Thank God, the USGA held the 2016 Sacred Music Camp at Irvine Church during July 3-8. The event was attended by about 100 participants from 4th grade up to college age, with around another 30 workers including ministers and counselors.
This year’s theme, “Glory to God,” focuses on understanding the glory of God through His creation, salvation, and goodness. During the week, participants were taught to give glory, honor, and praises to God through every choral and instrumental ensemble practice and presentation. In addition, there were elective classes in the areas of a cappella, composition, orchestra, piano, conducting, and praise team for participants to learn more in-depth about a specific area in music ministry.
The music camp concluded with an evangelical worship service on Friday evening. The participants presented what they learned during the week to underscore the same theme to give glory to God.
The long-term purpose of the Sacred Music Camp is to provide the training and environment for our next generation to equip themselves with basic musical skills and important spiritual understanding since young. The training included awareness of musical elements and practice of singing, piano or other instrumental playing, conducting, and music composition for the purpose of helping with sacred work in the future. There are also daily devotions, classes, and prayers to help the participants understand the relationship of music and the Truth and that we must accompany our servitude with much prayer in order for His Spirit to be with us and work through us.
Thank God, the participants rejoiced immensely through learning, having fellowship, and serving together and were greatly edified by the teaching of sacred music, the word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit! May all glory be unto His holy name!
Below is one of the participants’ reflection on her experience attending this year’s Music Camp:
From Sister Sophia Wong (Participant)
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I give a reflection about this year’s Music Camp at Irvine Church.
The first night of Music Camp my counselor asked our group what our goals were, and I said that I was determined to learn how to praise God with my whole heart through music. Through the effort of all the workers, the music, and most importantly, God’s presence and guidance, I was able to sing His songs of praise not just with my mouth, but with my heart also. Thank God!
The theme of Music Camp this year was “Glory to God.” The devotion classes, prayers, and rehearsals were all dedicated to focus on God’s glory. Although many of the sessions were taught by various different holy workers, the messages of each class at the end of the day were linked together through the work of God’s spirit. The prevalent lesson I learned is that God’s glory can be seen through His mercy and His goodness, and we should seek to experience His glory. When our hearts are filled with His glory, we can overcome our weaknesses and have abundant, immeasurable joy. Even weeks after Music Camp, I can still remember our theme verse, which encompasses the lessons about God’s glory:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor 3:18).
Through observing the zeal of all the workers at Music Camp, I could only be inspired to sing to the Lord with the same zeal in all the rehearsals. The first time I heard the whole camp sing together was so glorious, and it is in every single rehearsal after that I felt God’s glory simply through hearing all the people around me sing praises to the Lord. The camp was so fulfilling because the classes taught us about His glory, and the rehearsals prompted us to experience His glory. Even up to the very last presentation in the Music Worship Night Irvine church held for Friday night service, I could tell that everyone could truly feel God’s presence and confidently say that God’s glory was manifested around us.
Music Camp has taught me that our praise that occurs through music can only be effective if the Lord is with us. We must accompany our work of serving the Lord through music with much prayer so that the people who hear us can experience the Lord. It is only through the work of the Lord that our music can touch other people’s hearts, so we must pray earnestly for His spirit to be with us.
I am so thankful to have been able to attend this year’s Music Camp. It was truly the perfect place to learn about and experience God’s glory, and I hope to return to the camp in the future so that I can once again experience God’s abidance when a group comes together to glorify and worship Him.
This concludes my reflection, may all the glory and praise be unto His holy name.
