“Worship is not just a sound we make; it’s a life we echo.”

I had the privilege of walking closely with a dear brother in church – Kuya Joel – during the last five months of his earthly life. It was a journey marked by pain, yes, but overwhelmingly filled with worship, love, and unwavering faith.

I saw with my own eyes how his physical body was fading, how cancer slowly took its toll. But even as his strength dwindled, his spirit did not. With every ounce of energy left in him, he still chose to sing. I can still recall how he raised his trembling hands during worship, his voice cracking, yet fully surrendered. He worshipped with everything he had until the end.

While preparing for his wake service, my nephew Ken stumbled upon a video that made me pause and weep with deep admiration. In it, Kuya Joel was teaching his two children, SJ and Skye, to sing and play the song Heart of Worship. That clip wasn’t just a beautiful memory, it was a testament. Worship wasn’t something he started doing when he got sick; it was how he lived all along. He was intentional about it, modeling it daily for his kids, not just in music but in how he lived.

Now, SJ and Skye serve on the worship team, carrying the torch their father handed to them. And at the wake, the two stood boldly and sang Heart of Worship, the same song their dad had taught them just before giving their eulogies. It was more than a tribute. It was a powerful picture of a legacy passed on.

Here’s the video that says more than words ever could:

What I’ve Learned

Kuya Joel taught me without saying it that worship isn’t just a song. It’s a life poured out.

It’s seen in how he served the church quietly but wholeheartedly.
It’s seen in his excellence at work and his humility in every role.
It’s seen in the way he loved his wife and raised his children.
It’s felt in the joy that radiated from his face even in great pain.

And so I pray, after witnessing his life, Lord, may I also live a life of worship till the end.
Not just with music and melody … but in how I serve, how I love, and how I give my all even when I have little left.

“As long as I live, I will sing and praise you, the Lord God. I will be true to you.” – Psalm 146:2 (CEV)