The Worship Team

It was a small worship team tonight, only five of us; one pianist, one on synth, a guitarist, me on bass, and a drummer.  Only two of us are singing this week, as we prepare to lead the congregation in Sunday morning worship.  Tonight, our ages ranged from early twenties to late seventies, a Bible college student and a youth pastor, a piano teacher, a preschool teacher, and a retired nurse.

Our entire worship team probably consists of more than twenty talented musicians and technicians, including bus drivers and teachers, farmers and ranchers, students, construction workers, nurses, and self-proclaimed computer geeks. The faces may change a bit from one week to the next, but the focus remains the same.  Every time we come together, we implore God to help us focus on him, and to make us fade into the background on Sunday mornings, so the congregation can fix their eyes on Him, as well.

I think I can safely say that we have become a family.  Not everyone was there tonight, it's true, but whenever some of us come together to practice or lead worship, we enjoy spending time with each other.  We share each other's heartaches and triumphs, we pray together, laugh and cry together, play and sing together, praise God together.

I love it when practice becomes praise!

It is somewhat astounding that people of such diverse backgrounds can come together a couple of times a week, play through each song two or three times at practice, and produce beautiful music, with little disagreement and much camaraderie.  We have come to know each other well.  We respect each other. But, most importantly, we purposefully love and serve the same God.  As some people might say, "It's a God thing!"  Without the Holy Spirit's guidance, we would fall flat, sing flat, jockey for position, perform instead of praise.

We are learning to appreciate the privilege we have been given.  And, it really is a privilege for us to lead the congregation in worship of the God we love.  He is worthy of all our praise!



Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.          Psalm 33: 1-3

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