Order and SubmissionGod is a God of liberty, but He is also a God of order. While we should be able to take our liberty in the Lord when using our instruments of praise and worship, we do not want to be out of order. The best definition of order in this case would be: "the absence of confusion or disturbance".
God has a divine order, and we must be ready to submit ourselves to it. We must, first of all, submit ourselves to the authority of our own Pastor. We would also need to submit ourselves to the Pastor of any church we might visit. This is important to keep in mind when using our flags, tabrets, and prise hoops.
Before you introduce these praise instruments to your church, please talk with your Pastor about it. He is God's appointed authority for your church, and if he is not in agreement then you need to wait. Maybe he does not understand this type of worship, or perhaps he feels the timing is not quite right. Pray about it. God's timing is perfect, and it is important that you wait for your Pastor's release and the timing of the Holy Spirit.
Remember that you are also to submit yourselves to your Pastor's instructions and or correction when needed. Although it may never come up, if it does, please accept it with the proper attitude. Most Pastors will do their best to spare you embarrassment, and will handle the situation with love and care.
It might be a good idea to have your flags, tabrets, and praise hoops approved before bringing them to worship services. Since they represent an aspect of the church they need to be properly made and of a good quality. This is not to critique your work, or to get caught up in destructive comparisons. We do, however, want to set and maintain a good standard. Remember, when doing anything for the Lord we should strive to do our personal best.
Before using your praise instruments at church you should become familiar with them in your home. It really is important that we learn to worship at home. Our homes should be our primary place of worship, where we are the most intimate with the Lord. The more familiar you become with them at home, the more relaxed you will be with them at church.
You may not feel that special presence when you first begin doing this, particularly if you haven't been worshiping on a regular basis anyway. Don't give up: if you are faithful to continue and press in, He will be faithful to meet you.
While we are on the subject of submission, we would like to point out that it is very important to yield to the Holy Spirit's leading. Whether it is praise, worship, intercession, or warfare; obey His promptings. This is not a spectacle for the people; it is an offering unto God.
Finally, don't expect everyone to embrace this form of worship. Although it is not really new; it is new to us. It takes time to adjust to new things. It also takes understanding and enlightenment. There are many forms of praise and worship, and this is just one of them. Please do not reject people because they reject the flags and tabrets. If their response bothers you; pray about it, and give them space.
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