(John 4: 23- 24)

Jesus said,…. “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The subject for the story that I will relate to you and the genesis of this BLOG is a worship song that has, for a very long time, been in the Top 25 Songs, provided by C.C.L.I., in six of the seven countries where the list is published. Those countries are: The United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

A gentleman named Brian Doerksen wrote the song that I am referring to. He lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, in a community named Abbotsford, Canada.

Brian was raised in a Christian home but did not ask Jesus to be his Savior until he was fifteen. He said he knew the truth of the gospel for many years before his salvation but just didn’t want to live it.

After being saved he began to change his focus in life and started playing a guitar for hours each day. The focus of his playing was to worship the Lord.

After a few years of learning to play, he started a Christian Band and began writing songs. He soon gave that up.

He eventually became the Worship Pastor at a local Vineyard Church. One of the first worship songs he wrote became a Top 25 Song called “Faithful One.”

He wrote his most popular song some time later in the summer of 1997. It was, by his testimony, at the lowest and darkest season of his life. 

He had attempted a ministry project that had failed. He and a group of other people working on this project had lost over $1,000,000.00. Brian also lost his home in the failure.

He had to look for other employment and the only opening was in S.W. London, England, as a Worship Pastor at a Vineyard Church that was meeting in a rented facility.

He said he was barely even hanging on to his faith in God.

He thought his life in ministry was back to square one.

He was financially ruined.

On top of all his other pressures in life, he had six children. Three of his children had been recently diagnosed with a condition called Fragile X Syndrome, which is a form of mental retardation. 

One day he set out to walk and pray. He was walking near Wimbledon Stadium when he heard the Lord speak to him saying, “Come, Now Is The Time To Worship!”

He said it arrested him. He thought, Wow! The call to worship is being sounded all of the time in all kinds of ways.

God is always reaching out to His creation inviting us to do the very thing we were created to do. 

He said he was sweating, walking and singing around the stadium. He was singing the words God had spoken to him and the melody that came with it.

When he arrived back home he ran up the stairs of his home. His children were having breakfast just before they went to school. 

He sat down at his piano and began playing the melody and singing the words, “Come, now is the time to worship.”

He then asked the question, “Lord, how are you inviting us to worship you?” The Lord spoke to him, “Come as you are!”

Remember that Brian was in his own time of darkness and pain.

He said he realized in that moment that God’s call to worship doesn’t just come to those who have it all together. God’s call to worship isn’t just for those who have no doubts or for those who have no darkness or hard experiences in life.

God’s call is for all of creation to worship Him.

That song became a centerpiece for his personal, private worship. He then taught his church the song. He later passed on the song to other Vineyard Churches who started using it. Other churches in the United Kingdom and other countries began to sing it as well.

Four or five months later he recorded it and now people all over the world sing it! It’s on the perennial Top 25 List!

Let’s accept God’s call to worship!

Now is the time!

Come as you are!