I had lunch a few weeks ago with a friend of mine, Ryan
Ashley, who is the Worship Pastor at Life Church Reno. He was “fortunate”
enough to have a 4-hour layover in Chicago. I ran up to the airport and took
him to have his first Chicago-style pizza experience at Giordano’s. The look on
his face after the first bite was worth the journey.
However, as we got to talking about worship, I realized that
our conversation had drifted into equating music as worship. We are both
musicians, so this is a natural tendency, but it made the conversation feel frustrating
and incomplete. Worship has to be more than just singing a song? Right?
I freely admit that I hate to sing songs when I am not
leading worship in a service. As I sit in the pew/chair/couch, singing along
with the choir or band is the least worshipful activity I can think of…for me. I
love the atmosphere/intent of the room as beautiful musical worship surrounds
me, but I am a contemplative individual by temperament. For me, stillness,
centering, and prayer are the ways I best move beyond my own petty ways and
learn to give of myself to God in worship.
My friend, Steve Wallace, uses the term “trip points” to
describe adding additional activities designed to expand the number of avenues
available for worship beyond music. We are all unique creations of God, each with
our own God-given gifts and talents. A trip point is simply an activity that God
uses to catch your attention. It serves to draw you away from focusing upon
yourself and into God’s presence and rhythm.
I am drawn to contemplative activities in order to fall
deeply into a worshipful attitude. Others do so by creating poetry or
journaling. Some use painting or other forms of art. Still others achieve
deeper communion through guided prayer or other ancient practices.
The point is to realize that you have an incredibly diverse
group of people in your community. Each has a special gift or ability that God can
use to speak deeply into their lives. Yes, you CAN have multiple activities occurring
at the same time in your church service. It does not cause unruliness or
distraction. One person can draw in a corner, while someone else journals, and the
majority of the body continues to sing. Sometimes it is good to add onions and mushrooms to your peperoni only pizza. It can make the experience even richer.
This blog is full of ideas and ways to better include all of
God’s children in worship. I promise you won’t regret it.