A Purposed Creation THE ART OF WORSHIP written by Kerri Bridges What a diverse world God has made! In every aspect of creation, there is a plethora of colors, shapes, sizes, biomes, species, habitats, sounds, ideas, ideals... the list is endless! To be a part of such a wonderful world! The most beautiful part of this medley, by far, is the diversity we find in people. How different we all are in so many distinctive ways! We express ourselves differently, we create differently, we dream differently, we worship differently. Yes, worship is diverse! I absolutely love to sing! Playing the piano is like therapy for me. So when I want to express my adoration and honor to God, naturally I turn to song. I close my eyes, serenading Him with words of praise, putting my heart into every little note my fingers play, bringing glory to the One who created me just the way I am. Most of my children have carried on this legacy in one way or another. Between them, I have a drummer, two who play guitar and piano, one of whom sings and writes, and another who can listen to a song and then sit down and play it like a pro within a quarter hour. But then comes my youngest daughter. She doesn’t sing, doesn’t play an instrument, and doesn’t seem to have any interest in doing so. But if you walk into her room, there are sculptures, paintings, drawings, handmade jewelry, clothing designs - so much creativity! All things made by her own hands. A gifting she inherited from my mother, who was a beautiful seamstress and an allaround crafty person. When I walk into that room, I may not hear what we traditionally call worship - there are no musical instruments or handwritten lyrics scribbled on a notepad in the middle of the night after waking from an inspirational dream - but I stand there with the same sense of reverence, the same stirring of emotion, the same recognition of God’s worthiness, in awe of Him and who He created my daughter to be. 18
Worship does not always look like what we see in a service on any given Sunday. Worship is art, dance, poetry, design, oration, sport, construction, even something as prose as doing your everyday work to the best of your ability with a heart of humility and gratitude. On a deeper level it is obedience, compassion, faith, love, kindness, and generosity. Worship is anything that points others to our amazing Creator, that brings glory to His name and sets Him apart as the One who deserves our praise, recognition, devotion, esteem, adoration, and worship. “All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, Lord; they will bring glory to Your name. For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God.” Psalm 86:9-10 NIV ABOUT KERRI I have been married to the love of my life for almost 25 years. We have six incredible children and one grandson together. I have been a part of the many aspects of worship since childhood. As a pianist, singer, and songwriter, my heart is to draw others to the heart of God through worship, finding a place of refuge in His presence. Women World Leaders is honored to have Kerri lead worship for the monthly online Facebook live teaching, prayer and worship event.
