Worship Matters
Hello Church Family!
Over the past years at PTC, many questions have come to the worship leaders. “Worship Matters” is a way to answer some of these FAQ’s.
One of these is “How can I worship when I don’t know the songs?” Great question!
It is definitely easier to enter into worship when a song is familiar. This past year, the worship leaders have been working on creating lists of already introduced songs, keeping up with when and how often they are sung, and introducing new songs gradually. We are getting there!
Here are three ideas to facilitate worship when the song is unfamiliar:
1. Focus on the words and on the Lord. At those times when I’ve attended a service where none of the songs are familiar, or when we do a new song or a hymn I haven’t heard, I have an opportunity to read the words and consider how they may lead me to praise God. Or, I can close my eyes and listen, and ask God to open my heart and mind to what He is doing. I can begin to focus on what the Lord has done in my life, and offer praise to Him, no matter what the song is! The opportunity to worship supersedes the song being sung.
2. Listen to new songs in advance. Starting soon, we will be sending out a link to new songs being proposed for Sunday worship. There will also be a YouTube and Spotify link included in the weekly email, where Bill Broers has compiled new songs that have been sung recently. Sometimes I listen to new songs while taking a walk, or driving, or while working around the home. Christian radio is another great way to become familiar with some of the songs the larger Church is singing today. New or old, there is a treasure trove of worship music out there to be discovered!
3. It’s all about the heart. At any given time, someone may be struggling with the song being sung. It could be a young person or child, not understanding “big” words or archaic phrases. It could be a new believer, unfamiliar with the “Christianese” terms in a song. It may be someone raised in a different setting, where hymns were rarely sung, trying to figure out what is to them a strange melody and rhythm. It may be a senior saint, not knowing how to sing the latest songs coming around the bend. Whatever the struggle, we can posture our hearts to worship by staying humble, gentle, and soft-hearted toward the Lord and our brothers and sisters, considering others before ourselves.
We all have songs we love to sing. Songs that bring back memories of wonderful times with the Lord, or a season of hardship or blessing. However, true worship is not just about feeling good, or about singing our favorite songs. True worship is a heart attitude before God that esteems Him and ascribes worth to Him above all else.
– Pam Graham, Worship Coordinator
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!” Psalm 96:1