As Christians, worship is to be the centerpiece of our lives. It is what we do, it’s the life we live, and ultimately, it’s who we are. As we give our lives over to God and grow in our faith, we begin to realize and understand our purpose for being here is to worship God in all areas of our lives and we strive to do that on a daily basis.
For years, Hillsong Church in Australia has led people to the throne of God through its’ music, teaching, outreach, and service to the Lord. The music has been one of the most recognizable areas of worship, as the worship team has traveled the world taking the love of Christ with them and the worship songs that God has led them to write are played in thousands of churches all over the world every Sunday.

I talked to Reuben Morgan, one of the leaders of the Hillsong worship team, to get his perspective of the music from Hillsong as well as his advice for Christian men everywhere.

His Life

Reuben Morgan has been led by God to write some of the most powerful songs of praise and worship for this generation. His music is some of the most prevalent in the world today, literally sung by thousands of people as they worship the Lord. He has given his life to worshipping God and leading others into worship through music.

Q â€" Tell me your testimony.

“I grew up in a Christian family but like lots of kids, had a time of going off and wanting to try new things. I was really into the whole high school band scene and everything that went along with that. After a real time of feeling lost, I got to wondering about Christianity and decided to read some books that had been recommended to me. Through reading “Mere Christianityâ€? by C.S. Lewis and “No Compromiseâ€? by Keith Green, I knew that it was real and I needed God in my life. It was around the end of 1992 that I finally accepted Jesus. It was at the beach one summer with my family and God really began to work in me â€" His presence has never left me.â€?
His life has now become an incredible journey with God, each day bringing more surprises and a deeper faith, in light of all that the Lord is doing.

Q â€" What is it like to lead worship at Hillsong Church?

“Hillsong Church is both home and family to me. I consider it such an honor to be part of leading the worship of our church…and of all the places we go, there’s just no place quite like home!�

Q â€" With all the success, how do you stay grounded?

“It’s not too hard when you’ve got a bunch of good mates around you…my wife and my 3 year old son are pretty good for that too! I think a cool thing about our team is that the whole prima donna thing has just never really washed. It’s just a bunch of real people loving God and doing life together.�

His Music

Since the first time that I heard Reuben’s music, I was hooked. In the music, you can feel the presence of God, whether you are in Australia or in the United States. I had a few questions for Reuben about the music as well.

Q â€" Who has influenced you musically?

“Some of my favorite artists of recent years have been Travis, Keen, and Coldplay (Rush of Blood to the Head). I have always appreciated Bach and would listen to anything that Delirious have done. Over the years, I have really been influenced by the lives of Keith Green, our Worship Pastor Darlene Zschech, and our senior pastor Brian Houston.�

Q â€" What are some musicians and groups that you enjoy listening to?

I like Keane and Coldplay, Snow Patrol and the Killers…I’m also into a bit of John Mayer and Miles Davis and U2. I listen to pretty much anything and everything between Bach, top 40, and whatever the latest band is.�

Q â€" Where do you find inspiration when you are writing music?

“There’s a verse in the Psalms that says, “From Him comes the theme of my praise…â€?. I’ve noticed the more I think on the Bible, the more naturally the themes and heart of the Bible come out when I’m writing. I believe that if you hear a teaching long enough, it becomes you â€" your life begins to embody that teaching. I would say that none of my songs would be as they are without sitting under the Bible based teaching of my local church, Hillsong Church. I also read a lot and listen to a lot of CD’s. I am constantly trying to keep myself up to date with what’s happening in the world of music as well as maintaining an appreciation for the music of the greats. Eugene Peterson is a favorite “modern dayâ€? author of mine and I find myself encouraged and helped by reading or listening to anything I can get my hands on that he puts out. I also have a great crew of mates who are into music that help keep me inspired and stop me from getting slack in what I do.â€?

Q â€" What can we expect for you and from Hillsong in 2007?

“I think we’ll just keep doing what we do! As a church, we are committed to championing the cause of the local church and we’ll just keep finding ways to do that. We are passionate about people finding Jesus and about helping those in need…it comes out in everything.�

His Advice

Coming from a different part of the world, I think that it is important to listen to those who have experienced different things than what we have experienced. Many times, we get closed minded as all we see is what we go through and what we experience to the point that we think that everyone else’s world is the same as ours.

Q â€" What do you think is the biggest problem facing Christian men today?

“I think that would depend on where in the world we are talking. For instance, something that we are really passionate about is the incredible AIDS crisis affecting PNG, Australia’s neighboring nation…and for Christian men in such parts of the world, health and survival is the biggest problem. For us, though, here in Sydney, there seems to be a lot of talk about the whole work/family conflict and trying to balance career pursuits and the need to work with time spent with family, especially children. I heard recently that the average dad averages something like 30 seconds a day with their kids. It just makes me think about the impact that our lifestyles will have and are having on the up and coming generations.�

Q â€" What advice would you give to other worship leaders?

“Just keep doing it! Sometimes, I get asked what’s the most important skill that a worship leader should have and I always answer character. Being in the Word and letting God shape our lives and responses each day is so important…skill is necessary but it won’t hold you over the long haul.�

Q â€" What is your favorite Bible passage and why?

“I think my favorites are the Psalms, Ephesians, and Proverbs. I just love the practical outworking of faith that Ephesians talks about and the life lessons that are in Proverbs. I find it so hard to nail down one favorite passage!�

Q â€" In all the years that you have led worship, is there a time where you were just blown away by the Holy Spirit…a time that sticks out in your mind? If yes, can you describe it?

“Yea, I remember a time around ’98 and for me, it was a real God season…the Holy Spirit was just so evident and the songs of that time were pretty unique. I get amazed though that every time we lead worship, the presence of God comes…and it’s all about Him…it’s not something we do but He wants meet with His people. God is completely faithful.�

As he continuously gives his life up to God, Reuben Morgan is used more by God and more lives are changed each day. His heart shines through each lyric of every song…a heart set on the ways of the Lord and praising the Lord. He, along with fellow members of the Hillsong worship team, decided long ago to make a difference in this generation and by the power of God, they are continuing to do so. With a powerful voice and ever-growing talents, God is using Reuben and Hillsong to take His story to the ends of this earth.

For more info, check out reubenmorgan.com
And for donations for the PNG AIDS project, click onto www.reubenmorgan.com/wycliffe

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