Pioneer Christian Monthly - October, 1997

Rhema - The Word
Elizabeth Webster

Does God use the words that people speak to stir the Holy Spirit to move within the people who hear them? Can He use members of the congregation to deliver it? Will He use many different talents and skills to convey His Words? Almost eight years ago, Monica Curtis, the wife of an interim pastor at the church, believed that the answers were YES, YES, and YES. so in January of 1990, Monica brought together two guitarists, several singers, and a selection of praise songs, and Rhema began. Although Monica left five months later, she had utilized her skills for the Lord and laid the foundation of a ministry that continues today.

Today, Rhema is made up of 16 singers and a pianist. Our ages range from 18 to 40 plus, and we are a cross between a choir and a praise and worship team. Sometimes we sing in unison, and sometimes we sing in harmony. Sometimes we sing alone, and sometimes we sing with the congregation. We sing whatever and wherever God leads us to sing. In the past, we have sung in our church, in other churches, at weddings, funerals, baptisms, in the park, and even at Tim Hortons, but one element is critical-the words must be "RHEMA."

Rhema is a Greek word that means 'the word.' A great biblical example of Rhema in action can be found in Acts 11:15. It is a part of the story of Simon Peter in the house of Cornelius, and it reads 'And when I began to (rhema) speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them just as on us at the beginning.' We have translated the Greek word Rhema as "to speak", but really it is not just speaking, everything surrounding Peter's words have been specified by God. God chose Peter specifically, and the Holy Spirit did not come down until Peter started to speak. God had worked out every detail from Peter's vision to the angel that visited Cornelius so that Rhema could occur.

For us to be Rhema, we must let God choose the people who should hear our songs, the place, the time, and the words. To achieve this, the group is based on prayer. Each practice starts and ends with prayer, and each member is asked to find someone outside the group who will pray for Rhema's ministry on a regular basis. We pray for the concerns of the individual members and for spiritual direction and protection. We pray for God to lead us in the selection of the music, and we pray about whether or not we should accept the singing invitations we receive. Prayer is the foundation stone of our ministry.

It is amazing to see how God answers prayer. Many times we are directed to sing a certain song on a specific Sunday. The central theme of our music (unbeknownst to us) frequently ties in perfectly well with the pastor's message. While I realize that God knows everything and can certainly coordinate a Worship Service, time and again I find myself in awe of His magnificent power. This power has a huge impact on both our ministry and our personal lives. Every time we see prayers being answered, our personal faith is strengthened, and we are encouraged to continue to follow God's leading.

For Rhema to be effective, we must be willing to be obedient, even when we are asked to do things that the congregation does not expect, things that we have never done before, things that some congregations are not accustomed to-hand clapping, foot stomping, shouting, urging the congregation to participate, etc. Peter was sent to interact with uncircumcised Gentiles (Cornelius); a number of apostles and believers thought this was wrong. Even Peter himself was hesitant at first. Yet he obeyed the Lord, and the Holy Spirit was able to act. We too have been directed to do things that are unexpected, even somewhat questionable to some people, but when we have obeyed, we have witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit falling on the people.

We have watched in awe as the people who were present began to worship the Lord with ALL their hearts. Being a witness to this has been a real blessing for the members of Rhema. This is one of the many joys of being a part of Rhema.

As with any work, there are definite 'perks" that come from being a part of Rhema. Practice time is very uplifting, and members have commented that they find it a great break from their normal weekly activities. We have a lot of fan at practices, and because of the nature of the practices, we have the unique opportunity of having a 'mini-worship service" in the middle of the week. We develop friendships with other members (some of whom had never really spoken to each other before joining Rhema), and we get to meet and interact with people from other places and from various walks of life. It is also wonderful to see how we are being utilized by God. We have been told by pastors and elders to 'keep up the good work' and that Rhema is a powerful tool in assisting people in worship. When we receive feedback such as this, we can be happy that we are truly being effective in our ministry.

There are many wonderful aspects of being a part of Rhema, but there are also challenges that we face. Obedience to God's leading has a price that goes beyond the discomfort we feel when we are directed to do something non-traditional in our musical presentation. Whenever a ministry is based on the power of the Lord, it is a target for spiritual battle. Rhema is no exception. We have had to deal with internal and external warfare but have through God's grace been able to grow stronger. We have had to deal with obvious struggles such as pride and jealousy and subtle deterrents like disruptions during practice and failing to start on time. The devil is very crafty in his methods and will do anything to prevent us from praising the Lord. When we are dealing with a conflict, it is often very challenging, but through it all, we have grown closer to and more reliant on the Lord. We find strength in Jesus and in praising Ms name. We are made stronger by the prayer support we receive, so please pray for our ministry. Pray that the Lord will lead us and protect us as we continue to serve Him.

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