letting the SELAH develop

[HelenaZF]

Some have said that selah (pronounced SEE-luh), a word used primarily in the Psalms, was a musical notation meaning a stop or pause. But it is much more. Consider this:

Selah, [celah], is from the primary Hebrew root word [calah] which means 'to hang,' and by implication to measure (weigh). This is readily understood because in Biblical history, money, food and other valuables were 'weighed' by hanging or suspending them on a type of balance (the equivalent of our measuring scale) to determine their value.



So seeing that this Hebrew word [calah] means to 'measure,' as in weighing something in the balances, we better understand how the word Selah [celah], which is derived from it, is illustrating that we should measure or value what has been said. In other words, just as we would say today, the diplomat should, "weigh what he says carefully."  And the word [celah] is used in this very same way. It is an illustration that we should 'measure' or value carefully what has just transpired.

Often there is a time at the end of a song, when we move into a free time of instrumental improvisation, singing in the spirit, or even silence. These are "selah" times. They give us opportunity to reflect on the message just brought in the song...the awesomeness of God and his works. If we are willing to allow it, many powerful and beautiful things can come out of a selah time. After a while, the musicians might settle into a chord progression that instruments can soar over. Prophetic song can come forth. Rhythmic prophecies on the drums, other instruments joining in to make underlayments for warfare, peace, compassion, intercession. And there might be silence. And then, after a while....a word, a scripture, a song of the Bridegroom...the response back to the Lord....a dance.....Or just silence. It can go on until the intimacy is so intense it is almost hard to breathe. Sweet, and dripping with the honey of the presence of the Lord.



Not all worship leaders are comfortable with extended times of selah, and part of it is not having been there before, and not knowing quite what to do, and I think part is being uncomfortable with the silence.



We seem to be so afraid of silence. It's like the radio disc jockeys who's worst nightmare is dead air. They are afraid that if they have too much dead air, they will be fired.



What are we afraid of when there is silence in worship? It's uncomfortable...we get self-conscious...worry about the time used.....wonder if we are the ones that are supposed to break the silence. What will happen next? When is it right to end the silence, the selah time?



And yet, it's worth all the risks, because by taking the time...we become pliable and receptive to the deep visitation of the Holy Spirit as we minister our worship to Him. But it doesn't happen in a 45 second time of post song-end progressions and then on to the next number. It takes time to ripen, to develope, to come to full expression--both from us and from the Lord as we finally open to Him.



In the early days of charismatic expression, singing in the spirit consisted of using up all of your prayer language in a rather static melody that was sung over one long, extended chord. It would tend to trail off fairly quickly, because there just wasn't all that much you could do musically with just one chord. But later, worship leaders began using logical chord progressions (I think Elim was one of the first places from which this disseminated) and a whole new world opened up. The selah could go on for long periods of time, ever interesting musically, swelling in and out of mood and emotion according to the tenor of the progressions chosen. And, as a body, we could soak in intimacy with our Lover/King.



It can be pretty cool...." hangin' " with the Lord. Selah.