Worship Through Music

My church, Ember has this cool vocabulary when talking about worship.  It's so simple but it can really bring clarity to what most people "think" is worship. 

Here goes...At Ember, when we're talking about music, we're "not allowed" to say "I'm on the worship team" or "the worship was great tonight", etc.  Why?  Well, what is worship?

For those of us who have put our blood, sweat and tears into getting Ember going and off the ground, setting up and serving each week, well we know this is for sure a form of worship.  Worshiping with our hands and staying focused on the bigger picture, even when that picture is blurry and full of question is pretty much the only way to be while doing this.  I say this because it's not easy serving every week.  It's not easy saying goodbye to my weekend with Andy early because he has to go and set up Ember and wait for him as he cleans up afterward.  When I set aside my own agenda (heck, that'd be being with him all the time!) and remember what God's calling us to do (again, it's never really clear), I find joy in these little trials.

Are we called to worship God as we enter His presence?  Yes.  Are you not entering his presence as you listen to a sermon and God's word being taught and preached to you?  We should be.  I understand the "off" days or weeks or months and it's just really hard to have a heart of worship while sitting there listening to a sermon (not at my church!  Our preacher is fantastic! haha!).  Seriously, though.  I believe listening to a sermon is part of worship. 

The music and singing to God seems to be the most common way we communicate using the word "worship".  So, what I'm saying is this.  I do not know everything about worship, but at Ember we say, "I love the worship through music tonight!" or "I am on the music worship team."  Etc. 

It's a little change in my vocabulary but has surprisingly been very eye-opening to what I view as worship.  So, thanks to Garth and Kelly (the adorable couple who, every week, put a lot of work and love into our worship through music) for reminding us that we worship our God through more than our voices and instruments. 

Amen.