing their own little thing, but once they get tothat place of worship everything changes. Once students get to chapel after their first class, andothers straight from the bed, something incredible occurs. As soon as the worship band starts playing the worship songs, minds and hearts start connecting as one to worship our Father thatreigns in heaven.I have seen students that do not talk to one another outside chapel grab their handsduring worship at chapel, because worshiping brings them to a special connection that bindsthem to the creator. I have seen students cry their hearts out during worship, I have seen students jump of joy during worship. Students can worship Christ no matter what their mood is, becauseif they are sad they will cry to him and he will bring happiness upon them, and if they are happythey will rejoice. Students experience something incredible during worship. When they aresinging they get absorbed by a magical moment, in which they wish they could stay thereforever, where they don’t want to be bothered or distracted. But then this magical moment, thistime of worship gets interrupted by square digital clock with big red numbers that sits on the back table where the sound table is. Students get cut off of a wonderful experience of worshipwith God because it is time to proceed with chapel and leave time for the speaker. The office of 
 
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chapel programs has programmed chapel from 9:30am to 10:20am. That is fifty minutes, but 30minutes are left for the speaker. So this only leaves 20 short minutes for worship, and chapeldoes not start exactly at 9:30am all the time, for this reason students get cut off of a wonderfultime of intimacy with God.The office of chapel programs is able to offer up to seven chapelservices a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:30am to 10:20am on FEC or UTTC. Monday nights the senior chapel is offered at UTTC, and Kaleo is offered all Wednesdaynights at UTTC starting at 9:00pm. Liturgical chapel is offered once a month Thursday nightsstarting at 9:00pm (Chapel Programs). So it seems like the office of chapel programs has enoughresources to make the chapel experience happen. Nevertheless, the office of chapel programsdoes not provide worship based chapels at least once a week. So far in my freshman collegecareer, chapel programs have only provided ONE worshiped based chapel.I’m not trying to assume that another day should be added to the chapelcalendar to include a worship based chapel, but if the office of chapel programs is able to provideup to seven chapel events a week, why not make one of these events a worship based chapel? Not only this, but if chapel programs is able to provide chapel three times on Monday (FEC,UTTC and night chapel) and the same repeats on Wednesday, why not make of these a worship based chapel? I think even the office of chapel programs would benefit from this because theywould not have to hire another speaker. But chapel is intended to benefit students, “Our passionis to craft chapel experiences that will impact your life both now and beyond your time at APU.Our prayer is that we are all transformed as a result of our chapel experiences together.” (Chapel programs) So why not put that passion to work and give students why they desire.Worship music makes me break down. When I’m worshiping God I reflect, think and meditate about my relationship with him. I ask myself if I’m functioning, if I’m being what
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Raul Segura Montes

Ya te iniciaste y te felicito, que sigas copartiendo y toques vidas en Cristo. ¡ bendiciones !

reply11 / 28 / 2009
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