El Roi - the God who sees me

Sunday Worship ‘El Roi’ 

Welcome to Sunday Worship! I’m Swarzy Shire, coming to you from Manchester with the incredible gospel group, Warehouse Worship. In just two and a half years, they’ve already made a huge impact across the UK—leading worship in massive arenas and drawing thousands of young people as well as catching the eye of big names in the Gospel scene both here in the UK and over in the US. 

Today I’m at the BEC Arena in Old Trafford, where I’ve joined 2,000 young people who have gathered to worship Jesus. The theme of this service is centred around a powerful name of God—El Roi, meaning ‘The God Who Sees’ or 'The God Who Sees Me’ - a beautiful and often needed reminder that God sees us completely and knows everything we’re going through. I’ll be speaking with Warehouse Worship and those who have come down about how they’ve felt seen by God and what difference it makes knowing He watches over you.

I’ll also be taking you backstage with the band and out front to hear from the crowd. Plus, I can’t wait for a live performance of Cece Winan’s song, The Goodness of God! So much to come, but first, we start with one of the biggest worship songs right now -called Praise, let’s join Warehouse Worship to pray for all that the Lord will do during this service… 

(start clip: Can we cut out where he says ‘Father Jesus’ and start from ‘Lord Jesus’...)

MUSIC 1 – Praise (Elevation Worship) - Warehouse Worship 

30 SECS OPENING PRAYERS - Taken from the worship 

WORSHIP -leading into MUSIC 2 ‘Worthy is your name’ - Warehouse Worship 

How incredible does the worship sound?! It’s such a joy to be here because this is nothing like a typical worship service. Instead of a church, Warehouse Worship are—literally—in a warehouse! And yes, it’s freezing, but that hasn’t stopped us. If anything, the energy is electric! 

The band are on stage in the middle of the arena, the lights are all around, as are the thousands of young people packed in like sardines around the stage with voices ready to take the roof off as Warehouse Worship lead us to sing and praise and thank and worship Jesus! It’s an unforgettable experience! 

And what makes this even more special is that, just like radio, this event is open to everyone. From those who already have faith and follow Jesus, to those who may not know Him yet, or those who’ve simply seen the buzz online and grabbed a ticket to come and see the hype for themselves - there’s space for you here! So before I catch up with Warehouse Worship, I’m heading into the crowd to find out who’s here and why! 

CLIPS OF PEOPLE ATTENDING - why have you come to worship

Last line: ‘It’s all about God…’ 

Swarzy: It’s been amazing to hear from so many different people about why they’ve come down to this event and it is really all about God so let’s join in next and sing of His goodness in one of my favourite songs by Cece Winans 

MUSIC 3 - Goodness of God (Bethel Music) – Warehouse Worship 

 2-3 MINS SWARZY CHAT TO VICTOR ABOUT WAREHOUSE WORSHIP & INTRO EL ROI 

That was Goodness of God - a gorgeous CeCe Winans song. I’m now backstage with Victor who leads Warehouse Worship and some of the group… 

Victor Omosebi leads Warehouse Worship -

Bit of background about the group /what you’ve achieved this year - what songs you enjoy worshiping to, there are about 28 of you all together - you make an amazing sound? 

It comes from Genesis 16 the story of Hagar - We’ll hear the bible reading in a moment but how would you summarize the story…? 

MUSIC 4 - El Roi - Warehouse Worship ( led by Claire ) 

Bible reading - Genesis 16 Hagar and Ishmael – read by Turah 

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” 

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. 

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” 

“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 

The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 

The angel of the Lord also said to her: 

“You are now pregnant 

and you will give birth to a son. 

You shall name him Ishmael, 

for the Lord has heard of your misery. 

He will be a wild donkey of a man; 

his hand will be against everyone 

and everyone’s hand against him, 

and he will live in hostility 

toward all his brothers.” 

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi[d]; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael 

CHAT WITH CLARE WHO SINGS EL ROI 

"El Roi" is a Hebrew name for God that means "The God Who Sees Me" or "The God Who Sees." It appears in the story of Hagar that we’ve just heard from Genesis 16:13. In this story, Hagar is feeling abandoned and mistreated, and encounters God in the wilderness. She names God "El Roi" because, in her time of suffering and solitude, God shows His awareness and care by seeing her and providing comfort. 

Claire, this reading is heavy, isn’t it? It deals with some dark themes, and yet, out of it comes this beautiful revelation of God as El Roi—the God who truly sees us. Yourself and Warehouse Worship have released a song titled El Roi, and I’d love to hear more about the story behind it. What inspired you to write about this particular name of God? 

MUSIC – Here I Am to Worship / Jireh - Warehouse Worship

Swarzy - How beautiful it is to be singing God’s name—declaring Jireh, the Lord who provides - and earlier we lifted our voices to sing El Roi, Warehouse Worship’s latest song, all about the God who sees. I couldn’t resist jumping into the crowd to find people and ask them when they last felt seen by the Lord and their stories were really inspiring… 

CLIPS from people attending

When have you felt seen by God?

Swarzy - Last July, Israel Houghton—a well-known worship artist from the US came to the UK because he’d heard what Warehouse Worship are doing: we were invited to a night just like this, where Israel and Warehouse Worship shared the stage together…and it was beautiful. Their time collaborating also led to the creation of this song, Set The Record Straight.

It was soooo good speaking with Israel - someone, like many members of Warehouse Worship, I’ve grown up listening to since I first became a Christian. From songs like ‘I am a Friend of God’ through to Alpha and Omega, his music have strengthened my faith and I couldn’t help but think how amazing it is for a UK worship group to catch his eye! I wonder what it was about Warehouse Worship that caught this attention - and that’s exactly what I wanted to know…so I asked him!

CLIP OF ISRAEL HOUGHTON talking about being in Manchester

MUSIC 5 - SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT - Warehouse Worship with Israel Houghton

Swarzy - I don’t want this service to end! The songs and testimonies have filled me with fresh fuel to keep worshipping and following Jesus—and to know that the God sees me. The God who left heaven for earth, who took my place on the cross, paid my debt, defeated death, and rose three days later so I may have life and life to the fullest… sees me!

And i’m excited to see what Warehouse Worship do next!?!

I’m going to leave you with a Kirk Franklin medley, but to close, a blessing… 

Who are we that You are mindful of us, Lord? And yet, by Your grace, You are. You see us even when no one else is looking. Praise Your name—may this truth keep our eyes fixed on You, the author and perfecter of our faith, as we call You El Roi, the One whose eyes are always on us. 

In Jesus name, amen! 

MUSIC 7 – Melodees from Heaven/Stomp Medley (Kirk Franklin) - Warehouse Worship