A Sacrifice of Worship
You have stepped into the sanctuary at MAPS Global. The sun is shining through the stained-glass windows, making colorful patterns on the carpet. There is a holy hush. Soon, worship comes from the singers and musicians at the front of the room, fills the entire space, and rises like a sweet-smelling fragrance unto the Lord. Sophia, a teacher in the worship track at the MAPS Global School, leads the students on stage in stewarding the presence of the Lord. However, this wasn’t always the case. This is Sophia’s story.
As a young college student, Sophia wanted nothing to do with ministry. “I was tired of fake church people. The pastor in my church had just fallen…I just wanted to sing,” said Sophia. She went on to sing in various bars and clubs, and was given the opportunity to audition to be a background singer for the Grammys. She was elated. This seemed to be her big break. However, just before her audition, she discovered that she had vocal nodules and would have to immediately go on vocal rest. Sophia was crushed. She didn’t know if she would ever sing again.
However, while she was attending a conference, the Lord healed her of her vocal nodules and gave her a message.
“We prayed, and it physically went away,” said Sophia “I tested it out, and my whole range came back, and even more. In that moment, the Lord told me, ‘I gave this gift to you for my glory to be spread around the earth.’”
“I remember sitting in my time of prayer just strumming my guitar saying, ‘Lord, I want to do this. I want to serve and steward your presence. But I also want to teach. I also want to help people find their voice. But I was like, ‘there is no job like that that exists!’” said Sophia. Little did she know, the Lord was about to bring her to MAPS Global and bring to pass these new desires blooming in her heart. It would not only change her life, but the lives of many who would sit under her teaching.
After Sophia found MAPS Global, the Lord began teaching her how worship is meant to be a fragrance, and, today, she shares this with her students.
“The first time worship was mentioned in the Bible was when Abraham was going up the mountain to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham said ‘hey, y'all stay down here. Me and my son are going up to worship. We’ll be back.’ Was he going up to play guitar? No. He was going up to sacrifice his son,” said Sophia. “Abraham’s worship was his response to heaven. It was his ‘yes.’ That was his sacrifice. Ofcourse, the Lord brought him a different sacrifice, praise God! But he knew God’s character. Worship is used in the context of sacrifice. When you cook meat, there is a fragrance. When you sacrifice, there is a fragrance. When you lay something down, even for a season. Money. Time. Or something that might feel vulnerable, like your song. That’s your sacrifice. And so, sacrifice brings forth aroma. Our worship is a sacrifice that brings forth a fragrance.”
“[Today ] my job is to literally train worshippers to steward what God has put inside of them!” said Sophia. “There is a fragrance in every single language and people group that the Lord is worthy of.”
Through the place of worship at MAPS Global, Sophia has gone from voiceless to using her voice in powerful declarations of worship. She has gone from seeking to glorify herself to glorifying the Lord. Her heart has gone from bitter to full of a fragrance of worship.
Is the Lord tugging at your heart in the place of worship? Do you desire to grow in freedom and offer Him your unique song as a fragrance? If so, please consider checking out the MAPS Global School worship track!