Music From the Heart October 27th, 2005
How often we take praise, worship and even meeting together in church for granted. We sometimes moan when we sing a song too many times or it’s too old or too modern. After our first term of working in Spain and worshiping in a Spanish church, we returned to England for a few months. As we worshiped in English for the first time in years, I could not stop crying. I felt open and raw as if I had been starved of food for weeks and someone had given me a great feast. It was almost too much.
There is nothing like singing to God to move us closer to him. Singing in a foreign language is possibly easier than speaking, as the rhythmic patterns are taken care of, but worship is not the same. Although intimacy with God takes place and you fully understand the proclamation you make, there is still a barrier. Only when you use your own native tongue do you experience a rush sensation in your inner being.
This is just one of the reasons why it is important that people have the freedom to worship in their own language and cultural style. At Málaga Media Center (MMC) we have been actively encouraging this in North Africa for 10 years. MMC has organized and funded a music school where believers with possible gifting, who are chosen by the Church, attend two weeks of training. These seminars have facilitated the Church in its worship. Over 300 songs have been written, and this year we will see the production of the first comprehensive song book in a North African dialect.
Each year MMC produces a CD from the school, which is distributed among the churches to be used in worship. Previously the churches sang songs that had been imported from the Middle East or translated from English or French, with limited cultural relevance to North Africans. These new songs draw on their rich heritage and use a wide variety of styles from traditional North African folk music to modern pop with a very North African feel.
The experience of the course has been both life changing and empowering for many who have attended it over the years. Since the start, those attending have found that people can find inspiration in many areas of life. This has come out in many of the worship songs that have been written. Many times the writers are also gifted with the ability to play musical instruments, often specific to their home area. When they get together you can often feel, even see, the energy raising from the room as they interact and share ideas for new songs.
Although there is no visible Church, people are meeting in small groups. There is a developing structure with those who made commitments to Christ 5-15 years ago now leading the Church as a whole. One of the most striking songs to come from the music school has been the anthem “Pray for Our Country” which has been adopted by most churches as their vision for their country. In North Africa becoming Christian is seen as an act against the state. This song addresses the balance as it cries out to God to heal the nation and meet its needs. It clearly shows the care that these Christians have for their nation.
It is very exciting to see the development from mission-instigated activities, funded and run by missionaries, transition to Church owned and organized activities with partial funding by missionaries. Our thankfulness for the blessings God has given us as we see the music school and the North African believers develop can only inspire us to worship our Father more…in any language.
Andrea Froment is originally from the Northeast of England. She works in MMC Member Care and joins her husband Ian, working in Video. They have two children, ages 7 and 11.