The very first time that the presence of the LORD was mentioned or made known is in Genesis 3:8 i.e. and they HEARD the voice of the LORD WALKING in the garden; and they hid themselves from the PRESENCE of the LORD.  A significant thing I noticed here is the VOICE of the LORD was WALKING.  Adam and Eve HEARD His voice WALKING.  This very thing reminds me of the scores of times that even though we don’t SEE our parents speaking the instructions they have pounded in to us time after time, we can still hear their words, their guidance, and their speech walking around in our heads.  We see them not, but we do HEAR them toddling i.e. walking and treading about our minds; coming up to consciousness.

In this first take, the presence of the LORD was “heard” and “recognized.”  Adam and Eve knew the LORD was there; they hid themselves.  Today, it is intensely insinuated that we only know that the LORD is present BEcause we can FEEL His presence i.e. many worship leaders say phrases like, “Can’t You FEEL His presence?  He is here!”  Hardly ever, if at all, do they say, “Do you hear His voice?  He is here!”  SELAH!  This is not to say that we are not able to feel His presence, but majority of the time we are not feeling the presence of the LORD, we are experiencing feelings or emotions from a situation.  Adam and Eve FELT a certain way and had a particular emotion when they HEARD the voice of the LORD walking.  That emotion was shame; thus, they hid themselves.  IN the BEginning, hearing His voice indicated that He was present.  Also, I do say, in this particular scripture, Genesis 3, that the atmosphere was conducive for the presence of the LORD.

Something was done for Him to make His presence known to them.  What was it?  In this instance, Adam and Eve yielded to the deception of the serpent.  That yielding is what brought about what I call “The Interrogation and Sentencing” (Genesis 3:9-24).  Adam and his wife were not worshipping the LORD when He made His presence known.  They were disobeying Him.  Even Jonah, when he HEARD the voice of the LORD, disobeyed and fled to a place the LORD did not send him.  The scripture didn’t say Jonah felt the presence of the LORD and fled; he heard the voice.  So, based upon this truth, worshiping the LORD is not the only way to invoke the presence of the LORD.  Disobedience is a way too.

As Worship Leaders, those who lead the congregation into a posture of devotion unto the LORD, we can usher in i.e. announce, state, declare, decree, pronounce that the presence of the LORD is amongst us.  This is also bringing an awareness i.e. “I hear the voice of the LORD…He is here!”  SN:  Often, when we do hear the voice of the LORD we will sing it.  Others of us, who are minstrels will play it.  And, there are others of us with a scribal anointing who will record it i.e. write it down and/or speak it.  However, each individual parishioner is responsible for hearing His voice and KNOWING that the LORD is present amongst them.  Not just BEcause we said He is, but BEcause they heard His voice.

We, Worship Leaders, are responsible for “leading” the people i.e. guiding them, teaching them, and showing them how to worship the LORD.  Sadly, many worship leaders hassle the people i.e. “C’mon PRAISE the LORD!  How dare you come in to the house of the LORD and not PRAISE Him!  C’mon church; get with us.  This ain’t no dead church.  Look at your neighbor and say, “NEIGHBOR!”  When we do those things, we’re not leading (teaching) the people, we are mostly harassing them.

Those of us who are “The True Worshippers” must and do worship the LORD in Spirit and in Truth.  Any others who desire to BE the true worshippers have to BE taught, just like we were taught.  I’ve heard many ministers say that “worship is a lifestyle.”  If that BE true, and I BElieve that it is, then that lifestyle has to BE taught; it has to BE practiced.  Likewise, I’ve heard some say, “Enter into the presence of the LORD.”  However, entering into the presence of the LORD would BE very difficult to do if a person doesn’t know that the LORD is there i.e. they’ve not heard His voice or don’t even know what His voice sounds like.

© 2012 Angela M. Smith