Back in high school, before Spotify or Apple Music or Amazon Music, I would YouTube worship music and listen to them. One song that I really enjoyed listening to was “Heart of Worship.” It was soft and gentle, reminding me that “when the music fades and all is stripped away” we will “simply come, longing just to bring something’s of worth that will bless Your [God’s] heart.”

Worship is more than just music.

I think sometimes we get so bogged down on details that we think of worship being music and a band, that we forget that there are other ways to worship.

I remember once I mentioned worship to my father (a retired pastor) and I guess I must have used the word “gift.” For my father said how it was interesting that people think of worship as a spiritual gift when it was never mentioned as a spiritual gift. Perplexed, I looked up 1 Corinthians 12 and read it and sure enough, worship was not mentioned.

I think it was because we were designed to worship. It is not a calling or a gift to worship, but a design. We were specifically designed to worship, and we have a choice on whom we want to worship. We could worship God or something different, like an idol. Because of this blog and of my faith, I am going to talk about what worshiping God is like and how we can worship God.

I Googled what worship meant and this is what I got:
Noun – the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. (example, worship of God)

Verb – show reverence and adoration for a deity); honor with religious rites

Worship is showing reverence, adoration, and honoring God. While thinking about what to say on this topic, I looked around at my church during worship time. In fact, Heart of Worship was the song that the worship leader had chosen for us to sing. I noticed what people were doing. Some had lifted arms, others were seated. Some were singing, others were not. I noticed my own voice would slip in and out of the chorus, because I was listening to the words. I was thinking about what the words truly meant.

To me, that was worship. I enjoy singing, but sometimes I have to just listen to the music and think about what it means, or I am just going through the motions. Do you ever do that?

What other ways can we worship without music or singing?

In my last post, I spoke about my grandmother dying. I drove down that day. I had made plans to visit a friend (who lived an hour away from Grandmother) and then I would visit Grandmother. When news came that she took a worst turn, I changed the plan and I headed to her house first. When I hugged my mother, through choked tears, I asked if she would like me to spend the night. I was thinking she would have to spend the night alone in her mother’s house, without anyone, and that sounded WEIRD. So, I offered to stay. Later, I learned my aunt was flying in and my father was driving down. But I still stayed. I was still able to help my mother as she navigated the many phone calls and the chaplain and the hospice nurse and the funeral home. I was able to intervene and take things off my mother’s plate.

Worship is a service.

Worship is doing something that edifies others and ultimately to God.

The next day was Sunday and I visited my friend. I went to her church and her church, like most, has a time of receiving. It has multiple names. Such as an altar call. It is typically at the end of the service, after the message, and a song is playing. My friend’s church had communion and a time to light candles in remembrance of someone, to thank God, or to offer up a prayer. My church has the worship leader lead us into a song, some people sing, and others pray. Some churches invite people to come up to the altar and pray or to speak to a pastor. It is a time to get things off your chest and to allow others to lift your arms up when you cannot. For me, I usually sit there and process the message and offer what is on my heart to God. Sometimes I write a poem in my sermon notebook, then when I am done, I close my notebook and I stand up and I am ready to sing.

Worship brings us closer to God.

Last week, we talked about rest and self-care and soul-care. Abbi, Katelyn, and I touched on how rest can bring us closer to God. It is like a triangle. God is at the top and the two lower corners are our physical and emotional needs. Those needs should travel upwards to meet God, that if our physical and emotional needs are met, we can truly edify our God through our actions.

But worship can also serve others.

It can be outward, like a friend hugging you or sending groceries or a gift to someone without asking. Maybe you are running errands and God puts someone on your heart who is struggling, so you reach out to them and say, “Hey, dinner’s on me.” That’s worship, that is serving others.

It can be inwards. A way to process your thoughts and feelings.

Last Friday, Katelyn gave some great application questions to help you learn how you best take care of your soul, body, and heart. So, here’s a challenge:

This week, I challenge you to do your hobby or favorite activity in a way that will edify God.

Some suggestions (feel free to use or not): Maybe you are a writer, write a story or a poem. Or you are an artist then create something that brings you joy and reminds you of what God has done in your life. Maybe you’re a musician, then play an instrument or sing in your house or dance to music in your living room. Or maybe cooking is what soothes your soul, then cook something and maybe you can bring it your bible study. Worship can be intimate, but it can also serve others. Just let the worship service (music or not) be done because of God.

Elizabeth