From Silence to Song
How Personal God Moments Can Deepen Your Worship
In the world of worship music, few bands resonate with the heartfelt sincerity and depth of LEELAND. Composed of Leeland Mooring and Casey Moore, this Texas-based duo doesn’t just create music; they share a journey—a journey marked by encounters with God that shape not only their sound but their very lives.
In a quiet conversation with Family Life Radio, they peeled back the layers of their experiences, revealing how personal encounters with God have molded their approach to worship and influenced their music.
Encountering God through Childhood and Challenges
At 11 years old, at a youth camp, Leeland found himself, in Columbus, Texas, when the presence of God surrounded him in a way he’d never forget. On the last night, after days filled with fun, songs, and the gospel message, the founder of the camp shared simply, quoting Scripture.
Leeland recalls, “All he did was just start quoting Scripture … I just remember feeling this really good weight on my shoulders … it was like somebody hugging you.” Overwhelmed, he fell to his knees, touched by the comfort of Jesus’s presence.
Casey shares a similar moment of encounter, though under different circumstances. During the pain of his parents’ divorce, a youth camp became a sanctuary. “I felt that presence of God that I don’t think I’d felt before … it was like a comforter around me,” he reflects. These experiences, so personal and yet so universal, remind us that God meets us in our most vulnerable moments, offering peace in His presence.
The Journey Paved with Memorial Moments
Leeland speaks of “memorial moments,” milestones along the spiritual journey that serve as tangible reminders of God’s presence. These are the times when Heaven touches Earth, leaving us forever changed. “I look back and go, that was an amazing moment where I really encountered the person of Jesus,” he shares.
Moments like these become the stones that pave the path of our faith journey, reminding us of where we’ve been and who walks beside us.
Encountering God: Comfort and Conviction
Our encounters with God are more than one-dimension. They weave together comfort and conviction, two strands of the same divine thread. Leeland shares, “Sometimes it’s in comfort, sometimes it’s in conviction or the love of God can gently expose an area of my life.”
The duality of comfort and conviction invite us into a deeper, more authentic relationship with God where we are comforted in our pain and prompted to grow in our faith.
God in Every Aspect of Life
Leeland’s reflection on the belief in God made flesh, gives us insight into how we can perceive our daily lives. “God through Christ was sanctifying all human endeavor as worship, except sin.” We can learn to see every moment, every mundane task, and every joy as an opportunity to encounter God, to turn the ordinary into worship.
Worship Beyond the Music
Worship rises above music or Sunday services. It is found in the way we live our lives; in the way we encounter God in both the extraordinary and the mundane. Worship is so much more than singing; it’s about seeing God in every aspect of our existence and responding with our whole hearts.
Holding onto Faith
Both Leeland and Casey have navigated the waters of doubt and uncertainty, just as we all do. In those moments when God seems distant, they remind us to lean on our “memorial moments,” the times when God’s presence was undeniable. “There’s always times on the road, even in the plane … just sitting in the plane thinking,” Casey considers, reminding us that God’s presence is not confined to our expectations.
Leeland offers, “In times of uncertainty, doubts and questions that you have about whether it’s your faith, your life or whatever else … just hold on to those moments because they’re really special.”
It’s in holding onto these encounters, that we find the strength to persevere, to continue seeking, and to remain open to the comfort and conviction that come from walking with God.
The journey of faith is as unique as the individual who walks it, yet there are common threads that we all share. Think about your own path, the moments where you’ve felt God’s presence, and how these encounters have shaped your approach to worship and life.
We hope you are inspired you to seek God in both the silence and the song, to cherish your own memorial moments, and to embrace God’s presence in your life. For in the end, our faith journey is not just about where we’re going, but about who walks with us every step of the way.
May God’s presence be a constant source of comfort and challenge, urging you to grow, to embrace every moment as an act of worship, and to hold tightly to the encounters that remind you to continue seeking God with all your heart.
Want more? Check out our on demand resources
Family Life Radio is listener supported. Those who listen give to make the music and content possible to shine God’s love, peace and encouragement into hearts, revealing truths that direct people in the way they should go.
If you feel led to give a gift today to help others draw strength, gain wisdom and experience peace through Family Life Radio click here.