Here I am to Worship

Worship leader Tim Hughes was inspired to write a song about Christ’s humility.
By Lindsay Terry

Light of the world,
You stepped down
into darkness

At 27, Tim Hughes has already reached great heights as a singer/songwriter and worship leader. His songs are sung worldwide in praise-and-worship gatherings and in church services. And Tim’s signature song, “Here I Am to Worship,” has been recorded by numerous artists.

Hughes, a citizen of England, grew up in a small town just outside London. “Since my dad was a pastor, I grew up in church,” he says. “I always kind of believed in God, but when I was 11 years old, I went to a conference and had the opportunity to observe people who were very passionate about singing. It dawned on me that they weren’t singing about someone or something, but they were singing to Someone. That really challenged me. I gave my life to Christ and my relationship with God changed from ‘knowing’ Him in my head to ‘knowing’ Him in my heart.”

Casting Crowns’ “Who Am I”

How a youth minister’s outreach project became a hit single
By Linda Owen

Casting Crowns’ ‘Who Am I’

Not because of who I am.
But because of what
You’ve done.

Casting Crowns picked up three Dove Awards this year, including Pop Contemporary Song of the Year for their hit “Who Am I.”

What many fans may not know is that Mark Hall, the band’s lead vocalist and primary songwriter, is a youth pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia. He wrote “Who Am I” late one November night as he drove his family home from a Thanksgiving gathering in Alabama. As he contemplated his role in God’s plan, singing and praying while his family slept, it occurred to him how insignificant he was in the midst of God’s universe. Billions upon billions of persons had lived since the beginning of time; they were “here today and gone tomorrow, like a flower quickly fading.”

Malaikat kecil dari Cina

by Virgina Veryastuti

Kisah tentang seorang gadis kecil yang cantik yang memiliki sepasang bola mata yang indah dan hati yang lugu polos. Dia adalah seorang yatim piatu dan hanya sempat hidup di dunia ini selama delapan tahun. Kata2 terakhir yang ia tinggalkan adalah “saya pernah datang” dan “saya sangat penurut.”

Anak ini rela melepasakan pengobatan, padahal sebelumnya dia telah memiliki dana pengobatan sebanyak 540,000 Dolar yang didapat dari perkumpulan orang Chinese seluruh dunia. Dan membagi dana tersebut menjadi tujuh bagian, yang dibagikan kepada tujuh anak kecil yang juga sedang berjuang menghadapi kematian.

Begitu lahir dia sudah tidak mengetahui siapa orang tua kandungnya. Dia hanya memiliki seorang papa yang mengadopsinya. Papanya berumur 30 tahun yang bertempat tinggal di propinsi Sichuan, Shuangliu County, kota Sang Xin Zhen Yun Ya Chun Er Cu. Karena miskin, maka selama ini ia tidak menemukan pasangan hidupnya. Kalau masih harus mengadopsi anak kecil ini, mungkin tidak ada lagi orang yang mau dilamar olehnya. Pada tanggal 30 November 1996, tgl 20 bln 10 imlek, adalah saat dimana papanya menemukan anak kecil tersebut diatas hamparan rumput, disanalah papanya menemukan seorang bayi kecil yang sedang kedinginan. Pada saat menemukan anak ini, di dadanya terdapat selembar kartu kecil tertulis, 20 November jam 12.

Melihat anak kecil ini menangis dengan suara tangisannya sudah mulai melemah. Papanya berpikir kalau tidak ada orang yang memperhatikannya, maka kapan saja bayi ini bisa meninggal. Dengan berat hati papanya memeluk bayi tersebut, dengan menghela nafas dan berkata, “saya makan apa, maka kamu juga ikut apa yang saya makan.” Kemudian papanya memberikan dia nama Yu Yan.