Anju Ebanks

I think that there are a lot of people in our society that feel like they are fatherless/motherless.  There is the fact that many families today are one parent families but also there are fathers and mothers that are absent in some way but present in other ways.  If our parents are like this we can be left with an inability to relate to God as a good solid parent and receive the benefits of his parenting.

So this song is not just for the physical orphan. This song has been knocking about in my head for weeks and weeks and I have to say that God is using it to convince me of his unconditional unwavering love for me and not just that but his approval too.

Here’s what I wrote on the scrap of paper I started this song on.

Song vision – reveal adoptedness, ask for God to make it real

Is it true that you came to save me?

Is it true that you came to take me home?

To give me your name a new identity

a place in your home and in your heart?

What I was trying to do in these initial thoughts was to capture the heart of an orphan.  I think orphans lack a sense of self, a sense of identity and are desperate to belong but even if they are adopted they still carry a deep sense of abandonment. I want to recognise this deep need and ask God to meet it in this song.

Next I find it useful to ask myself what is the vision for this song? The answer to this question helps me to gather my thoughts and to clarify the song writing process.  The theme for the new song  I’m writing is ‘Ask God to reveal my adoptedness and make it real.’  I recently found the piece of paper that I had originally written the vision for this song on.  The first thoughts or expression of the song make interesting reading, I’ll share the words in another post.  When I’m stuck and or  reviewing the song the song vision helps me to keep it focused and moving in the direction I originally intended.

So who are you writing your song for?  Is it for a congregation to sing or is it personal worship? If you are writing for a congregation then your song needs to be ‘we’ focused or ‘God’ focused. Congregational worship songs should be for the community, praise songs, theological songs,victory songs, directional songs, faith building songs etc . I’m writing my new song for me with a view that if other people find it useful that will be great.  I really need this song.

I think the starting point for writing a song varies hugely depending on your personal strengths and preferences. Musicians will probably come up with chords and melodies first, while lyricists will come up with words first.

My personal approach swings between the two, sometimes I have a great chord structure and the melody sings itself,  sometimes I know what I want to sing about and the musical part takes a bit more time.  I can find inspiration from a drum beat or a bass line and sometimes I am inspired by someone tinkering on the electric guitar.

I’m currently writing a new song, in the next few weeks I’ll share my song writing  journey with you.

If you have a sore throat and need to sing through it there are a few things you can do.  Firstly if you can rest your voice you should, you don’t want to damage it.  If you feel that you can sing through or you have a few days to get your vocal chords fit and healthy I would steam 3 times a day for a couple of minutes.  My vocal coach says that steam is the only thing that gets down into the chords and it can help the healing process.

Another thing that I do when I feel that a cold is coming is use saline nasal drops. The drops wash out the back of the nose where the cold virus incubates.  As soon as you or some one around you starts sneezing use the drops until the sneezing stops.  I managed to avoid colds for the whole of last winter by doing this.  Although I’ve just had a virus that I couldn’t shake.  It works most of the time.    

Worship for me is not just about singing nice songs, for me worship is a living breathing time of engaging with heaven, where heaven meets earth where lives are changed and God is glorified. I’m so excited by the way that the Lord has been moving in people’s lives through worship recently. We decided to schedule 6 soaking slots last term at The Christian Healing Mission. First John Ryeland would lead an encounter and then I would sing and play songs whilst the team of prayer minister’s would move around the chapel laying hands on those who had come for ministry. You could see that the Lord was meeting with people in a very special way and week on week the presence of God intensified during these soaking sessions. At the last session He was on the move before we even began ministry! I can’t wait to start these up again this term.

In the past few months I’ve led in various places including prison. It’s quite exciting to see the Lord meeting with people in a profound way in prison chapels, most of them have never been to church before so the prison Chapel is often their first experience of church and of being led in worship. The last time I went in I could see that the Lord had gripped them during the worship time and it was a privilege to lead them into quiet times of deep calling out to deep as God met with them.

Sunday night was awesome I lead worship at Catch the Fire London. The presence of God was thick in the place and we are hearing great things about what the Lord did through the worship, members of the church family have said that the Lord met with them in a deep way and that they continue to be impacted by what Jesus did for them on Sunday night. I then had the privilege of singing and playing on the Michael Fanstone show on Premier Christian Radio. John Ryeland prayed for healing and I sang and played in the background. I was really nervous about playing live on the radio and wasn’t sure how it would go as I was so far out of my comfort zone but we’ve had great feedback about the show a number of people said they were really touched and blessed by it.

Knowing that we are effective in ministry can be a real confidence booster.  I spent many years leading worship and not wanting to know what the Lord was up to because I felt that it was none of my business to know what God was doing in people’s lives.    Having said that I was lacking confidence because I really didn’t have a clue if what I was doing was of any use to the Lord or the people that I was leading in worship.

We don’t need to know the details of what is going on in people’s lives but to know that what we are doing is effective is encouraging.

Have you heard people say  ’you can’t see the wind but you know it’s there because you can see the wind moving the trees’ I’ve found this so useful. When you are leading worship look for the wind in the trees.  Are people engaged and worshipping? Can you visibly see people being ministered to by the Holy Spirit, have their expressions changed?  Do they look more peaceful? Are they deep in worship with their arms out to God and clearly connecting?

Another way to know that God is moving is to ask people you trust for feedback and yet another way is to encourage testomonies so that we are all encouraged.

I’m finding it difficult to gauge how things are going in one setting that I’m leading worship in at the minute so I have started to ask the team that I’m working with what they feel is happening.  Now I’ve realised that at the end of the session they are encouraged to write down what the Lord did for them and said to them, so they don’t forget.  I’ve seen everyone that can write, write something down.  This is my wind in the trees for that situation.

Always check your motives when asking for feedback and receiving encouragement.

This weekend it was mother’s day and I was really looking forward to spending some time with my kids. They had asked me what I wanted as gifts for the day and I had said that I wanted to spend time with them; I didn’t want expensive gifts I just wanted to hang out with them. That’s what we do when we love someone, we can’t wait to see them, can’t wait to talk to them and be near them.

The Holy Spirit used my desire to spend time with my kids to show me how much the Father longs to spend time with me because He loves me. I’ve never quite understood it when people have said He loves you He just wants to spend time with you. I’ve always found it a bit confusing to tell you the truth.

I could see clearly that He thinks it is great that I’ve done everything He asked me to do. I’ve lent a hand to those who needed me, served those He has put in my life to love and care for, I’ve worked diligently all day at my job, I’ve honoured Him with my words and actions, I prayed for my neighbours, I gave up my seat on the tube for someone who needed it more, I’ve prayed intercessory prayers for those He has put on my heart etc etc but I didn’t spend any time hanging out with Him spending time with Him loving Him and being loved by Him and that’s the thing that brings Him the greatest delight, wow how amazing I can delight my Father in heaven just by spending time with Him.

Here’s an mp3 recording of John Ryeland leading people into the presence of God.  Take five minutes, get comfy and enjoy.  Encounter