A Song Story

A Song Story
Following is one of the two most interesting and heart-warming song stories that I have ever obtained from a songwriter, and I have interviewed more than 150 such writers. I want to share this with you. Read the story in the songwriter’s own words. It also appears in
I COULD SING OF YOUR LOVE FOREVER: Stories Behind One Hundred of the World’s Most Popular Worship Songs. Publsihed by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Hearing God’s Invitation Near Wembledon
But the hour cometh, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

Brian Doerksen was born into a very musical home in Abbotsford, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brian said, "I have been interested in music as long as I can remember. I started piano lessons as a child, but as soon as I was old enough to make my own decision I, regretfully, quit."
"I grew up in a Christian home, and it wasn’t as if I didn’t know the truth of the Gospel -- I just didn’t want to live it. But when I was 15 years of age, probably as a result of my parent’s prayers, I had one of those sovereign encounters with God. One night in my bedroom, in the home from which I’m now speaking to you, the presence of God came into the room and I was convicted of my sin. I heard the Lord saying, ‘Give me your whole life to serve me. And I said, ‘Yes.’ I began learning to play the guitar. I played for hours each day, and started worshipping God in my room."
"It was not until I was the full-time Music Pastor at Langley Vineyard Christian Fellowship, in British Columbia, that I began to seriously write songs. I was using songs from other sources, but became convinced that we needed something else, other expressions to worship God."
I then asked Brian to give me the details surrounding the writing of his most famous song, Come, Now Is the Time to Worship. He did so, and I pass it on to you. Tighten your seat belt!
"Emotionally and spiritually the song came at the end of the darkest and lowest season of my life, the summer of 1977. We had tried a major ministry project that had failed. A group working with me, and I, lost over one million dollars. I lost our home."
"I moved my family to England and became the Worship Pastor of Southwest London Vineyard, meeting in the Elliot School. I had no other place to live and no job offers. I felt as if I was barely hanging on to my faith in God. My wife and I were severely tested both with our losses and with finding out that three of our six children had a condition called Fragile X Syndrome, a form of mental challenge."
"One morning, within months of moving to London, I went for a exercise/prayer walk, as I often did. As I was walking through southwest London, very close to Wembledon Stadium, I heard this line as clear as a bell, floating through the air, ‘Come, now is the time to worship...’ I thought, WOW!, the call of worship is being sounded all of the time and in all kinds of ways."
"When I got home I ran upstairs, sat down at the piano, found the key of the song I had just heard and began playing it over and over again. Suddenly I realized that I was in my own dark time, and that His call to worship doesn’t just come to those who have it all together, that have no doubts, or hard experiences, but it comes to all of us, across the board."
"The song became like wings to lift me up from those shadows that had almost engulfed me. It was my private song for several days. I made sure of every word. I then brought it to my church. Within weeks of teaching it to our congregation I began hearing reports of other churches singing it. Within months reports came of the song being sung in other countries. I soon heard that it was being sung in South Africa."
"Requests began to pour in asking permission to record Come, Now Is the Time To Worship. Soon after that we moved back home to Canada, to the house I was raised in. We were able to purchase it from my parents."
Life is better now in Abbotsford for Brian, his wife Joyce, and their children. At the time of this writing Brian has just finished a new album of songs and had the joy of having one of his daughters play an instrument on the project.

THE PAINTINGS

The Languid Limb and the Lighthouse

Marilyn is back to painting following her battle with cancer. She has just completed a picture that she calls The Languid Limb. It is painted from a photo that we shot on a picture-taking excursion one day. This is a very special painting and comes at a vital time in her life. The word "languid" means listless or lacking in vitality or energy. The "limb" has seen its best days. It no longer will be a growing, thriving part of a strong tree that children can climb on.
But, in the background you can see the St. Augustine Lighthouse which has stood since 1871. It is as strong today as when it came into being. It points those to safety who are languishing on a troubled sea. What a contrast!
Many were the times while in the throws of her battle with her cancer treatments and surgery that Marilyn longed for the return of the vital, vibrant and victorious days. She yearned to be rescued from this sea of distress and uncertainty -- this dreaded cancer. She ached to be free of the chemicals that brought on this lurid fever, these chills and this frightful nausea, and yes, this "thing" that took her "glory" -- her hair. Yet, through it all she kept her eyes on the Lighthouse.
Unlike "The Languid Limb" she has revived, with the help of our blessed Lord and Savior. She has gained new strength and vitality and sailed into a quiet and peaceful harbor. She is back in church and singing in the choir. In the fall she plans to be back teaching her ladies Bible classes. She is back to going places with our children and grandchildren, cooking and planning activities for them, and driving herself to the store.
The Lord, her eternal Lighthouse, is ever standing strong and mighty to help in time of trouble. He is good, all of the time!

LIFE’S JOURNEY

Guilty!, What Now?

Adversity, how blunt are all the arrows of thy quiver
in comparison with those of guilt. - Blair
In the early 1900s, a lad of 12, went out into the barnyard among the animals one day and saw a goose walking by. He threw a stone and hit it squarely on the head. It fell dead. His mother had twenty-four geese, but this one was her favorite. He quickly buried it, and was unaware at the time that his sister had seen him carry out his deed.
That evening after supper she informed him that if he didn’t volunteer to do the dishes she would tell his "secret." For several days she was able to get him to do her chores by simply reminding him of the goose incident. He felt bound to do her work rather than confess his guilt to his mother.
Finally, one morning, after his sister had tried to persuade him to do the dishes by reminding him of the "goose," he went to his mother and meekly told her the whole story, asking her to forgive him. She hugged him and said, "I was looking out the window and saw you kill the goose, and I was wondering how long you were going to be your sister’s slave before coming to me. I forgive you."
Fear of reprisal at the hands of his own mother, who loved him with all her heart, had made his life miserable. She was longing for her child to come to her with the problem and let her assure him of her forgiveness.
The Sin That Blocks Our Fellowship
There is only "one" sin in our lives over which we cannot find victory -- the "unconfessed" sin. Satan has made a slave of many of us -- if only for a period of time -- simply because we could find no way to deal with guilt. We would not believe and accept God’s promise given in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Experiencing Victory in Christ
There are several factors that can contribute to a victorious life.
• Confession of one’s sins. Remember, we have learned that Jesus knows about them anyway, so confess them and leave them at His feet, determining never to do the same again. Remember this also; the sins of a Christian need the covering of the blood of Christ every day, just as when he or she was first saved. His blood cleanses our sins daily!
• Claim His forgiveness as your own. When you are urged within yourself to confess "again" something that has already been confessed to Him a number of times before, just pause and thank Him for the forgiveness of your sins. Say, "Lord, I realize you have forgiven me and washed away my sins...THANK YOU!" "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
• Care for others. The greatest way to get your mind off of yourself is to remember others and serve them in some fashion.
• Commence some task for Christ today. Loose yourself in some deed for the Savior.
Often we have heard that time is a great healer. Our actions are the healers -- as we act on God’s bidding and on His plan.

The heaviest load any man carries on his back is a pack of guilt.
- Anon

Forgiveness from others is charity; from God, grace; from oneself, wisdom.
- Unknown

Never does a man stand so tall
as when he forgoes revenge, and dares to forgive.
-J. Harold Smith
Additional Scriptures:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven , and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
"Judge not, and ye shall no be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." Luke 6:37