BACK TO THE FUTURE!

CALLED TO WORSHIP MUSIC. MY STORY!

Let me start by first pointing out that your past experiences are not indicative of your future life to come!

Before stepping into the journey of becoming a worship leader, I had to go through a season of transition and letting go of fear and limiting beliefs that kept me bound for several years. 

I almost forfeited my calling by making decisions based on fear!

If you read my last few blogs, I’ve taken you through my personal music journey. It started with my believing I was supposed to be a singer/performer.

Not long after I began pursuing that call, I quickly let it go. For several years, I existed without an ounce of music flowing through my bones.

I allowed my dream of singing die. I gave up on it completely. My life took a slightly different turn and I figured the dream was just a dream and I needed to pivot. 

I went on about my life doing the things I thought I needed to do - work, school, begin a family, etc. I forgot about the desire to sing and write music. Because of my neglect to follow my call, I felt and became a different person; not fully complete and not fully fulfilled. Yet, I embraced this new life and moved on without focusing on music.

To find your purpose…

…you must first let it go!

TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE, YOU MUST FIRST LET IT GO!

Sometimes to find your purpose, you have to let it go. Sometimes, you have to experience a season of separation. Perhaps that doesn’t happen for everyone but if it happens to you, I promise, your purpose will find you and return to you! 

Looking back now, I am utterly grateful for that time I wasn’t focusing on music. It taught me many things. I was focused on business and became very business savvy. I learned about branding, marketing, prospecting, budgeting, etc. It truly was not time wasted.

Truth be told, God was using that time to re-shape my identity and taught me what success looks like. I learned how to be successful in business and today, I am applying those skills to this music business that God has graciously given me.

But let’s get back to how I got back to my purpose! Back to my future!

OF ALL THE PLACES TO FIND MUSIC…

As I mentioned, I completely let go of my music dream. I was empty of it and didn’t have any inclination I would pursue it ever again. At the time, the music industry opportunities were totally different than today. Record labels called the shots and if you wanted to pursue a music career, you had to get signed to a record label.

Since I had no music goals, I wasn’t looking to get into the music industry. Music was a part of my past and I didn’t think it had a place in my future. But God had other plans for me!

However, I stepped foot into a local church and heard the music played, it moved my heart so profoundly. I couldn’t help but to let it penetrate my core. I could feel it renewing my life. I felt a rebirth as that music and the Presence of God began to save my life. 

It was church music that opened my heart again. Almost immediately, I became a born-again believer in Yeshua and started attending church.

Over time, a church friend of mine invited me to join the Easter Cantata which was a musical program for Easter. I joined the Cantata choir for the fun of it, not thinking anything of it. It was fun and I enjoyed it but again, it never occurred to me that I was supposed to pursue music.

After a year or so of participating in choir and solo performances here and there, I was slowly getting pulled back into music and I didn’t even know it was happening.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today."

~Malcom X

I didn’t ask for it, I wasn’t looking to be involved in church music, it wasn’t on my agenda but the inevitable happened. 

I got the call to become a Worship Leader. 

What is a Worship Leader, you ask? 

A worship leader is a person who in a traditional church service, leads the congregation in songs of God and exhorts them to worship the Lord. They plan weekly worship services and lead the worship team and congregation in songs of praise and adoration unto the Lord.

I truly had ZERO experience leading worship music. I was always a participant because I was in the audience as a receiver of this gift of music.

But this opportunity to lead worship opened up because the current Worship Leader who was the organizer of the Cantatas and solo performances I did, suddenly quit! 

His sudden resignation on a Friday left a gap in our church service for that Sunday. The Pastor of the church called on me, the most inexperienced and unlikely candidate of all, to step up to the plate and lead the worship service for that first Sunday we had no Worship Leader.

This was a God thing because there were other people who could have easily been picked to lead worship that Sunday. Yet, God was getting me back to my future!

I don’t know what possessed me to say yes or think that I could lead our congregation but somehow God gave me the courage to say yes! I got called Friday night at 9pm while I was attending a youth overnight shut-in service.

After sleeping a few hours Saturday morning, I only had a few hours to prepare and get things together on Saturday night.

I called on 3 other friends of mine to come and lead alongside me and together we led that first worship service.

THE FUTURE IS NOW!

"The future is made of the same stuff as the present."

~Simone Weil

It’s been 20+ years since that first Sunday and can you believe I’ve been faithfully leading worship since! Only God!

He knew all along, He would bring me back to the very thing He created me to do!

I just had to be open and willing to allow the process to renew and shape me to my purpose. Even today, I am still being shaped into my purpose!

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM MY STORY?

We all have a calling in life that we must fulfill. Your story will look a lot different than mine. But one thing is for sure, we all face similar challenges and fears that we must overcome in order to step into that call!

I don’t want your journey to take as many years as it took me to finally find mine. You can reduce the time and follow what God has created you to do simply by allowing Him to lead you every step of the way.

How do you know you’ve been called? Because it's a passion you have in your heart that won’t let you rest. It will follow you everywhere you go!

It’s something that brings you joy and if it brings you joy, then that joy has to be shared with others.

If you’ve been called to music, get started! Don’t let fear stop you from doing what you must to train, develop, write, and pursue! 

I’m rooting for you to be everything God has called you to be! I believe that you were curated for such a time as this to release the music that your community and your circle of influence needs.

Now go on and get started! 

Ps..if you need any advice or have any questions that I can help answer, feel free to reach out to me at mjones@2ndgenmusic.com!

Keep being amazing,

MRJ

xoxo