If you’re a Christian, and you’ve attended church, then you probably recognize the term: “Worship Service.”

I have absolutely no problem raising my hands to God — just, not in front of a crowd. Ocean Breeze, original painting by Steve Henderson; licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

This is the time, just after the announcements and immediately before the sermon, when the congregation corporately sings — from the hymnal or off the PowerPoint words on a giant white screen. Generally, we’re helped along in the process by the “Worship Team.”

Years ago, my husband the Norwegian Artist and I were part of this team (I know, sometimes I’m surprised at myself, too): he played the guitar and I stood up with two other women in front of the microphone and sang, because otherwise, some of those songs — especially contemporary ones that need to be replicated exactly the way they are performed on the radio — are too difficult to get through.

Now every church and every congregation has its own way of doing things, but generally there is a “worship plan” as to what songs are chosen, how many, and in what order, so while the specifics vary, the concept of the Plan does not. At the time we were on the worship team, the Plan looked like this:

Please follow the link to read the rest at Is Singing in Church the Only Way to Worship at my BeliefNet blog, Commonsense Christianity. 

Why does this matter? Because, in contemporary establishment Christianity, we are given the subtle — or not so subtle — that there are limited ways of doing things “properly,” and if you don’t do them right, then Jesus is displeased with you. This is the wrong message, but it is reaching — and affecting — far too many people.