Worship Outside the Box {FMF}

What do you do when you can’t sleep and are up in the middle of the night nibbling on a peanut butter sandwich because baby wanted a snack? Oh, just a little free writing with the Five Minute Friday prompt “Worship”…

I’ve been sharing in this story how I was raised with some rather rigid religious ideas. One of which was that worship was a particular sort of music, sung at a particular pace, in a particular sort of church.

As my ‘religion’ has turned into more of a relationship, my understanding of worship has changed. Two light bulb moments illuminated this for me…

The first was a special evening last fall–the last night of the Allume Conference. After Ann Voskamp’s closing session (which was worshipful, let me tell you), there was a scheduled time of worship led by talented musicians. It really felt like the perfect ending to a weekend in which God had showed up way more than you’d expect at a conference that was supposedly about blogging. (Allume is always doing that–reminding you that it’s actually all about God.) Yet, as much as my heart was overflowing with worship, I felt myself drawn out of the room where the band was playing, and into the halls.

A friend asked, “are you staying for the worship time?” And I said something that surprised me when it came out of my mouth, but rings truer each time I recall it. “I think I worship in fellowship, um, just as well?” She nodded, like she understood perfectly, though I did not. But off I went into the halls to have a heart-to-heart with one of my besties. A conversation that would include sharing the deeper heart things, and touch on things God was whispering to us, and beauty we were finding in this season. Conversation that centers around God can be worship, right?

The second light bulb moment happened just last week. Our church had scheduled a picnic at a local park, with the goal of interacting and hopefully ministering with fellow park goers. After burgers and brownies and sweet tea, the musically inclined pulled out their instruments and began to sing. My man was among the musicians. Me? I was watching my kids and…talking. (I do so love to talk.)

The light faded, the praise and worship continued, the conversations grew deeper. At one point I had the thought, born from my good-girl-does-everything-by-the-book days, “I should probably go sit down and sing…” followed immediately by the very strong sensation that, “I was made for THIS. This conversation, this fellowship–this is worship, too.”

I worship most often in the deep fellowship that brings glory to God through stories and sentences.

I love to sing, too. Don’t get me wrong. But I’m learning that there’s more than one way to worship God, and there’s such joy in realizing I can worship Him in various settings, at different times of day, and even without an accompanying guitar.

• When I’m agreeing with God on the beauty of how He designed my mommy body, and embracing style that celebrates rather than resents how motherhood has changed my figure, that’s worship.
• When I slow down long enough to love my children with the love I receive from my heavenly Father, that’s worship.
• When I show my gratitude to my Father for the man He’s given me by loving unconditionally, that, too, is worship.

And I’m so grateful that there are so many ways to worship my God, because every time I turn around, I find more reasons to worship.

Linking up with the lovely Lisa Jo, who is gracious enough to let even those of us who go (way) over time be a part of her Five Minute Friday link up.