reading those comments reminded me of something that happened quite awhile ago. in fact, evie, i was pretty close to your age. : D
so, way back during a time in my life when i was going to college and performing with a small vocal ensemble, helping to lead praise/worship service time in chapel, and very involved in all sorts of music and performing stuff.
having moved to a newer city, i was looking for a church and found a great one. except their choir was HORRIBLE. i was mortified, and found myself internally giggling and grimacing at the gall these folks had to sing in all their awful, tone-deaf insanity. these observations culminated to their christmas production, full of solos, duos and other production numbers that i couldn't believe that i was witnessing.
couldn't they hear themselves, i wondered?
fast forward a couple weeks. as i found myself forming the thoughts/words of what i witnessed so that i tell my roommate about this experience. and then i felt this thunderbolt,
it was one of the first times in my life that i actually felt what i now refer to as a "HolySpiritSmackdown"
monica, my young, and stupidly prideful one! how dare you call these people who are raising their voice in worship to ME as awful! do you not realize the very point of worship isn't to perform, but to raise our voice in love and adoration, to WORSHIP!!! they please me, because they are focused on me, not trying to perform.
you see, i no longer hear the "bad singing" when someone is praising God in a situation like the "yousing" room. i just hear singing. i hear someone who is willing to open their mouth and sing something, vulnerable and honest. it's not a contest or an opportunity to be identified as worth hearing
because if we all waited to open our mouth, get involved, serve, be "used" or worship when we are qualified or capable to do so, NOT ONE OF US would do so. i cringe and my face gets quite hot when i feel the shame and embarrassment of the many, many things i have wanted to, or even felt called to do but my insecurity and fears won out.
i know you might very well have been joking around--but keep this in mind, please. there might be folks who see the yousing room as an opportunity to worship God with other believers and do so from a vulnerable place, courageously casting aside their fears and insecurity. we should encourage and applaud that, and i when i see comments like these, i cringe because i worry that someone (or someones) whom you might not even be talking about will read this and stop singing there altogether.
to those who worship, loudly, openly, beautifully and heartfully in all manner of places (including the yousing room) we salute you. : D