A few months ago, friends of mine asked if I'd be part of a monthly worship gathering that's different from most. It involves not only music, but an antiphonal development of scripture.
I was asked to be a prayer leader, which means that I direct the development of whichever scripture passages pertain to our worship team. My group focuses on Song of Solomon, which is awesome.
I started an in depth study of Song of Solomon several years ago. It has changed, and continues to change, my relationship with Jesus more than any other study or message I've been exposed to. Truly, it's beautiful. A heart that begins to grasp the unfailing, passionate, unconditional love of Jesus Christ can only be softened, opened, and made desperate to know Jesus even more.
Our next worship event is tomorrow and I'm a little behind in my studies ::insert apologetic grin here::, so I've spent the morning pouring over the verses which will be our focus tomorrow.
In particular, I've been dwelling on Chapter 5, verse 8: "O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you - if you find my Lover, tell Him I am faint with love." The NASB reads "If you find my Beloved, as to what you will tell Him: For I am lovesick."
My favorite bible commentary is Matthew Henry's, so this morning I've been reading his commentary on this verse, and it's so beautiful, I wanted to share it.
"Observe here, what her condition was. She loved Jesus Christ to such a degree that His absence made her sick... and she was in pain for His return... a sickness that will not be death, but life. It is better to be sick of love to Christ than at ease of love to the world.She did not sink into despair... but sent after her Lover... 'Tell Him, though I was careless, and foolish, and slothful, and rose up not so soon as I should have done to open to Him, yet I love Him; He knows all things, He knows that I do. Represent me to Him as sincere, though in many instances coming short of my duty; nay, represent me as an object of His pity, that He may have compassion on me and help me... Tell Him I am wounded with love to Him...'Gracious souls are more sensible of Christ's withdrawings than of any other trouble whatsoever."
Reduced to ourselves,
A few months ago, friends of mine asked if I'd be part of a monthly worship gathering that's different from most. It involves not only music, but an antiphonal development of scripture.