changed the arrangement of it .” So , I was in . I didn ’ t need any convincing and he brought it to life and somehow , he did it in the middle of the pandemic .
I think it ’ s timely that we got to do that performance on TV with the Stellar Awards to remind people that , even though some of our favorite stories in history are of the people that started on the bottom and somehow climbed to the top . But the beautiful thing about the Gospel and about Jesus is that He actually started at the top as the King of all Glory , of the heavens and the earth , the One by whom and through whom all things were created , and yet He stepped down into the trenches of humanity , a Savior in the trenches of His creation . If that doesn ’ t stir your soul I don ’ t know what will . I think it ’ s a really strong reminder of where we ’ re at right now … that we ’ re not in these trenches alone .
[ WM ] Besides bringing a strong Spiritual component to what many sadly view as a cultural expression only , Gospel Music , you also give great place to ministry . In addition to a staff position on Lakewood Church ’ s worship team , you and your wife give so much back to the community . You ’ ve pioneered worship schools and music lessons , spoken out via media in support for Biblical marriage , and just recently , you Tauren , partnered with others to give some high school seniors a graduation experience that they were not provided due to the virus . You performed acoustically just for them and gave them money for their future education . What can you tell us about acting out what true worship looks like in our local communities ?
Photo by Shaider Divina
[ Tauren ] There ’ s so much more to do , I wish I could do more . I ’ ve been trying to be more aware of the needs that exist just around me . I think we ’ re all surrounded by issues that we were created to be the answer for . I think when God has a dream He wraps a person around it . I think that in moments like these we have the opportunity to really come alive and to really be the church , especially in this season where we can ’ t go to church , we can still be the church . So , I was just looking for some of those opportunities , and Lakewood Church was kind enough to partner with me to provide for these students as well as Christian Life Austin . So , we did it in Houston and we did it in Austin .
And then you know , our senior citizens as well , I ’ ve got grandparents who are in nursing homes or assisted living facilities , and they haven ’ t been able to get out . My MD , Chris
Schrader , my musical director and I got into the studio and we recorded thirty minutes of hymns on video for them and they played that video throughout the whole facility . Just to bring people a little something and to let them know that we ’ re thinking about them . Those are small things that I uniquely had access to , but I think if we all just took a second to think about the needs that are around us we could really be a light and really bring people more hope than we