This week’s challenge is “Worship” hosted by Frank from Dutch Goes the Photo. My photos for this week’s challenge would not win any contests or strike awe in the viewer, but they do capture true worship in action, not the shadow of a place where worship once took place, however romantic that haunting scene may now appear.
You know, the funny thing is, I’ve been involved in church music for most of my life, but I’ve been hard pressed to find a photo of someone seated at the piano during an actual worship service. I have a growing collection of photos of church buildings, but almost no representatives of the worship that takes place on the inside, and particularly at the piano bench. I suppose that’s because it’s hard to take pictures while worshiping, and especially while playing. 🙂 But here’s one that someone else took and gave to me, taken from close to the back of the sanctuary. It’s rather small, I know, but this tiny frame holds some huge memories for yours truly.
Nearly 1,000 miles separate me from that congregation now, but as I look at the photo, I can hear the music coming from the baby grand piano, blending nicely with the crisp tones of Jimmy’s trumpet. As the song of praise draws to its dramatic conclusion, a chorus of amens echoes throughout the pews, then the pastor rises to the pulpit to continue the service with a message from God’s Word.
Below is another example of piano worship. This one was taken just last summer, when my daughter and I went to Mexico to visit some dear, sweet missionary friends, Tom and Jean Zartman, in Monterrey. Mary and I sang a duet, and she played a piano solo in the Sunday morning service, which meets in the lower floor of a dance studio. As you see, it’s not the building that matters, but the people. This church—this congregation—meets three times throughout the week, in three different places. But they are the same church. This serves to remind me that the church is not a building, but a body of believers who join together to worship the Lord Jesus Christ and sing His praises.
Where will you worship this coming Sunday?
Thanks again to Cee Neuner for her amazing directory, “For the Love of Challenges.” For the record, Cee’s directory lists not only photo challenges, but also writing and music challenges as well, and they are grouped by category. It’s very well organized.
Encore! Old Pianos with a New Song 