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Praising our God - across cultures

I find myself especially overwhelmed with emotions when a familiar song is song in church, praising our Father God. Gracie "sings out" especially loudly when she recognizes a song, which always makes me choke up anyway as she makes her joyful noise particularly to songs worshiping God, not just any song.

But those familiar songs speak a language of my heart, a language that my heart longs for at times. We worship ONE God, across cultures, across languages, when we are with others whose names are in the Lamb's book of life. The powerful impact of that unity is astounding.

I remember the same amazing thought as we worshiped with Masaai believers in Kenya and absorbed Masaai worship in Masaai-style, so very different from North American-style. Praising our Abba Father God.

I remember the same thought as we soaked in the rich four-part harmonies of the school children walking to church, singing to God as they went, and we followed. Praising our Abba Father God.

And now, some songs are becoming familiar in Acholi, but I don't understand them as fully as I would like. They aren't in my "heart language." So, a simple song in English, or an Acholi translation of a familiar song, ministers to my musical heart like no other. In time, these Acholi songs will become part of our family culture and will become praises on our lips. But until then (and probably all of my life, to some extent), I certainly miss singing those Sovereign Grace and Getty songs with our worship team in the USA!

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