Understanding multi-ethnic worship can be a daunting task, especially when you’re not sure where to begin. Many people wondering: what does multi-ethnic worship look like? How does the atmosphere feel when it has been saturated with the love from our hearts to our Savior? What is the sound of multi-ethnic or multi-cultural worship?
Now, there are some things that multi-ethnic worship is not. It does not mean that I stand by and patiently wait, as you sing your verses in your language or according to your style of music, until my turn comes along. It is, however, when I actively participate in worship with you. The sound of multi-ethnic worship is when I allow the sound of your praise to be the spark that ignites my praise. That’s what multi-ethnic worship feels like; that’s how it sounds. It’s using the same rhythm in different languages.
The sound of multi-ethnic worship is the sound of our songs joined together; sung to the tune of the salvation we have in Jesus Christ. It is played to the melody of God’s planned ultimate sacrifice, with the harmony of goodness and mercy following us daily. It’s the sound that happens when you begin to worship God in your language and I, hearing that, begin to worship God with you in my language. It’s the sound of being bold enough to sing out—because we know the song—even when we may not be using the same syllables or accent.
Know for sure that there is no sound without significance. The sound of multi-ethnic worship is when we purposely move to create a sound where the Holy Spirit is going forth and our sound is heard as one … just like on the Day of Pentecost. This is what Jesus prayed for. That is the sound of multi-ethnic worship.
