[ WM ] This is an amazing thing … 25 years later “ Come Now is the Time To Worship ” is still in the CCLI Top 100 list ! Let ’ s go back to the beginning . The birth of this beloved song was a challenging time for you personally . Walk us through this …
[ Brian Doerksen ] I wrote ‘ Come ’ at one of the lowest points of my life . My family and I were living through the disorientating aftermath of the collapse of the Father ’ s House stage musical , and the revelation that our son had Fragile X syndrome and would require full-time care and support for life . We had just moved from a midsize town in western Canada to the swirling metropolis of London , England . On top of that I was churning inside as certain certainties were slipping away and I was entering a season of profound re-evaluation of my faith . It was a season of change in almost every way .
One morning not long after our move , I headed out for my usual exercise and prayer walk in the early morning light of the southwest London neighborhood where we were living . Not long into the walk I had a profound experience ; something like a visitation . ( To date this had only happened once before ; the day I wrote ‘ Refiner ’ s Fire ’ about 10 years previously .) I felt surrounded by a warm presence and electric current was noticeably surging through my body . And then I heard the call ( that likely goes out night and day everywhere .) ‘ Come now is the time to worship .’ I remember turned my face towards the sky and responding with , “ Now ? When I ’ m barely hanging onto my faith ?” All through the walk , the opening line of the song was sung over me . When I completed the several mile circuit of my walk , I headed straight to the top loft of our rented home and played the opening melody over and over on my little electric piano , jotting down the simple words so I wouldn ’ t forget this moment and lose the song seed .
Soon I heard Joyce calling from downstairs that the kids were ready to be walked to school . It was a quick turn around and out the door and I went hoping that I could remember this song idea throughout the day until I returned after work . I did remember it ( partly because the experience was so real and profound ) and I spent the next few days fleshing it out . I included phrases like ‘ Come just as you are ’ intentionally welcoming people like me who were struggling with their faith , at times perplexed with things happening around us and inside us . The following Sunday I decided to try this new ‘ call to worship ’ song out at the church where I was the worship pastor ( Southwest London Vineyard pastored by John & Eleanor Mumford ). The congregation
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