In TCIS’s three-day annual event, Spiritual Emphasis Week (SEW), students got to take their minds off of their academics and take part in activities focused on faith, community, and devotion. These events were put together by many different students, teachers, and staff members. I would like to take a closer look at a part of SEW that many students enjoyed, the praise sessions.
Who was on Stage?
First, I would like to introduce the people who made up this year’s praise team. The guest SEW praise team included Jimmy on electric guitar, Jamal on bass guitar and singing, and Claudia as the singer.
This year’s members of the stage were a little more special than the years before, as we had several members of the TCIS praise team on the stage as well. This made the praise session a little more inclusive and collaborative, which helped encourage our students to join in praising during the sessions.
Joon (Grade 12) and Seha (11) participated as singers, Danier (12) played the keyboard, Jikang (10) played the drums, Yejin (12) played the acoustic guitar, and Eliana C (11) played the bass guitar. Juann (11) also helped out backstage.
The songs
Moving on, it has been said by many students that they enjoyed singing along the praise songs that had not previously been sung in chapel. Some of the new songs included:
“The Joy” by The Belonging Co & David Dennis: If you remember the song that repeatedly goes, “the joy of the Lord, the joy of the Lord is my strength”, this is the one.
“Goodbye Yesterday” by Elevation Rhythm: This is the one where it goes “Goodbye yesterday, I’m living in the light of the new day”
But what exactly is Praise?
You might have found yourself singing along just because the melody is good or the vibe is enjoyable, and now you might be wondering what this might mean. Praise can mean different things depending on the context. In Christianity, praise is the confession of faith and a way of responding to God. This is why you may see people raising their hands, closing their eyes, or singing along during these sessions.
However, you don’t necessarily have to understand or participate in this way. For those who are unfamiliar with Christianity, praise can also simply be an opportunity to listen to some good music and just enjoy it.
Want to listen to more?
If you found yourself enjoying the praise songs during SEW and want to explore more, here are a few songs that I recommend—both English and Korean.
- “Washed” by Elevation Rhythm
- “That’s Who I Praise” by Brandon Lake
- “How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin
- “주를 바라보며” by Gifted
- “주와 함께 걸어가네” by Team Luke Worship
- “재림” by Gifted