HIS PRESENCE THROUGH SINGING by Robert Soto (Posted on an email from Words From the Creator)

HIS PRESENCE THROUGH SINGING
By Robert Soto
Posted on an email from Words From the Creator

November 22, 2009

Psalm 7:17 "I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High."

It was a wonderful weekend. We had two events that made it great. The first event was a pow wow where our drum was the host drum. That meant that we took care of all the songs that the dancers needed to dance with. The second event was our monthly Indian church service in San Antonio. Since the pow wow was a small pow wow it ended with enough time to rush ten miles to the north side of town where we have the Chief of Chiefs Christian Church. What made both events as if they were one and the same was that the songs we sang in our Indian Church service were also sung at the pow wow. Fourteen years ago God the Creator directed me to start our first local Indian church service which eventually led to the worship services we now hold at some of the pow wows in the area. The songs around the drum have become a very important factor in our worship services as well as the songs we are now singing as our drum sings at pow wows.

But one thing I have noticed in the last fourteen years is that the English words are not needed to communicate the spirit of praise to God the Creator. The songs that God the Creator gives me come out of a time of personal praise and prayer. As I drive around and walk around, the songs are given to me. As I sit at home or work out at the buffalo farm, the songs come. I do not have to sit at a piano or a desk to compose these songs. They come to me as I pray and worship my God and Creator. This weekend as we drummed, several dancers came to me and said, "There is power in your songs." One dancer said, "When you guys sing I sense the presence of God the Creator in our circle." Three times I heard dancers say, "I felt that in my heart." These statements do not bring pride to my heart, but they bring a desire to write even more songs. My songs come not from necessity, but from worship. They come from the times that I come before God the Creator with my desire to draw closer to Him. David encouraged us by saying, "I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High." I am no one special, just a man who desires to feel the presence of God the Creator through the songs He gives me. Next time you go before God the Creator, sing a song and praise His Holy Name.

Robert Soto, Lipan Apache and pastor of:

McAllen Grace Brethren Church
The Native American New Life Center
Chief of Chiefs Christian Church