424 Music’s Transformative Worship Concert Experience

By Alana Seepersad

How often have we felt as if God, though present, was somehow hidden from us? A further, and perhaps a more fitting question for some of us might be: how often do we hide ourselves from God?

As an active member of the recently launched music ministry collective, 424 Music, the preparation for, and participation in our worship concert experience, ‘Unveiled’, was a much-needed opportunity to reflect on both questions.

The concert was part of a weekend of activities to launch this young adult music ministry, held on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the St Mary’s Parish Hall in Tacarigua.

The name ‘424 Music’, is rooted in the Johanine theology of worshipping God in spirit and an in truth (Jn 4:24). We are a collective of musicians and vocalists from various parts of Trinidad united by our common desire to be vessels through which worship flows.

We are led by the very capable and inspired Matthew Hall, the Outreach and Training Officer at the Office of Youth Ministry.

Matthew Hall (right) with other members of the Collective

The concert was a spiritual journey consisting of three movements. In the first movement, we unveiled the sanctuary so we could bask in the holiness of a God who is both close to us and awesome beyond imagination. We magnified the beautiful name of Jesus and ended this movement by offering God praise with our voices, hearts, and bodies in a dynamic praise set that brought the concert attendees to their feet. In the second movement, we were invited to pause for breath, to unveil our hearts to God, and release our burdens to Him. We spoke the glorious name of Jesus, the only name by which we can be saved. The final movement was a mighty crescendo of worship; we were invited to allow the collective voices of our hearts to resonate in unity to worship God. We prayed, through song, for the weight of God’s glory to be revealed to us, we gave thanks, and we danced, and sang His praises with joyful hearts. One of the most difficult, yet rewarding, aspects of being involved in ministry, is surrender to God.

Alana Seepersad

As a music minister, I do not only allow God to use me to minister to others, but I also allow God to minister to me.

If I wanted to be a part of this journey of unveiling, I too, had to unveil my heart to God.
This was easier said than done: I barely even wanted to unveil my heart to myself, much less to God. When we pull back the veil of our hearts, we find both the beauty of the Holy Spirit residing in us, and the horror of our own sins, struggles, insecurities, and unhealed wounds. But when we call on the beautiful name of Jesus, when we surrender to a loving God, when we seek His glorious presence, He reveals the truth of who He created us to be. He brings healing, love, forgiveness, and rest. He brings joy amidst suffering. This worship experience offered everyone present a chance to pull back the veil obscuring our vision of God, be vulnerable before God, and abandon ourselves to worship. It was a welcome reminder that the God we serve is loving and powerful, that He cares about our struggles, and that He is with us. As we journey on in faith and hope, surrendering ourselves further to be vessels of worship, we thank those who have been supporting us, and we ask your prayers and welcome your support in the future.

May our worship be a fragrant offering that reaches God’s throne of grace.