When the Music Stopped: Finding Worship in the Silence

A week after the tragic death of Pastor Robert Guanco, Allie Walker, a Compassion volunteer who was in the Worship Tent at the time of the incident, reflects on the impact of what happened.

This was my second year serving at BCF (Big Church Festival), last year was incredible and I was really hyped for this year. I was looking forward to fellowship, serving, worshiping God and just being in God’s presence.

Big Church is a place where everyone can experience God’s presence in such a unique way. I can’t quite explain it but the moment you step on site, you feel something beautiful, the atmosphere is extraordinary. Never would I have imagined something so devastating happening in a place where God’s presence is so tangible.

On the afternoon of Friday 28 August, attendees gathered in the Worship Tent to see Chroma Worship. The tent was filled with music and voices as people worshipped together.

Then, suddenly, the music stopped.

Chroma quickly left the stage before the hosts came on and explained that there had been a medical emergency. We were asked to remain in the Worship Tent and encouraged to pray.

Nobody seemed to know exactly what was happening. An uneasy feeling settled over the room, but despite the uncertainty, we gathered together and prayed.

Then something happened that I will never forget.

• Image credit [Allie Walker before the attendees arrived on the Friday]

“As I looked around, I saw strangers praying together, holding hands and worshipping God. It was raw and tender.”

In the absence of the music, pockets of worship began to rise throughout the tent. There was no band playing and no one leading us from the stage. No one was telling us what song to sing. People simply began to worship.

As I looked around, I saw strangers praying together, holding hands and worshipping God. It was raw and tender.

The excitement of the weekend had been replaced by uncertainty, yet somehow, there was still worship.

One of the hosts eventually began singing with us, and for a moment, the room felt completely united. Status and labels seemed to disappear. We were simply one body, gathered together in prayer and worship.

Eventually, we were asked to leave the tent and return to our campsites until further notice.

It wasn’t until several hours later that we learned the extent of what had happened. Six people had been seriously injured and Pastor Robert Guanco had tragically lost his life.

A week later, I keep returning to that moment in the Worship Tent.

I keep thinking about what it means to worship when you don’t have answers.

What does faith look like when something happens that you cannot understand?

As I reflect on everything that happened, I am reminded that difficult things will happen and that we will experience suffering in this life. However, God is faithful.

For those who put their trust in Him, there is a hope that goes beyond what we can see.

I believe Pastor Robert is now in Heaven with our good Lord.

Now, more than ever, we as the Church should be doing everything we can to stand united and stand boldly for Christ. Tomorrow is not promised. What happened at BCF was a reminder of just how precious life is and how important it is to live in the present, rather than assuming we have tomorrow to make a change.

It has reminded me not to put off the things that matter, to love boldly, to share the Gospel, to pursue God wholeheartedly and to make the most of the time we have been given.

My prayer is that Pastor Robert’s family would lean on Christ and be strengthened by their family, friends and church community. May the Lord’s mighty hand be over their lives and as Robert’s daughter grows up, my prayer is that she would remain close to Jesus and know His love throughout her life.

Don’t wait until tomorrow to make a difference.

Act now.

Be the person who makes a change. Tell someone about Jesus 🙂