Why Do We Worship Through Music?

I am really looking forward to gathering together with everyone for our second worship night, on October 22 at 7pm.  If you were able to come out for the first worship night in July, then you know what to expect. I came away from that evening not only grateful I had been a part of it, but also wishing more people could’ve experienced worship in that setting. This Thursday is your chance! Before we gather again, I thought I’d offer a few thoughts on why we’re creating these events and what we hope comes out of them.

Worship is most simply our expression of reverence and adoration toward God. It’s our response to who God is and what God has done. Psalm 95:6 says, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker…”  There are many ways this can be done. Throughout Scripture, one of the primary means of expressing worship is through music and singing. The Psalms provide a rich example of this. And by the way—the word “Psalm” just means song.  So the Psalms are a collection of 150 songs written to and about God. They refer 68 times to singing and also mention about fifteen different instruments being used to praise God, everything from the harp, lyre, and cymbals to the electric guitar… (just checking to make sure you’re still with me).

There’s something unique about worshipping God together in a corporate setting through song, anywhere from a handful of people to a large group. Something happens in “corporate” worship that’s different than simply listening to your favorite worship album alone in your car. Singing together strengthens our identity as God’s people (Ephesians 5:17-20). It gives fuller expression to the thoughts and emotions we have in relation to God. We worship through singing because there are depths and heights and emotions that can’t be expressed adequately in matter-of-fact statements. The other important thing about worship is that God promises to be present when we gather for that purpose. He inhabits or dwells in the midst of our praise (Psalm 22:3).

I realize that worshipping God corporately is a brand new concept for many people. Perhaps it seems awkward or intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. The purpose of these worship nights is to simply show up and to humbly express your gratitude for what God has done in your life. When we start to do that, it is amazing how quickly our gratitude turns into praise for who God actually is!