In June 2020, Compassion partnered with Canadian worship leader and songwriter, Brooke Nicholls, and her husband Steve in their project, Worship Online—a venture to bring pre-recorded worship sets to churches across Canada and beyond who do not have the capacity to have their own worship team during the pandemic. Today, Brooke shares with us more about her heart behind the project and her desire for Canadians to worship God freely, even in a pandemic.
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Guest post by Brooke Nicholls
I had just finished recording a worship set for my church. It was just me, a microphone and a camera in my stripped-down living room. As I ended my last song, a wave of loneliness fell over me and I started to weep. I pictured the people across Canada that I had previously led into worship. I missed their faces, their voices…the sound of corporate worship.
In that moment I felt the Lord say to me, “The sound that I am producing in this time will be like no other. Keep worshipping through your pain and loneliness; I am in it.”
This promise was not made just for me. It was made for the Bride of Christ across the entire world. There is freedom found through Jesus when we gather to worship, whether that be in actual buildings on a Sunday or in our tiny living rooms. I don’t know about you, but I find so much hope in knowing that there will be a new sound that rises out of this uncertain and broken season!
“Worship in a day of COVID-19 is crucial because worship takes our eyes off of what is seen to what is unseen and fixes our eyes on our creator—our Jesus!”
Worship in a day of COVID-19 is crucial because worship takes our eyes off of what is seen to what is unseen and fixes our eyes on our Creator—our Jesus! The One who promises hope through hopeless days, joy in our pain, comfort in the chaos and freedom from sin, guilt and shame. Jesus comes to meet us in our worship and when we sing the truth of who God is, we can’t help but be changed from the inside out.
This is one of the reasons my husband Steve and I created ‘Worship Online’. It’s a free resource for churches all over the world to use and worship with. There are many churches who simply don’t have the resources or means to keep up with online church and musical worship week after week after week. And to be honest, we couldn’t bear the thought of people missing out on moments of being able to authentically lift their voices from their living rooms exalting the name of Jesus.
So, after some prayer and leg work, we figured out a way to make it possible for all. Every week we pray that our sets would draw people closer to Jesus and bless the Church in such an uncertain and crazy time.
Yes, the physical doors of the church may be closed, but the mission of the Church stands stronger than ever. The Church is not closed—together we will make His name known across the globe.
My prayer today is that you would know the heart of the Father for you and that the eyes of your heart would be open to his glorious riches. Continue to lean in and lift your voice during this time. Know that God is for you, with you and He delights in the sound of your worship!
“Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance.”
-Ephesians 1:18 (The Voice)
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Want to learn more about how your church can access Worship Online?
Brooke Nicholls is a worship leader and songwriter from Toronto, Canada, where she serves as a worship leader at a multi-site church called Sanctus. When she’s not at her home church, she leads worship at different churches and ministries across Canada and beyond. Brooke has been named the Female Vocalist of the Year for the last three years at the Canadian Gospel Music Awards and her new album, ‘Pursue’, is nominated for a 2020 Juno Award. Brooke is married to her guitar player Steve; together they love leading the local church and pointing people to Jesus.
