How Do You Worship a Baby?

Luke 2:8-20

The first worship gathering recorded in the New Testament was the birth of Jesus Christ. Shepherds and wisemen gathered to confirm what they had learned from messengers and Scripture.  Bethlehem must have been astir with news of the birth.

Childbirth remains one of the most awesome events in the human experience. Any parent who has been blessed with the birth of a child will tell you words fall short describing this common yet seemingly miraculous event.  To say it is life-changing understates the addition of a newborn to a home. For parents there is a new center of the universe. Babies require time, attention, and an emotional investment.

I remember the amazing moment each of my children entered the world. I was more spectator than anything else. Oh, yes, I coached my wife and held her hand, but there was an overwhelming feeling that all of us present, including my wife, were there for an event that was going to happen on a timetable we did not control.  As I have learned many years later from my midwife daughter-in-law, babies are caught, not delivered.  

After that all important “catch”, there is a new priority in your life. A baby needs all of you nearly all the time. Emotional and physical bonding begins and what was a womb relationship begins to become a meeting and bonding of hearts and minds.  It is an adventure like no other.

God chose to bring Jesus into the world from the womb and in relatively humble fashion.  Not only did the center of the universe change for Mary and Joseph, but also for the world. A broken relationship between God and man was reestablished and what had been promised, arrived.  

From the very beginning, Jesus was worshipped. Before stories and miracles, believers came to “see”.  It is interesting that in Dr. Luke’s account of the birth he writes, “shepherds were watching their sheep….” and upon hearing the news, went immediately to find the baby. We don’t hear anything more about the sheep.  Only moments before, their sheep were likely the most important thing in their lives. It was their life, their work, their financial security. Yet, they “hurried” to find the baby about whom they had heard and left their sheep. Shepherds and wisemen alike set out to “see” and their hopes found assurance in a new born child. A newborn baby was worshipped.

So how do you worship a baby? First, realize the promise. The shepherds knew the promise. They did not need a lengthy explanation of what God was doing. They were familiar with the promise and hurried to see. Worshipping Jesus as a baby means remembering all the promise He held. We need to worship Him for who He was as a baby, before the miracles and suffering He bore for us. Second, we should worship with abandon. The shepherds’ priorities changed and they were overcome with a curious yearning that brought them to Bethlehem. The worship of God as a baby needs to always be of singular focus that is born of a yearning for hope.  This Christmas, worship a baby by hearing and realizing God’s promise of peace on Earth and by His grace investing yourselves in goodwill toward men.

Have a worshipful Christmas!

the friar

Pep Rallies?

Pep Rallies?

Romans 8:37-39 (NASB)

One of my fondest memories of junior high school were the sports pep rallies. Pep rallies were usually a Friday phenomenon that preceded an athletic contest, i.e. football game. This was something new for this 12 year old. It seemed I had a new identity. I had a mascot, fight song, alma mater and sports team that represented me on the field of sports competition.

Next to the actual sports event, the pep rally was the greatest event of the week. Classes were suspended for this motivational and inspirational event that brought the student body, marching band, team and coaches together for a loud demonstration of school spirit.  

As I see it now, the underlying goals of these pep rallies were to build pride in the school and convince the football team and students that victory was within our grasp. The orchestration of these rallies was well thought out. The fight song blared from the marching band as the entire student body (packed into a reverberating gymnasium) cheered and clapped while the cheerleaders led the football team on to the court waving to their adoring peers. It was quite a rush of excitement. For a few brief moments we were the greatest students, in the greatest school with the greatest team and faculty in the world. After a few short inspirational speeches from team members and head coach, the band struck up the fight song once more, and the students cheered again with even greater frenzy.  Having heard the determined words from the team and coaches we were convinced victory was only hours away.

The pep rally ritual was a beloved tradition throughout my junior and senior high school years. I was fortunate, because most of the time our teams were successful in their campaigns. We hardly ever lost, but we did lose. For me, that first loss was a hard pill to swallow and pep rallies were never the same.  The assurance of victory was replaced with a definite maybe.  I wasn’t a sold out believer any longer, but a skeptic who needed more than a rally to convince me.

Worship is not a pep rally, as some would think.  In worship, jaded thoughts that entertain the possibility of defeat are replaced by a collective ‘holy gasp’ when we remember we participate vicariously in the ultimate victory over death (Romans 6:4) that is light years beyond our reach. The loud and bodacious celebration of a pep rally changes to humble worship when tempered by the realization that we are the most sinful congregation, in the most sinful church, led by the most sinful leaders and yet are draped in forgiveness and mercy. 

There are similarities in the rituals we share as part of gatherings such as pep rallies, but worship is not for convincing, it is for the convinced. Worship is remembering who we are and who He is. In worship we celebrate ultimate adoration for the ultimate adorer.

the friar

Change the Subject

Luke 18:9-14

In my first post, “Why Worship Together”, I wrote about the community aspect of worship. The most neglected part of Christian corporate worship is its communal nature.  We have forgotten how to worship together. Often worshippers are more dedicated to separating themselves across an auditorium than the acts of worship itself. Corporate worship needs an intimacy that is not only vertical, (between us and God) but also horizontal (between worshippers). We avoid one another because we carry that Garden of Eden virus called shame and would rather hide than be truly known.

The lack of community in worship does not go unnoticed by worship leaders. In an attempt to bring congregations closer together, worship leaders will sometimes use “icebreakers” to promote community.  At best, the leader will offer a time for the congregants to share a greeting with one another, sometimes called a “fellowship time”. At worst, something akin to a comedic monologue is offered to relax and engage the worshipper.  

More often, congregations will take matters into their own hands and engage in light conversation prior to a worship time to either meet their need for intimacy or satisfy curiosity. Subjects such as sports, clothing, weather and hairstyles are discussed at varying depths. Unfortunately, we have not shaken free of worldly cares and gained the courage to verbally share our common heritage (adoptees of the Creator of the Universe). We are afraid to get close to one another and share both holy praise and lament. Our pride keeps us strangers at the altar of grace.

The parable in Luke 18:9, contrasts men of different hearts who came to the Temple to speak to God. One stood proudly while the other fearfully cowered at a distance. One gave thanks for his supposed righteous stature while the other asked for mercy. One rejoiced in who he was not, while the other contritely admitted who he was.

This Sunday, engage fellow worshippers in more than small talk and shake loose from the language of the world that keeps us strangers. We need to change the subject.  We need to tell our stories and listen to the stories of others. The horizontal dimension of worship is realized when we recognize that God is the change agent in the stories of our peers. When we look into the eyes of our worship family and see the joy and pain of their stories, worship happens communally.  Remember the men in Luke 18: 9. Is our pride keeping us in separate pews or are we embracing others who are just like us; sinners in transition?

the friar

Climb a Tree

Luke 19:1-5

 A gathering can be chaotic. I’m not talking about a spontaneous riot, protest, or sale at a department store.  An organized, scheduled, and purposeful gathering can have distractions that disrupt its focus and cause us to miss the reason for meeting. A live sporting event with thousands in attendance is a good example of a gathering that has many distractions.  

My dad took me to my first professional baseball game when I was about 12 years old. I had watched baseball on television but had never seen the pros in person. The Minnesota Twins were playing and I wanted to see Hall of Famer, Harmon Killebrew. 

It was a night game and under those lights, the grass seemed greener next to the orange clay of the infield. I could smell the popcorn and hear the venders calling out their wares.  I could hear the crowd around me talking about the game, politics or yelling at the umpire. All the “live” sights and sounds of the event were overwhelming. It was challenging for a 12 year old to stay focused on what was happening on the field. I remember having to work to stay focused, so I could see “Killer” Killebrew’s every move.

Corporate worship also has its distractions. A tongue-in-cheek lament of many pastors is, “Christian ministry would be great, if it weren’t for the people”. So it might be said of worship gatherings. Worship can be messy. “When two or more are gathered, there are distractions” (4 John 1:1). Worshipping alone is simple. Worshipping as a group gets complicated. The gathering can become more an obstacle than an enhancement. I believe we have forgotten how to worship together.

We need to work at worshipping together.  (See my post, Why Worship Together?). Too often we approach worship casually, waiting for a spiritual tap on the shoulder to remind us why we are there. It is little wonder many will leave a worship venue with a consumer critique such as, “I didn’t get anything out of that”. 

Zacchaeus joined a throng that came out to see Jesus. He could have settled for a glimpse or second hand account of the event but instead he, 1) ran out ahead, and 2) climbed a tree, so that he could see Jesus.

We are missing the activity of God in the midst of worship because we settle for the cheap seats when we could run out ahead and climb. This Sunday, work at worship. If  Jesus sees you spiritually perched and watching Him, most likely, He will go home with you.  

 the friar

What Are You Expecting?

What Are You Expecting?

John 2:1-11

In earlier posts I have talked about the characteristics of gatherings in general and how they relate to worship gatherings. There are roles we assume at gatherings. Within those roles are expectations. For example, we go to a wedding and expect to see a bride and bridegroom. We go to a circus and we might expect to see lions and tigers or trapeze artists. If we are a leader at a gathering there is a certain degree of cooperation we might expect from the audience. For instance in the theatre we might expect the audience to sit and behave in a certain way; respectfully and attentively.  We come to gatherings with expectations. 

Sometimes our expectations are limited. It might be our first time to the circus, or our first meeting of a support group and we are unsure what to expect. We might attend a gathering and have little or no expectations. We might be surprised by some gatherings and come away saying, “that was not what I expected”.

So it was with the wedding celebration Jesus attended in the account referenced above. The headwaiter, bridegroom and other wedding attendees had expectations. They were expecting the best wine to be served at the beginning of the party and as the day slipped away, so would the quality of the wine.  Due to a miraculous intervention by Jesus, the wine took a turn for the better at a time when the party was facing an embarrassing crisis. That was not what was expected.

I recall the very first New Year’s Eve party I attended. When I was about 9 years old, my parents allowed my 7 year old sister and me to stay up and wait for the New Year. My parents had some friends over and my sister and I “camped out” in my room with a few snacks to sustain us through the evening. As I recall, a stuffed dog and doll were also in attendance. With clock setting nearby, we ate and waited for the New Year to arrive.

I have had disappointments in my life, but this one surely left me flat. Midnight came and nothing happened. It was well past my bedtime, so it is safe to say I was tired and my head hurt. I remember lamenting to my parents, “So that was it?”, “Nothing happened!” They answered with an  insightful question, “what did you expect?” Well, I didn’t know exactly. I don’t remember having any expectation.

As you prepare to worship this Sunday, what are you expecting?  Will you be like I was on that New Years Eve long ago and simply endure the event with little or no expectation, or will you be involved enough to notice the wine changed.  Just as Jesus was at the wedding, He will be at your worship gathering.  Will you notice what He does? Oh, and by the way, He comes with expectations also.  What do you think He is expecting?

the friar

How to Sing a Hymn

How to Sing a Hymn

Psalm 96

In many worship gatherings singing has become an option. We may pray, read scripture, bring offerings and speak words of praise, but some folks don’t sing. Over the years, I have heard many reasons for this. Of course the most common explanation is, “I can’t sing” or “carry a tune”. In conversation with some I have learned some have been told they can't sing. In several instances, I have witnessed someone being told they did not have the ability to sing. I have tried to undue this tragic event by assuring someone they most certainly are able to sing. Granted some can sing differently or better than others, but I have never met a person who could not sing. God has blessed us all with this fantastic ability to take spoken words and give them a whole new sound, emotion, and expression by adding a texture we call song.
I believe some of the decline in singing during worship is because many have not learned how to sing a hymn. As in most activities, when one does not know how, they don't try. They step to the side and let others who have more training and know how enjoy this precious gift from God. The novice misses the blessing of singing and becomes the wallflower. They miss the dance. They never learned how to sing a hymn. I am not referring to the technical aspects of voicing a song from the screen or hymnbook, but a more soulful part of this worship ingredient.  I have found an approach that is a tried and true technique that conquers all obstacles to lifting a great song to praise to God.

One of my first remembrances of worship is standing on the pew next to my dad, before I could read. Though the boost from the pew still measured me short to his height, he would let me hold the hymnbook between us as everyone sang. I couldn’t read all the words, but I would pick up a line or two from the chorus and join in. God had gifted me with an “ear” for music and I began to pick up on the tune at an early age. As I listened and learned I began to notice that the congregation was singing one tune and my dad was singing another. Before I was taught that questionable truth, “somebody was off”,  I remember thinking, "wow, my dad has his own song!" As everyone else was singing, he joyfully lifted up those same words to an entirely original tune. It wasn’t until a few years later, that I realized that he was not able to match pitch with the piano, or congregation, but he sang. He sang his own song. He sang a new song. He had made the song his own.

It took me about 30 years or so to figure out the secret to singing a hymn. Take the first step of becoming a singer by reading the hymn text. Reading it (it was a poem, first) gives it another sound that brings out phrases and thoughts you might have missed while following a measured rhythm in a congregational setting. Before you sing it to God, make it your own song. Identify with what the writer is saying. Remember those times in your life you walked the same path as the poet. When a hymn becomes your praise to God - your offering to Him - you will be surprised at how well you sing. Much of that self-consciousness disappears when we look up to Him. Don't worry about getting it "right"; it's yours, it's not going to sound like everyone else's. The secret to singing a hymn is to sing a new song; your song.

the friar

Who is Coming to Worship?

Psalm 139:1-12

I do not remember the first time I daydreamed during school, but I do believe I did more than my share. I remember the teacher calling out my name (I am not sure how many times) to bring me back into the moment. Teachers and students alike will remember the familiar call, “Earth to John, or how many thousands of miles away are you?”  I was not sufficiently embarrassed by these incidents because it wasn’t long until my mind had taken me out of the classroom again. It seems we have the capacity to be present in body, but absent in mind and spirit. This is sometimes good and sometimes bad. I will let you be the judge of each.

In the first part of Psalm 139 the writer is explaining the omnipresence of God. That is, God is everywhere and sees us all the time. The psalmist realizes that God knows us better than we know ourselves (v. 4-5). He is always where we are. When we go, when we stay, when we try to hide or when we seek God, He is always there.

God is always there when we gather for worship. I am disheartened when I hear believers remark that God’s presence varies from Sunday to Sunday. People will say, the Spirit moved, or God showed up, or what a great time of worship compared to other times. In some sense they are rating the worship time based upon a qualitative presence of God.  I fear they are assuming the role of audience or consumer in worship and are implying God’s presence varies from Sunday to Sunday. Psalm 139 and other passages reflect an ever present God.

My own words grabbed me one Sunday morning when I was taking my place in the choir. After getting situated in the loft, I looked up and noticed tripods, telephoto lenses, cameras of every shape and kind lining both sides of our worship place. With little thought, I nudged a fellow choir member beside me and said, “wow, I guess someone important is going to be here today.” He pointed to our worship guide (the ever present bulletin) and said,” it’s the children’s choir”. As I began to recognize the parents who were there to record a moment of their child’s life, I also realized the irony of my words. Had I forgotten that God is there each Sunday? In that moment  I wondered if the media would overwhelm our auditorium on a Sunday if we announced that Jesus would be the guest speaker. I think we forget that God is present and is totally, completely and anxiously prepared to see and hear our worship.

I believe God blesses us with His presence 24-7, but do I anticipate His presence in worship, and as my grade school teacher said, am I there?

The Friar

Come to the Dance

Come to the Dance

Isaiah 6:1-8

Crossing the threshold from our individual paths to a gathering is a huge step. It takes preparation, focus, and a unity of purpose. There are so many gatherings we attend in our lives. There are entertainment experiences, political rallies, community gatherings, sporting events, picnics, weddings, graduations, etc.  When we gather there are three primary roles or functions of the participants. There is the host/facilitator, the audience (usually this is us) and those on stage or the focus of the gathering. All of these parts are played by someone when we gather. In a wedding for instance, a bride most often choreographs the movement of the ceremony; she usually picks the venue, the number in the wedding party, the music, flowers and so forth and therefore assumes the role of facilitator and is also the focus of the gathering.  

Among the myriad of gatherings we attend in life, how are these roles sorted out in worship? I believe the roles I have described above are sometimes confused when we come to worship. Who is the host? Is it God, or the pastor? Is the audience the congregation? For there to be effective, meaningful worship directed toward God, the roles need to be clear.

When you attend worship which role do you assume.  A Danish theologian and philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, identified three roles in worship that are much like a dramatic presentation. God is the audience, the congregation is on stage and the worship leaders are the directors. Be introspective for a moment and ask yourself a few questions about how you talk or think about worship. Do you have preferences in your worship style? That is, do you prefer a more reverent, structured worship time that is quiet, contemplative, and solemn or do you prefer a more celebrative atmosphere that is marked by shouts of joy, spontaneity and less structure. Are there things you don’t like in worship? Do you have favorite songs? These questions sound like survey questions for an audience, don’t they? Have you assumed the role of audience in your worship gathering? 

As in many of the gatherings of our lives, we are most often the audience. Having participated in each role, I would think the audience has the easiest role. You just show up. Not a lot of preparation is involved and you can just sit back, relax and watch. There is so much in our lives that we “watch”. We watch sports, television, concerts, weddings, graduations and so forth. We watch so much, it makes it difficult to step into different roles.  Taking the stage takes preparation, planning, and focus.

I remember a few small gatherings early in the courtship of my wife that taught me about these roles of worship. For reasons that are too lengthy to explain here, I was not a man of great means when we were dating. I recall coming up short for the fare on some of our dates.  I remember she would roll her beautiful eyes and reach for her purse to cover the tab. These occurrences brought a dramatic paradigm shift. Our roles in this small gathering got all messed up. I was no longer the host, as she became the hostess for the evening. I was thanking her for the ice cream. She had paid the price for the time together.  Soren’s neatly divided roles got all confused. I had been trying to step on to the stage to impress her and win her love, but she stole the spotlight and showed her love.  She was no longer the audience. The dance had begun.  

When we gather to worship, God wants to hear from us. He wants to watch us worship Him. At any moment He may take over and remind us He has already paid the price that makes the gathering possible. Without the sacrifice Jesus made that provided the bridge of forgiveness, our worship of God would go unobserved. We need to be careful what role we assume in worship. He wants our best, which ironically, He has made possible.

the friar

Crossing Over

Crossing Over

Exodus 15

There are several parts of worship that are foundational. The cornerstone of good worship is unity. Unified worship happens when there is common focus of the congregants. It is my contention that unity in corporate worship is a rarity in many churches. There are many reasons why, but I want to mention what seem to be the most common challenges to unity and how we can overcome them.

One of my most difficult moments as a worship leader is at the beginning of a worship time. When I step to the platform and look at the gathering, I don’t see unity.  I am no mind reader, but I have gotten to know my church. I know where they are in life. There are some folks you can read like a book.  The congregation (sometimes including myself) has come to worship with those invisible “backpacks” firmly strapped in place carrying “world” stuff into worship. There are people worried about jobs, spouses, health, finances, children, or pending divorces. Some have recently experienced life changing events that include the death of a loved one, loss of a job, financial ruin and on and on. We all carry baggage of some sort, but sometimes we need to lay it down. It’s hard to look up with a hundred pound knapsack on your back. Try it.

Further, gatherings are innately challenging to our focus. Gatherings give us opportunity to look around.  We see others and our minds drift to and fro in ever shifting thoughts. We are glad we aren’t like those and wish we were more like them. Our sizing up will sometimes include the leaders, musicians, worship content, ceiling tile and temperature.  It’s a minefield of distraction, but it doesn’t have to be.

The beginning of worship is a critical moment, because out of the chaos of our world, we are to cross over to something else; something that unifies rather than divides; something that focuses us rather than turns us all directions. It’s tough. It requires preparation by the leader and the people to reach a oneness that I believe happens very rarely in Christian worship.

Though this blog is primarily for the congregant, I want to share a quick thought for the leader. When planning and leading worship, be aware of the need for unity. The content (liturgy) of the worship time needs focus. If the congregation is going to unify and focus, the content is a huge first step. Plan a worship time that can be summarized in a brief phrase.  As an example, “God is holy” is not only a profound biblical truth, but also an appropriate focus of worship that can unify a congregation.  Try not to “meet” people where they are, rather, give them avenues to see God where He is.

The worshipper should also plan. Crossing over the threshold from world to church/worship is not an easy or automatic transition. If one remains focused on themselves and world values, he/she is undermining worship. Worship is a time to turn our attention another direction. As I mentioned in my first blog, worship preparation and the act of worship are much like an orchestra’s rehearsal and performance. Each member comes anticipating something beyond their own sheet of music.

I am reminded of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and leaving their enemies and former taskmasters behind. Their trek across a dry sea bed (that may have taken more than a day or two) was a shared experience resulting in a unified chorus in Exodus 15. Congregations should focus on common experience to reach unity in worship. As the Israelites walked the path to salvation and viewed the destruction of their enemy (top concern of the day, I would guess) unity happened. 


Their story recounted their salvation. Unity in worship is possible when we remember who God is and what He can do. Cross over.

the friar

Why Worship Together?

This is a blog about Christian worship. It will focus on what is commonly called corporate worship, i.e. the gathering of Christians to praise God.  I am writing it because in my 40 years of worship leadership, I still find distortions and misunderstandings about what worship is and how it should be practiced in the local church.  I have come to some conclusions about worship that I believe are worthy to share.  Some of those who read my journal will agree; some will disagree. My hope is for an educational monologue and dialogue that will enrich a Christian’s worship experience and challenge many of the notions about worship that seem a bit off center. I am sure it will not be the last word on what worshipping God is all about but it will be an attempt to contrast personal time with God and the activities we engage in when we gather to encounter God as worshippers.

This blog will be written with the folks in the pew in mind.  I will try to avoid theological terms and concepts that sometimes lead to discussion only for discussion’s sake. Most of the time, the blog will be anecdotal in nature.  I will draw from my own experiences.  Above all, it will be biblical.

My hope is these writings will be an informal journal of what I have learned about worship over the years.  I am often surprised as to how readily Christians will substitute other activities for worship. It is my contention that if there were a clearer understanding of corporate worship and a more biblical understanding of each part of worship, Christians would move worship back to the top of their “to do list”.

Finally, I will try not to write from the perspective of any particular denomination. I am hoping the principles I discuss can be universally applied.  I will attempt to keep it centrally focused on the most common practices of Christians, which is a corporate worship of God that is scripturally based.  I invite constructive comments and reflection. 

Why Worship Together?

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16 NIV.

As I start putting this worship puzzle together, imagine a jigsaw puzzle.  I find the corners.  It seems important to get a handle on those pieces that draw the lines or frame the picture.  One cornerstone of congregational worship is encouragement/admonishment.  I realize I am skipping some obvious parts of worship, i.e. praise, music, prayers, sermon;  but this part is near and dear to my heart because it is overlooked by so many. Corporate worship is good worship when there is a unified, collective effort to express in gathering what cannot be expressed alone. Worship is not for the voyeur. Great worship is a congregation that is prepared, expectant and unified in purpose.

As an adolescent I had the experience of marching in junior and senior high school bands. Those Friday nights on the football field still resonate within me.  It wasn’t until years later I began to realize what this taught me about worship. Marching bands are able to go beyond the solo and blend varied instruments into both a visual and musical experience.  A lone tuba player could not spell out that big C (Cherokee Jr. High) on the football field, nor was his “umpa” as glorious or definitive as the emotional alma mater we played to close each presentation. As band members we were able to come together after hours and hours of practice and present not only an entertaining halftime show, but also a tribute to our school. There was a unity of purpose under field direction that made it all happen. It was an inspiring experience. Each of us was doing our part to bring something so much larger than ourselves into a thematic expression.

Granted, those first hot summer days of preparation on the practice field were not always overflowing with motivation and desire, but the seeds were planted. Slowly things came together and we began to unify.  What was at first a distasteful sound began to swell into music. We began to see the bigger picture and the “I” grew into the “we”. We would each begin to look around and try and get a glimpse of the big picture. Were our lines straight? How did that fifty yard wide “C” look? How did the music sound when we were far enough from the trombones to hear our own horns? There was an inner response (sometimes goose bumps) when we could see out of the corner of our eye, each member moving and stepping as one. My trumpet seemed to sound better when I played along side my cohorts. Those times alone with fingering charts, daily practice drills, long tones, and breathing exercises were finding a greater purpose.  Friday night, we were in uniform!  We all looked alike! When we marched on to the field we were a band.

Time alone with God strengthens those spiritual muscles and stretches us to greater endurance, but when there is the “gathering” there is an encouragement and energy that sends us back to our practice room for more time with the One who is tutoring us. Corporate worship is a presentation to God that reaches its zenith when there is encouragement and unity. It is a unified display of tribute born of desire and preparation. Our effort in concert with others overflows into encouragement that draws us all into worship.

My marching band experience was unifying and encouraging but had little to do with Christian worship, but it did  teach me important lessons I still carry with me today. Unity and encouragement within Christian worship are vital  signs of healthy worship. The ultimate worship experience is when we engage as one and call others out to the mission of praising God. When we are acting/moving as one, we are dedicating ourselves to a larger presentation to and for God.  Within our worship there should be a momentum that motivates us to do more. After all, isn’t worship (glorifying God) the essence of the Christian life? Join the band.

the friar